To start using Power BI, you need to have a Microsoft account. Once you have created an account, you can sign in to Power BI using your credentials. The Power BI dashboard will appear, and you can start exploring the various features available.

Creating a Dashboard

To create a dashboard, you need to click on the “Create” button in the top-right corner of the screen. You will be prompted to select a data source. You can choose from a variety of sources, including Excel spreadsheets, SQL Server databases, and more.

After selecting a data source, you can start building your dashboard. You can add visualisations, such as charts and graphs, to display your data in an easy-to-understand format. You can also change your dashboard by adding text boxes, images, and other elements.

Creating a Report

To create a report, you need to click on the “Create” button and select “Report.” You will be prompted to select a data source, just like when creating a dashboard. Once you have selected a data source, you can start building your report.

Power BI has a drag-and-drop interface, which makes it easy to create reports. You can select visualisations from a library of pre-built charts and graphs, or you can create your own using custom visuals. You can also add filters and slicers to your report to make it interactive.

Sharing Insights

One of the key features of Power BI is the ability to share insights with others. You can share your dashboards and reports with colleagues, customers, and partners. You can also embed your dashboards and reports into your website or application.

To share a dashboard or report, you need to click on the “Share” button and select the appropriate option. You can share a dashboard or report with specific individuals, groups, or everyone in your organisation. You can also set permissions to control who can view and edit your content.

Once you’ve connected to your data, the next step is to create visualizations. Power BI provides a variety of tools and templates to help you get started, including charts, graphs, and maps. To create a visualization, simply select the appropriate tool from the Power BI interface and follow the prompts to customize it to your needs.
One of the most powerful features of Power BI is its ability to create interactive visualizations. Interactive visualizations allow you to explore your data in new and insightful ways, allowing you to gain deeper insights into your data and make better decisions as a result.

how to use power bi – visualisations

Sharing Your Power BI Visualizations

Once you’ve created your visualizations, the next step is to share them with others. Power BI allows you to share your visualisations in a variety of ways, including embedding them in a website or blog, sharing them via email or social media, or even publishing them to the Power BI service for others to view.

1. Increased Efficiency

With the best BI software, businesses can automate data collection and analysis, saving time and resources. BI software allows businesses to analyze data in real-time, enabling them to make informed decisions quickly and efficiently.

2. Improved Decision Making

BI software provides businesses with valuable insights into their operations and performance, enabling them to make data-driven decisions. With the right BI software, businesses can identify trends, patterns, and opportunities, and optimize their operations for better results.

3. Competitive Advantage

By using the best BI software, businesses can gain a competitive advantage in their market. BI software enables businesses to analyze data faster and more accurately than their competitors, allowing them to make strategic decisions that give them an edge.

1. Tableau

Tableau is a powerful data visualization tool that enables businesses to analyze and visualize their data in real-time. It has an intuitive drag-and-drop interface, making it easy for non-technical users to create stunning visualizations. Tableau offers a wide range of features, including interactive dashboards, data blending, and collaboration tools. Tableau offers a free trial, with pricing starting at $12 per user per month.

2. Microsoft Power BI

Microsoft Power BI is a cloud-based BI software that offers a suite of analytics tools for businesses. It offers a user-friendly interface that allows users to create custom visualizations and reports easily. Power BI offers features like natural language queries, predictive analytics, and real-time data streaming. Power BI offers a free trial, with pricing starting at $9.99 per user per month.

3. QlikView

QlikView is a popular BI software that offers powerful data visualization and analysis tools. It allows businesses to create interactive dashboards and reports quickly and easily. QlikView offers a range of features, including data visualization, data integration, and collaboration tools. QlikView offers a free trial, with pricing starting at $30 per user per month.

Business Intelligence (BI) is the process of analysing data to gain insights and make informed business decisions. BI tools are software applications designed to collect, process, and analyse data from various sources to provide actionable insights.

In today’s fast-paced business environment, businesses must make data-driven decisions quickly. BI tools help businesses to extract insights from large amounts of data, visualise data in a meaningful way, and share insights with stakeholders.

With the ever increasing problem of ‘information overload’, BI tools can sift through all the noise to answer questions instead of searching through endless documents and records.

BI tools provide insights into business operations, allowing managers to make data-driven decisions that improve efficiency and productivity.

BI tools provide insights into market trends, customer behavior, and competitor activity, giving businesses a competitive edge.

BI tools automate data processing, saving time and reducing errors associated with manual data processing.

BI tools allow teams to share insights and collaborate on projects, improving communication and productivity.

Reporting and dashboard tools provide visual representations of data, making it easier to interpret and analyse.

These tools help businesses to analyse large datasets to discover patterns and insights that can be used to inform business decisions.

Data warehousing tools allow businesses to store, organise, and manage data from multiple sources.

Data integration tools allow businesses to combine data from multiple sources to provide a more comprehensive view of business operations.

Determine the specific business problems you want to solve and the insights you want to gain from data analysis.

Choose a BI tool that is user-friendly and easy to use, to avoid unnecessary training costs.

Choose a tool with features and functionality that align with your business needs and objectives.

Choose a BI tool that fits within your budget, considering both upfront and ongoing costs.