There is a feeling you get when you have been using a tool, a formular or administering a policy that was simply passed down or introduced to you without and prior knowledge. Then you get background information on the reason why things are done the way they are or the origin of the subject you have been touting about. Hearing the history (Back story) of Power BI gave me that feeling. I had absolutely no idea that it was in any way related to PowerPivot let alone Excel add-ins or that it had been in use for many years. I assumed it was one of the new apps created in the wave of having an App for everything and that it was something developed locally (don’t ask why I had such a myopic assumption… story for another day). I have been going on for a while without explaining what this Power BI is.
Power BI is a Microsoft tool that provides Business Analytics service. It is a cloud-based service that provides robust features for data analysis, data modelling, and data visualization. it is considerably user friendly and accessible across various skill levels, in the sense that anyone with limited technical skills when it comes to Information Technology can use it for basic data analysis with a few lessons given the appropriate data format.
It is a collaborative tool that allows users share reports and interpret data real-time thereby encouraging teamwork. One of the most important and interesting aspect of Power BI for me is how it visualizes data and creates easy to understand reports. Seemingly complex reports become easy to understand in a matter of seconds and this aids faster decision making from a more informed view of the available data.
Power BI’s ability to pool data from several different sources and integrate this data to provide reports and insight is another significant aspect of the tool. Personally, I consider this one of its best features if not the best.
I recall the strain a particular report on income generated per staff across different services used to put on the team for years every time we needed to generate it manually and how the use of Power BI now in achieving same is done in a matter of minutes (once the data is right of course).
I believe I have been an end user of Power Bi since 2020 or 2021 in reporting client data and performing client Data analytics, but all I had to do was click on a shared link, generate the report done by someone else and make my presentation to the relevant parties. Getting a background story deeply enhances the quality of use and knowledge you get from a tool, it also improves your confidence in using that tool. Now while it may not mean that you have suddenly become a master of the tool, it helps you to better understand the masters of that tool and perhaps begin your journey towards becoming a master yourself (if you choose).
