Celebrating a Decade of Microsoft’s Business Intelligence Tool
This July marks 10 years since Microsoft first launched Power BI. Over the last decade, Power BI has transformed from a promising tool to a global leader in business intelligence, helping businesses of all sizes turn data into decisions.
When Power BI first launched in 2015, it had around 500,000 early adopters across 45,000 companies. Fast forward to today and it is used by over 375,000 businesses worldwide, including 95% of the Fortune 500.
Here at PKF Smith Cooper Systems we have many Sage 200 sites that are now using Power BI to bring their data to life, as well as share data with non-Sage users in their team.
What is Power BI?
Power BI is a powerful business analytics tool by Microsoft. It allows users to connect to a wide range of data sources, transform raw data into insights, and create interactive dashboards and reports that are easy to understand and share.
Thanks to the Sage-provided connector, Sage 200 users can now leverage the power of their Sage 200 data using Power BI’s industry-leading capabilities. This means it’s now easier than ever to connect to your data, start analysing and create your own dashboards.
Unlike competing business intelligence solutions that come with fixed templates and limited flexibility, Power BI offers a more dynamic and scalable approach. Microsoft’s solution stands out by giving users the freedom to build exactly what they need, whether that’s a quick snapshot of trends, or a deep dive into overall performance.
See Power BI in Action
Here’s a look at some of the reports we have built using Power BI to help our Sage 200 users unlock the full potential of their data:
These are examples of the types of data that can be visualised directly from your data. Production teams can see a real time view of Works Orders, Procurement teams can see the status of their live POs and Sales teams can see sales data presented in the way they want it (Customer/Salesperson/Product).
One of the key benefits of Power BI is that it allows you to present data in a way that suits your needs. This example highlights how easy Power BI is to use, how effectively it visualises data, and how it gives non-Sage users access to valuable insights, helping them make more informed decisions.
As Power BI enters its second decade, we’re excited to see how it continues to evolve. With growing Artificial Intelligence (AI), deeper integrations, and even more ways to collaborate, the future of data analytics looks brighter than ever.
Whether you want us to build your Power BI reports or you want training to build them yourself, our dedicated team is here to help!
If you would like to find out more about Microsoft Power BI for Sage 200, or arrange a demonstration of the tool, then do not hesitate to contact us via sage@pkfscs.co.uk or give us a call on 01332 959008.
