The impact of Power BI

The most important tips & tricks for using Power BI

Make informed decisions based on insights gained from your data: Business Intelligence is an incredibly valuable development for companies. But how do you collect all the necessary data and convert it into clear reports and dashboards? There's Power BI, a Business Intelligence tool developed by Microsoft, a convenient solution for. And to make sure you get the most out of this tool, in this blog, we'll discuss a number of important tips & tricks that will maximize the benefits of Power BI for your business.

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Tip 1: Plan your data model

The basis for a Power BI dashboard is the data model. Planning this involves identifying the sources of data you want to use, defining relationships between datasets, and having your data organized and structured. When done properly, it ensures that reports and dashboards are accurate, consistent, and easy to set up. In addition, it also helps to avoid problems with data duplication or inconsistency.

When planning your data model, it's wise to consider the following things:

• Identify the data sources you want to use, such as databases, spreadsheets, or cloud-based platforms.
• Determine how the data sources are interconnected and what relationships exist between the datasets.
• Control how the data is organized into tables and columns.
• Identify any data quality issues and develop a plan to address them.

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Tip 2: Clean and prepare your data

Once you've planned your data model, it's time to clean and prepare your data. This includes identifying and correcting errors, removing duplicates, and standardizing data formats.

Clean and well-prepared data is essential for creating accurate reports and dashboards. It also helps you avoid issues with data, inconsistencies, or errors that can affect decision making.

When cleaning and preparing your data, you should take the following things into account:

• Identify and correct any errors in the data, such as missing values, incorrect formatting, or data peaks.
• Delete any duplicate data or records.
• Standardize data formats, such as date formats, to ensure consistency.
• Develop a plan for ongoing data maintenance to ensure that the data remains accurate over the long term.

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Tip 3: Choose the right visualizations

Choosing the right visualizations for your data is crucial for creating valuable reports and dashboards in Power BI. The right visualizations make your data more accessible and understandable, which means that its value is much greater.

When visualizing the data, we recommend that you look at the following things:

• Identify the key data points you want to present and decide how you want to compare them.
• Take into account the audience you're presenting the visualizations to and what forms they might be most familiar with.
• Evaluate the different types of visualizations available in Power BI, including bar charts, line graphs, scatter charts, and maps, and choose the one that best suits your needs.
• Experiment with different visualizations to find the one that best represents your data and tells your story.

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Tip 4: Use filters & slicers

Filters and slicers make your reports and dashboards more dynamic and user-friendly. This is because they ensure that users can zoom in to specific data sets, so that exactly the most relevant data can be looked at per issue.

When using filters and slicers, it is smart to take the following points into account:

• Identify key data points that users may want to filter or slice.
• Choose the right type of filter or slicer, such as a drop-down list or slider.
• Use filters and slicers to enable users to work with data in real time, for example by changing the date range or selecting a specific product or region.
• Provide instructions or guidance on how to use filters and slicers to ensure a smooth user experience.

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Tip 5: also integrate external data into your Business Intelligence

It's crucial not only to look at company data internally, but also to consider external influences, such as market changes or customer behavior. By integrating this external data, you get a fuller picture of the context in which you operate as a company. This enables you to make more informed decisions and respond quickly to changing circumstances. Identifying these external factors and incorporating them into your Business Intelligence process will increase the accuracy and relevance of your analyses and enable you to act proactively and strategically in a dynamic business environment.

When adding external data, it is advisable to take the following points into account:

• Use reliable sources of external data. By paying attention to how up to date, accurate and reliable a source is, you ensure that the integrated data is of high quality.
• Automate the collection and processing of external data. By implementing automation, you can efficiently and on time obtain external data and integrate it into your BI system.
• Set relevant KPIs and warning signs: Identify key external factors that may affect business performance and define relevant KPIs to measure these factors. Also, set up warning signals to inform you in time when significant changes in the external environment occur in order to take measures as quickly as necessary.

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Implementing Power BI within your organization

In short, Power BI can be incredibly valuable in many cases. With its powerful analysis capabilities and intuitive interface, it will help you make informed choices to prepare for the future.

Do you also want to take advantage of the many benefits of Power BI?

We are happy to help you implement and optimize them within your organization. Our consultants are ready to work with you to explore the possibilities of Power BI for your business and provide customized solutions that meet your specific needs. Ready to turn your data into valuable and user-friendly information? Then schedule an appointment, we are happy to think along with you!

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