Why is Power BI vs Excel such a debate? One reason is the fact that having proficiency in using Microsoft Excel has been a common requirement for professionals for decades. In fact, it is a common prerequisite for those applying for six-figure jobs positions.
Microsoft Power BI has recently proven to be a contender to dethrone Excel. It is quickly becoming the most useful data visualization program around.
But, not everyone is aware of its benefits.
Not sure where to start? Do not worry, we have you covered.
Take a look at everything you need to know about Microsoft Power BI vs Excel.
Cloud Service
One of the most notable attributes that Microshttps://www.incworx.com/technologies/power-bi-consulting-servicesoft Power BI offers is the capability to utilize cloud service. This allows you to safely back up your data to a remote location. It also makes the sharing of data seamless.
Additionally, you can configure your cloud service to gather reports from other web-based services, such as Salesforce. You can also upload reports directly from your company’s devices.
Regardless of where the report comes from, you will be able to then use a web browser to access them. This provides a notable amount of flexibility when it comes to analysis.
Mobile Accessibility
Mobile accessibility and functionality is something that is integrated into Microsoft Excel. However, it is not known for being the most user-friendly feature.
It is important to note, though, that this has nothing to do with a shortcoming by Excel itself. Its mobile view does exactly what you would expect— it allows the user to view spreadsheets on a mobile device.
Microsoft Power BI offers additional functionality by allowing users to customize how they view the reports on this type of platform. As a result, navigating through your spreadsheet information is far more fluid and intuitive.
Visualization Options
Power BI provides users with the capability to choose from a wide range of data visualization solutions. These include detailed charts, graphs, etc. that you can easily implement depending on your situation and needs.
For those who require additional visualization options, you can download alternatives in the Marketplace section of the Microsoft BI software.
Data Alerts
Power BI aims to be as intuitive as possible to ensure accessibility and convenience. Its Data Alerts feature is one of the most notable ways in which it accomplishes this.
Users are able to create rule sets on their reports that can be used to automatically alert them once certain criteria are met. This is particularly useful for those who often audit spreadsheets for threshold values.
For instance, you can use data alerts to receive a notification as soon as a quarterly revenue goal has been met. This leads to better organization and increased overall productivity.
Workspace Creation
Even small companies often find themselves having to create and receive reports from different sources. As your company grows, the number of reports also grows.
Fortunately, Power BI allows you to create a workspace that you can use to consolidate all of the data. Once together you can review and analyze the data set. You can assign users or groups of users to a particular role to make sharing data sets, and export data easier to manage.
For large projects, multiple workspaces can be created to organize reports, analytics, etc.
Quick Insights
Without a doubt, as projects grow larger and data sheets become more extensive, it can be difficult to find the information that you are looking for.
The Quick Insights feature allows you to automatically check for relevant trends, outliers, and correlations within your data sets. This will help you better understand the information at hand.
This is best utilized for metrics like sales numbers, audience demographics, and percentage growth, many of which can be difficult to navigate.
Management Speed
One of the most notable drawbacks of having a large project in Microsoft Excel is the notorious slowdown that occurs when editing cells. Many times, it is not feasible to break this information up into smaller projects, either.
Thankfully, Microsoft Power BI comes equipped with an algorithm that facilitates data model compression. This feature directly increases the speed at which data can be manipulated.
If your business consistently deals with projects of a large size, you will find that the time you save will not only increase your productivity but allow you to use those extra hours for other obligations.
Ongoing Development
Unquestionably, Microsoft Power BI is Microsoft’s data solutions of the future. This means it is heavily prioritized when it comes to making tweaks, fixes, and adding features.
Every week, Power BI’s weekly features tool is upgraded by Microsoft. This means that you can expect a punctual response to any outstanding bugs or concerns. This is not common for many software solutions.
Many of these additional features also seek to directly enhance productivity, allowing you to get even more out of the software.
Choosing Between Microsoft Power BI vs Excel
Initially, choosing between these two tools may seem difficult, but it does not have to be.
With the above information about Microsoft Power BI vs Excel in mind, you will be well on your way toward making the decision that is best for you and your company.
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