Power BI Reporting: Analyze Data Sets in Excel
Let’s talk spreadsheets and data. One of the new and more advanced features of Power BI Reporting is the unique ability to analyze data in Microsoft Excel. Sure, it might sound like a redundant feature since PBRS Excel reporting has always been available. However, there is a key capability worth noting. Excel now provides wider access to a broader set of authorized end users.
Now, users can take metrics in MS Excel and create analytics rather than just getting an Excel report without analysis capability. In this article, we’ll explore this advanced analysis feature’s evolution and demonstrate why Power BI Reporting will continue to be the best tool in your business data arsenal.
Deeper Dive into the Power BI Reporting Advanced Excel Feature
MS Excel continues to be the undisputed champion of all data analysis tools, with roughly 750 million users worldwide. One of the benefits users most often ask for is the ability to export an easy-to-read report and dashboard based on data from Excel.
In response to this end-user request, Microsoft released a more advanced feature called Analyze in Excel. With this function, users can connect Excel directly to their Power BI data. Subsequently, this allows users to conduct their own ad-hoc and tubular reporting. Users can also refresh their
Excel connections to get the latest Power BI datasets for quick and simplified analysis.
This latest capability is a game-changing update for companies whose analysts toggle between both platforms. And for users, anyone familiar with creating PivotTables in Excel is going to find the new feature easy, flexible, and familiar.
Why Excel Is So Popular Among Analysts?
MS Excel has been around for 30 years. Despite its age, it continues to be the most popular tool in workplaces for analysis functions. So, why do analysts prefer Excel to other options? Most answers to this question will likely fall under one of the following categories of benefits:
Excel Makes Data User-Friendly
One of the most common benefits of Excel that analysts appreciate is its user-friendliness. Researchers and analysts all agree that Excel offers easy methods for performing analysis across multiple databases and thousands of records. Commands are simple, charts are easily managed, and running inferential statistical tests is elementary.
Loads of Features
Excel offers a host of customizable capabilities and features that appeal to a wide variety of businesses. These features allow analysts to collect, manage, and report any data necessary for their research. Excel is also chock-full of features perfect for marketing departments, product management teams, human resources, sales forecasting, and budget planning.
The Power of Spreadsheets
Spreadsheets are an essential research tool. They’re also extremely useful in accounting and business applications. Assembling your data into a spreadsheet is only the beginning. From there, users can transform those raw metrics into powerful insights that can be used to solve business problems, improve sales, and scale the company. If you’re not leveraging the incredible capabilities of Excel spreadsheets, you’re missing out on the following key functions:
- Spreadsheets allow for strong visual data representation.
- Spreadsheets allow for one-page consolidation capabilities.
- Spreadsheets allow link-through reporting to expanded pages.
- Spreadsheets allow for data sifting, sorting, and cleanup.
- Spreadsheets allow for quick and accurate accounting and calculation.
Now imagine all the power, function, and capability of Excel data joining forces with the robust
features available in Power BI Reporting.
Applications of Excel Within Disciplinary Silos
A wide variety of employees working in different disciplinary silos rely on Excel. Explore how your organization’s various departments might leverage Excel to support their unique roles and responsibilities.
Business Analysis: Collect data about web traffic, sales, supplies, or support tickets into valuable information you can use to improve your business model.
Account Management: Stay on top of your company’s clients, prospects, and leads with Excel’s account management tools. These tools are great for documenting the customer journey, nurturing relationships, coordinating strategies, and closing deals.
Office Administration: Make light work of tedious record-keeping, invoicing, accounting, bill paying, and vendor contact management with easy-to-use Excel tools.
Operations Management: Evaluate business operations and day-to-day activities without the risk of complex tech bugs or expensive programs.
Performance Reporting: Create stunning visual aids (tables and charts) to showcase performance metrics and product or personnel performance.
Strategic Analysis: Gauge the effectiveness of your business strategies by tracking efforts, investments, and results for campaigns, portfolios, assets, and sales.
People Management and HR: Track and manage personnel data, time off, annual reviews, and training initiatives.
Project Management: Keep tabs on your company’s various projects, including mapping plans, documenting activities, and managing project timelines.
Contract Administration: Excel offers contract management templates that can be customized to track contract phases, administrative activities, estimations, quotes, and more.
Program Management: Businesses use Excel to track program efforts like events, training, internships, and results. Monitor program expenses, allocate resources, and manage participants with ease.
Power BI Reporting Brings Data and Departments Together
While your various departments might be using MS Excel within their unique roles and across their specific responsibilities, data insights do not have to remain trapped in a silo. With the announcement of the new Analyze in Excel feature, you can connect all your Excel data, across varying roles, into one brilliant dashboard application with Power BI Reporting.
See how today’s brands and leaders are leveraging their company data using Excel with the capabilities of Power BI Reporting. Let your teams keep their current Excel spreadsheets and metrics process. Then, assimilate all of this data into one stunning and user-friendly software solution that provides an overview of your most popular analytics, all in one convenient dashboard. With Power BI Reporting, you can bring company-wide datasets together and:
- Have them all in one place.
- Spot more details and trends.
- Create interactive reports across multi-departmental analytics.
- Automate reports for quick review.
- Get real-time updates with each new metric collected.
Introduce this new Power BI Reporting application to all the number-crunchers on your teams. Explore your company data through new lenses of analysis. Start squeezing every last drop of useful knowledge out of every data point your company collects to grow, improve, and scale your business.