Even though companies are using up to four different business intelligence tools to help them make decisions, it’s surprising that they still leave about 97% of their collected data unused. It’s a bit ironic – they have all these tools at their disposal, yet so much valuable data isn’t being tapped into.

Why is this happening? Well, it’s often because they have so much data from different sources, and it’s a challenge to manage and make sense of it all. Plus, without the right skills or tools to analyze and understand this data, it just sits there, unused.

Data from Microsoft Power BI, one of the top business intelligence tools, often isn’t used as much as it could be. Power BI can help companies make better decisions, but many don’t use all its features to the fullest. This means they’re missing out on a lot of what Power BI can do.

Common unused advantages of Power BI

Before diving into how Power BI consultants can help, it’s important to recognize the platform’s standout features that many businesses fail to fully use.

• Microsoft ecosystem integration: Its seamless integration with Microsoft tools like Excel and Azure makes managing data and workflows much smoother. Yet, many businesses don’t leverage this to its full extent.
• Friendly interface: The easy-to-use interface of Power BI makes data analysis accessible even to those without technical expertise. But its deeper functionalities often go unused and the opportunity to spread data analytics skills across teams is lost.
• Advanced visualization: Power BI’s tools for creating interactive reports are essential for businesses that need to present their data in an engaging way. However, their full potential is frequently untapped.
• Cost-effectiveness: With a competitive pricing model, Power BI is an attractive option, offering robust features even in its free version. Despite its affordability, many businesses don’t exploit Power BI’s full range of features and fail to get the most value for their investment.
• Real-time data processing: The ability to process data in real-time is essential for businesses needing timely insights to make quick decisions. However, many businesses fail to use this feature effectively for faster insights.
• Continuous updates and community: Regular updates are part of Power BI’s appeal, but keeping up with them can be challenging. Dedicated Power BI consultants stay on top of these updates, ensuring your business always uses the latest features.

The depth and breadth of Power BI’s functionalities can be overwhelming or underused without proper expertise. Power BI consultants have a deeper understanding and more experience specifically with Power BI’s unique features and capabilities. They’re better equipped to unlock the full potential of Power BI for your business.

Next, let’s look at the key issues Power BI consulting service addresses to help businesses fully leverage the platform’s potential.

5 Power BI advantages that stand out with Power BI consultants

Power BI consultants bring specialized skills that regular BI consultants might not offer, especially in these six key areas of Power BI:

1. Data integration and siloed information

In many businesses, important data is spread out across different systems or departments.

This kind of separation makes it hard for you to get a complete understanding of how the business is really doing.

Because of this, teams often have a tough time working together effectively, and it becomes challenging for business leaders to make decisions that are good for the whole business.

How Power BI consultants make a difference

Power BI consultants stand out in solving data integration and siloed information issues in the following ways:

• Specialized in data integration: Unlike regular BI consultants, Power BI consultants have a deep understanding of the specific tools on the Power BI platform, like Power Query, making them more effective at integrating data from various sources.
• Creating a unified business view: They excel at combining data to create a comprehensive view of the business on Power BI dashboards, which is a step beyond what general BI consultants might achieve.
• Enhanced analysis and decision-making: This unified view significantly improves data analysis and decision-making, leveraging Power BI’s advanced integration capabilities.
• Tailored Power BI expertise: Their specialized knowledge of Power BI allows them to handle complex data scenarios that might be challenging for regular BI consultants.

The result? You get better collaboration among teams and more strategic decisions, maximizing the benefits of Power BI’s data integration features.

2. Complex data analysis and interpretation

Businesses are flooded with data. The difficulty is in extracting valuable insights from this sea of data. Businesses need to sift through this information, identify trends, understand patterns, and make sense of complex data sets.

The goal is to turn this data into actionable intelligence that can inform decision-making and shape effective business strategies.

The Power BI consultant’s approach

• Mastery of Power BI’s unique features: Power BI consultants bring a level of expertise in Power BI’s features that regular BI consultants typically don’t have. They are adept at using Power BI Desktop and Data Analysis Expressions (DAX) in ways that are specifically beneficial for your business.
• Tailored reporting and dashboard creation: Their skill in creating custom reports and dashboards goes beyond standard data presentation. They can craft tools that are uniquely suited to your business’s data, providing clearer insights and more relevant information.
• Enhanced data interpretation: This specialized use of Power BI solutions allows businesses to understand their data in a more profound way. It’s not just about seeing the numbers; it’s about understanding what they mean for your business.

A Power BI consultant can turn your data into actionable insights – something you can actually use to make smarter choices.

3. Data governance and compliance

When it comes to data governance and compliance, the stakes are high, especially in heavily regulated industries.

Businesses risk significant penalties under GDPR, which can be as high as €20 million or 4% of their global annual turnover for non-compliance. This underscores the importance of meticulous data handling.

If you don’t manage your data according to legal and ethical standards, the consequences can be more serious than just fines. It can also harm your company’s reputation and the trust you have with your customers, leading to long-term impacts on your business.

The Power BI consultant advantage

• Expertise in data regulations: Power BI consultants bring specialized knowledge in navigating data governance laws, a skill that regular BI consultants might not possess to the same extent.
• Ensuring compliance with Power BI: They know exactly how to use Power BI Premium and Power BI Service to set up a system that adheres to data governance laws.
• Tailored compliance strategy: Their expertise goes beyond basic compliance; they tailor Power BI’s capabilities to align with your specific legal and ethical standards.

With a Power BI consultant on your team, you can spend less time worrying about compliance and more time on the main parts of your business.

4. Scalability and performance optimization

As your business expands, your data systems must scale up accordingly. Otherwise, it can lead to significant issues: your systems may become sluggish, and struggle to handle increasing volumes of data.

These inefficiencies can lead to missed opportunities and delayed responses to market changes, both of which can harm your business’s success.

How Power BI consultants help

• Handling growth with Power BI: They have deep knowledge of Power BI solutions, including Power BI Pro and Power BI Premium, tailored for growing businesses.
• Ensuring efficient performance: Their expertise ensures that your Power BI implementation and setup can handle increasing data and user demands efficiently.
• Avoiding scalability pitfalls: Regular BI consultants might not fully grasp the nuances of scaling within the Power BI environment, which can lead to suboptimal performance.
• Strategic business growth: Power BI consultants ensure that your data infrastructure grows in line with your business, maintaining performance and agility.

A Power BI consultant’s expertise is key to making sure your Power BI setup grows with your business and helps you quickly adapt to what the market needs.

5. User adoption and training

It can be tough to get everyone in your organization on board with Microsoft Power BI. You might find that some staff are hesitant to try new technology, while others may not fully grasp how to use it effectively.

This can result in a powerful tool like the Power BI platform not being used to its full potential.

Training and adoption with Power BI consultants

• In-depth, specialized training: Power BI consultants offer training that goes beyond basic BI concepts, focusing on Power BI’s unique features. This is something regular BI consultants might not be able to provide.
• Hands-on experience with Power BI tools: They bring practical experience in using Power BI’s specific tools, such as creating custom charts, organizing data, and integrating data from various sources.
• Tailored training for real-world application: Power BI consultants demonstrate how to apply these tools to solve actual business problems, making the training more relevant and impactful.
• Ensuring effective tool usage: Their approach ensures that staff not only learn Power BI but also understand how to apply its capabilities effectively in their daily tasks.
• Driving better business outcomes: This leads to more effective use of Power BI across the organization, resulting in smarter business decisions and maximizing the tool’s potential.

Getting the right Power BI consultant for your business

We have been linking businesses with highly skilled IT and business consultants, including Power BI consultants, since 2007. Our selection process ensures that we connect you with consultants who are not only knowledgeable in their field but also have a proven track record of successfully handling projects similar to yours.

Contact us, and we’ll help you find the ideal business intelligence consultant whose skills and experience are well-suited to your project’s specific needs.

Conclusion

Power BI capabilities can really help with making smart business decisions, but it can be tricky to use them all to their fullest without expert Power BI consulting services. Power BI consultants know all the ins and outs of the tool, and with their help, you can avoid common mistakes, and stay ahead in a world where using data well is key to success.