What is Microsoft Power BI?

Microsoft Power BI is a collection of business analytics services that enables users to create data visualizations that can be shared within organizations or on websites. This suite of architectures, technologies, processes, reporting, and data visualization products can be used to extract meaningful information from raw data.

Power BI is simple to set up. It has a clear and easy-to-use interface with which users can design their own dashboards and reports. Those who wish to upload visualizations or reports can easily share them with others using the Power BI service, which has the added perk of refreshing their data each time there’s an update to the underlying dataset. Because Power BI was constructed using Microsoft Excel as a foundation, those who are familiar with Excel can easily transition to using Power BI.

Power BI has many cloud-based services and apps that are designed for managing, collating, and analyzing data. After data is processed in Power BI, insights can be gleaned, and charts and graphs of the information can be created to convey a visual snapshot of what’s happening at a business.

In addition, those working with Power BI have access to powerful AI capacities. They can use image recognition, design machine learning models, perform text analytics, and even integrate with Azure Machine Learning. Power BI provides users with the ability to customize app navigation using the “app navigation experiences” feature, as well as to tailor security features to their needs in order to ensure their information is kept safe and private.

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Components of Power BI

Microsoft Power BI offers three services, which are often used together at a business or organization, to share business insights with different team members and external parties:

  • Power BI Desktop (desktop application)
  • Power BI service (Software as a Service application)
  • Power BI mobile application (iOS or Android application)

The Power BI structure is made up of five core components, each of which has applications in the field of data analytics:

  1. Visualizations: These provide users with a visual way of interpreting data, in the form of maps, plots, charts, or other graphical depictions of information.
  2. Datasets: Power BI relies on these collections of data in order to make visualizations.
  3. Reports: A report typically is made up of several visualizations that can be viewed together to tell a more robust story.
  4. Dashboards: When several reports are ready to be shared, they can be distributed to team members in the form of dashboards.
  5. Tiles: When one visualization is present on a dashboard, it’s referred to as a tile.

When used alone or in concert, these tools enable Data Analysts to depict information in a way that is accessible to all team members, even those from a non-technical background, and to easily share it with anyone who may benefit from this information.

Power BI & Data Analytics

Microsoft Power BI is a powerful tool for Data Analysts and Data Scientists. It offers many useful features for those working with data, such as:

  • Real-time dashboard updates: Any dashboard or visual that was created using Power BI can update visuals and data in real-time and display it immediately.
  • Math & statistics capabilities: Advanced analytics plays an important role in the life of a Data Analyst. Power BI allows users to perform a plethora of statistical and mathematical analyses, such as clustering and forecasting. The insights provided from these analytics can offer an added level of confidence in their decisions.
  • Fast deployment: Power BI deployment pipelines are a feature of Power BI Premium and enable users to quickly deliver updates to content, cut down on errors, and ultimately increase productivity.
  • Secure environment: A reliable connection to data sources on-premises or in the cloud is provided. In addition, users can select Power BI tools like encryption keys to protect sensitive data, such as customer information.
  • Drag-and-drop: This helpful Power BI function enables end users to generate an ad-hoc report in just a few minutes.
  • Financial progress tracking: Once Power BI’s visualization tools compress data into dashboards, key performance indicators can be followed, such as marketing performance or the revenue from sales.
  • Hybrid configuration: This unique and helpful tool can be used to incorporate hybrid solutions for on-premises data structures while only report and dashboard definitions are deployed.
  • Multiple filters: Filtering capabilities across various Power BI components, such as data models, visualizations, and queries, are supported.
  • Natural language query: Normal terms in a user’s language are used to explore data, which means that there’s no need for a special format or syntax. Users can use Power BI’s natural language processing and recognition engine, Cortana, for data analytic needs simply by asking questions.
  • Schedule data refresh: Power BI users can specify if they wish to refresh data hourly, daily, or any other time frame that meets their professional needs.
  • Built-in machine learning features: Dataflows that are hosted on Power BI and Premium include automated machine learning capabilities.
  • Powerful visualization templates: Users can transform enterprise data into visual representations that can be used for more informed decision-making.
  • Sharing capacity: Power BI fosters collaboration. Users can share reports and dashboards with other Power BI users in their organization, as well as those outside their organization.
  • Multiple query integration: By using the merge and append functions, Power BI users can integrate various queries, as well as access and consolidate files from various network locations or sources.
  • Quick Insights: With the help of Power BI Quick Insights, those working with Power BI are able to quickly explore dashboard tiles and datasets to extract helpful insights. This tool helps users find correlations, trends, and outliers.
  • Data cleansing: Once data from multiple sources is in one place, Power BI cleanses the data, ensuring that it’s accurate, up to date, complete, correctly formatted, and void of duplicated or extraneous information.

As the above list demonstrates, Power BI is a versatile and comprehensive tool that can help streamline the way data is handled, visualized, and distributed within your organization. This is why millions of companies and organizations are working with Microsoft Power BI to manage their unique data needs.

Start Learning Microsoft Power BI With Hands-On Classes

For those who want to learn how to create dynamic data visualizations for business reports, Noble Desktop’s Power BI Bootcamp is a great option. This class is available in-person in NYC, as well as in the live online format. It teaches participants such skills as how to use a single relational model when connecting to multiple data sources, how to create comprehensive time intelligence reports, and how to work with Power Query.

There are also other live online Power BI classes currently available for those who are new to Power BI, as well as intermediate and advanced learners. These interactive classes are taught in real-time and provide all learners with access to an instructor who is teaching live (in-person and online) and is ready to provide feedback and answer questions.

If you are interested in finding additional Power BI classes in your area, check out Noble’s Classes Near Me tool to locate Power BI classes. This tool provides an easy way to locate and browse more than two dozen Power BI classes currently offered in the in-person and live online formats.