Have you heard about Microsoft Power BI and wondered if it may benefit your business?
Microsoft has been involved in Business Analytics or Business Intelligence tools since the birth of rational databases. With Power BI, Microsoft has brought together several of their most powerful tools and created an end user-friendly platform.
The key difference with Power BI compared to previous tools or applications is that the focus is now aimed at business users rather than IT professionals. This makes perfect sense in theory, as business owners and users should have a greater understanding of what questions they want to be answered by their data.
However, the theory may be a step too far for many business owners or key users. While you may know what you want from your data, for many being able to create database views or a Power BI friendly star schema may sound like another language. This is where Appsure IT can support you and your business. We can help get your data organised and make it accessible, along with creating some relevant visuals to have some meaningful conversations around your needs.
If you have heard enough about Power BI and want to understand what it could offer your business, Appsure IT can provide a free consultation to discuss your unique requirements. Understanding where all your data is stored is key to exposing what can be achieved with any Business Analytics platform. We can then work with you, your application providers or IT support to connect all your required data sources into a data model. This data model will be the starting point for the end-users to begin understanding what information is available and what questions can be answered.
We can work with you in a consultant or training role. This can enable your business to take ownership of Power BI for your organisation. We can also develop and deploy all your reports and dashboards. For many, a hybrid approach works best, with some upfront reports created by Appsure IT then a gradual shift to internal development.
Licencing has historically been a challenge for many businesses to understand. While Microsoft provides a fully functioning free version of Power BI Desktop, the ability to share reports with others will require additional licences. We can help you get the right licences for your unique business needs. Getting the wrong licence can be a very expensive mistake to make.
Many organisations look to get up and running with Power BI by themselves without using an IT Consultancy company like Appsure IT. If resources and time are not a concern this may be a suitable approach. However, with a project like implementing a Business Analytics platform, there are several unique challenges. Our IT Consultants are experienced in dealing with these challenges. We believe that a partnership approach where your organisation takes ownership over agreed times for the platform provides the best chance of success.
By using analysts that are also skilled and qualified Business Analysts, Appsure IT has a unique offering for Power BI Consulting Services. Understanding your business first then using Power BI as a tool to help solve the problems, means that our business focus is not simply implementing new applications that don’t meet your business goals.
Power BI is a great platform for many organisations. It is not just there for large organisations. It will work great for many smaller and medium-sized organisations to bring all your data together into one user-friendly place. Utilising the free consultation will allow you to discuss with us if Power BI is right for you or if there is another approach you need to consider.
If you’d like to register to use the Power BI Service or download the Power BI Desktop application head over to the Microsoft Power BI site and register to try for free. You can also head over our blog site and read more about why Power BI is great for small businesses.
If you want to hear more about our Power BI Consultation Services and how they can support your business, simply email contact@appsureit.com or use the below form and we can book a free consultation.