What is Power BI and How to Use it?

Do you also face trouble identifying trends and patterns from raw data that have nothing to do with a person's intelligence?

This is where data visualization tools come into play, transforming raw data into meaningful insights that are easy to understand. 

Among these tools, Microsoft Power BI is the leading BI software in 2021, commanding 36% of the market share. Moreover, the BI market size is projected to reach $39.35 billion by 2027. 

But what exactly is Power BI, and how can you use it to unlock the full potential of your data? 

Let's dig into this powerful tool and explore its features and functionalities.

Learn about scheduled refreshes in Microsoft Power BI in this blog. 

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What is Microsoft Power BI?

Microsoft Power BI is a data visualization and business intelligence tool. It is designed for both business analysts and non-technical users. 

Power BI helps aggregate, analyze, visualize, and share data in various formats such as graphs, charts, and maps.

The platform includes several applications: 

• Power BI Desktop for building reports.
• Power BI Service for sharing online.
• Power BI Mobile for viewing on the go. 

There is a Power BI Report Server for on-premises data and report management.

Part of Microsoft's Power Platform, Power BI integrates with other Microsoft products and provides AI insights to uncover trends and patterns within data. It connects to various data sources, ensuring real-time data visualization and reporting.

Learn why business intelligence consultants use Microsoft Power BI in this blog. 

Demands for Power BI

Power BI Microsoft has garnered popularity due to several key factors that distinguish it in the realm of business intelligence tools. 

• Usability:

Its user-friendly interface and intuitive navigation make it accessible even to those without extensive analytics or software experience. 

• Accessibility:

This accessibility empowers users across various departments to effortlessly create compelling data visuals without the need for programming skills. 

• Affordability:

Additionally, BI Power offers flexible pricing plans, ensuring that businesses of all sizes can leverage its capabilities without straining their budgets. 

• Visualization:

One of its standout features is its robust suite of visualizations, enabling users to craft engaging data stories and effectively communicate insights to stakeholders. 

Furthermore, Microsoft Power BI provides extensive customization visualization options and interactivity, allowing users to tailor and interact with graphs, and charts to suit their specific needs and preferences.

What is Power BI Used for? 

Power Bussiness Intelligence is a versatile tool for uncovering insights within organizational data. It connects disparate data sources, transforms data into visual models, and creates interactive reports and dashboards for informed decision-making. 

With features like real-time reporting and scenario analysis, it empowers users to tell compelling data stories, and data-driven culture throughout the organization, benefiting everyone from analysts to executives.

Learn about creating a dashboard in Power BI in this blog. 

How To Use Power BI?

Microsoft Power BI is a powerful tool for data visualization and business intelligence. 

Here's a beginner's guide on how to use it:

1. Getting Started

• Download and Install Power BI Desktop: 

Visit the Microsoft Power BI website, download the appropriate version for your operating system, and follow the installation instructions.

• Launch Power BI Desktop: 

Once installed, open Power BI Desktop. You'll be greeted with a welcome screen where you can start a new project or open an existing one.

2. Exploring Different Features

• The left side of Power BI Desktop features icons for Report, Data, and Model views, with the current view highlighted by a yellow bar.

• Switch between views by clicking on any of the respective icons.

• For keyboard navigation, use Ctrl + F6 to move focus to the section of buttons in the window.

• For insights on accessibility and Power BI, explore our accessibility articles.

• The default view upon opening Power BI Desktop is the Report view.
  
  

Additionally, Power BI Desktop incorporates the Power Query Editor, which opens in a separate window allowing users to build queries and transform data before loading it into Power BI Desktop for report creation.

3. Connecting to Data

• Get Data: 

Click on the "Get Data" button on the Home tab to import data from various sources such as Excel, SQL databases, web sources, etc. 

Choose your data source and follow the prompts to connect.

4. Transforming Data in Power Query Editor

The Power Query Editor allows you to transform and clean your data.

• Open Power Query Editor: 

If you click "Transform Data", the Power Query Editor opens.

• Modify Data: 

You can rename columns, change data types, sort data, remove unnecessary rows or columns, and more.

• Apply Changes: 

Once done, click "Close & Apply" to load the transformed data into Microsoft Power BI Desktop.

5. Creating Visualizations

With your data ready, you can now create visualizations:

• Report View: 

This is the default view where you create visualizations.

• Fields Pane: 

This shows the data fields available for your visualizations.

• Visualizations pane: 

Allows you to choose and customize different types of visualizations.

Here’s a simple example:

• Map Visualization: 

Drag the "State" field from the Fields pane to the canvas, and Power BI will create a map showing the data points for each state.

• Customize: 

Use the Visualizations pane to change the visualization type, add filters, and format your visuals.

6. Filtering Data

To focus on specific data, you can apply filters:

• Filters Pane: 

Hover over a field in the Filters pane and click the dropdown arrow.

• Apply Filters: 

Select filter types and criteria, such as showing the top 10 states by weather.

7. Combining Data

You can combine data from different sources by merging queries:

• Merge Queries: 

In Power Query Editor, select "Merge Queries" from the Home tab.

• Match Columns: 

Choose the columns to match from both tables (e.g., state names).

• Expand Columns: 

After merging, expand the new column to include only the data you need.

8. Building Reports

Create detailed reports by adding various visualizations:

• Add Visuals: 

Drag fields to the canvas to create different types of visuals like column charts, tables, and line charts.

• Format: 

Use the Format pane to style your visualizations with titles, labels, and colors.

• Multiple Pages: 

Add new report pages by clicking the + symbol next to the existing pages.

9. Saving and Sharing Your Report

Once your report is ready, you can save and share it:

• Save: 

Click "File" > "Save" to save your report as a .pbix file.

• Publish: 

To share online, select "Publish" from the Home tab and follow the prompts to upload your report to the Power BI service.

10. Accessing Your Report Online

Power BI Service: Go to Power BI in your browser.

• Open Report: 

Find your report under My Workspace> Reports.

• Edit and Share: 

You can edit the report in the service and share it with others by sending a link or email.

Advantages of Microsoft Power BI

Microsoft BI Power is the most famous and advantageous tool for handling vast amounts of raw data in this digital age. 

Here are some most the top advantages of Power BI. 

• Accessibility: 

The Power BI platform is designed for both nontechnical and technical users. Its range of pricing options ensures it is accessible to businesses of all sizes, from small enterprises to large corporations.

• User-Friendly Interface: 

With an intuitive interface, Microsoft Power BI makes it easy for users to visualize and analyze data without needing advanced technical skills.

• Data Integration: 

Power BI seamlessly integrates with a wide variety of data sources, including Excel, SQL Server, Azure, Salesforce, and many more, allowing users to consolidate their data in one place.

• Collaboration: 

Built to facilitate teamwork, Power Bussiness Intelligence allows users to easily share their dashboards and reports, enhancing collaboration across different teams and departments within an organization.

• Customization: 

Creating custom visuals allows businesses to tailor their data visualizations to capture and highlight important relationships or patterns in complex data sets.

• Scalability: 

Power BI data can handle large-scale data sets, making it suitable for small and large businesses looking to scale their data analytics capabilities.

With these advantages, businesses can make more informed decisions, improve their data analysis processes, and foster a data-driven culture within their organizations.

Conclusion:

In conclusion, Microsoft Power Business Intelligence stands out as a powerful and accessible tool for data visualization and business intelligence. 

It transforms raw data into meaningful insights, enabling businesses to identify trends and patterns that might otherwise be overlooked. With its user-friendly interface, affordability, and robust visualization capabilities.

Power BI empowers users across various departments to create compelling data stories and make informed decisions. 

Its seamless integration with numerous data sources and other Microsoft products ensures real-time data visualization and reporting, making it an essential tool for fostering a data-driven culture.

Power BI businesses of all sizes can enhance their data analysis processes, improve collaboration, and ultimately drive better business outcomes.

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