Hiring Dedicated Power BI Developer? Know This First

Businesses nowadays are typically swamped with data.

To be precise, businesses have all the data they need to excel but don’t know how to use it to their advantage.

Companies that adopt data-driven marketing are six times more likely to be profitable year-over-year, according to Forbes.

But how can you harness this power of data effectively?

This is where Power BI comes in the play. It has empowered you to collect and truly understand data—visualize it, analyze it, and use it to inform strategic decisions.

But here you are—

• Feeling more puzzled than enlightened
• Overwhelmed by endless Power BI features
• Frustrated with figuring it all out

Now the question is – How do I leverage Power BI appropriately that would help my company grow?

This is where Power BI developers come into the picture.

From managing and interpreting complex data sets to developing algorithms that drive business strategies, the role of a Power BI developer is multifaceted and instrumental in driving growth.

We know you have lots of IFs, and BUTs, HOWs and WHYs.

Trust us! By the end of this read, you will have it all figured out.

Connect with a PBI Expert

Let’s go! Shall we?

What is a Power BI Developer?

Power BI Developer is a BI expert with extensive knowledge of Power BI platform and its features.

They are responsible for transforming raw data into valuable and meaningful insights in the form of appealing dashboards and reports.

A Power BI business intelligence developer empowers businesses, like yours, to make informed decisions by leveraging data. Their primary responsibility is to create, manage, and sustain business interfaces, including dashboards, data visualizations, regular and ad-hoc reports, and data querying tools. These tools enable users to access, understand, and efficiently utilize the necessary information.

In a broader context, the work of a Microsoft business intelligence developer operates within a layered structure, often referred to as the data pipeline. This pipeline comprises three primary layers – the data source layer, the warehouse layer, and the reporting layer –

• The Data Source Layer – This is where the data journey begins. It comprises all the raw data sources, including various business databases, cloud operations, logs, and other files with valuable information. Data engineers primarily work with this layer to extract useful data for further processing.
• The Warehouse Layer – Once the relevant data is extracted, it undergoes ETL (Extract, Transform, Load). During this phase, the data is cleansed, transformed into a useful format, and loaded into a centralized database or data warehouse. Consolidating data in one place simplifies access and manipulation.
• The Reporting Layer – This is the domain where the Power BI developer thrives. They create applications and software that allow employees to leverage the available data to its full potential. Their crucial task is to determine how to extract the data from the warehouse and present it in a meaningful, user-friendly format for end users.

A significant portion of a Power BI developer’s work revolves around developing tools for extracting data from the source and presenting it effectively to relevant stakeholders. In addition, they also have a solid understanding of business operations to ensure that the insights generated are contextually relevant and actionable.

A Power BI developer bridges raw data with actionable business insights. They are crucial in turning data into knowledge, empowering businesses to make data-driven decisions that drive growth and success.

As we’ve answered the question of who a Power BI expert is, let’s explore what they do for you.

Connect with a PBI Expert

What Does a Microsoft Business Intelligence Developer Do?

Power BI developers play a multifaceted role beyond data visualization and report generation. They are expected to have comprehensive data knowledge, which enables them to discern what data is crucial for stakeholders.

Their responsibilities can vary depending on the project’s scope and the company’s size.

However, here are some of the key roles and responsibilities typically associated with this position –

Roles of a Power BI Developer

• Formulating Business Requirements – A PowerBI developer’s primary role is to define the project’s specific needs. Power BI dashboards and reports are unique to each business and can vary drastically from one company to another. The BI developer’s role is to identify these unique needs and ensure data-driven insights that truly matter.
• Converting Business Requirements into Technical Specifications – After gathering and documenting business requirements, the business intelligence (Power BI) Developer is responsible for transforming these requirements into technical specifications. These technical aspects are crucial for the development team and data engineers when constructing the data pipeline.
• Project Management – A Power BI Developer often plays a pivotal role in overseeing projects, ensuring they are completed on time and within budget. They coordinate between different teams, manage resources, and ensure all project stages are aligned with the business objectives.
• Strategic Planning – Power BI Developers often participate in strategic planning by leveraging their unique understanding of Power BI. They provide valuable insights and forecasts to create business strategies, helping organizations anticipate market trends, and stay ahead of the competition.
• Team Leadership – BI Developers often lead and supervise teams, ensuring all members work cohesively and are aligned with the project’s goals. They provide guidance, resolve conflicts, and motivate team members to achieve their best work.
• Liaising with Senior Management – They frequently interact with senior management, providing updates on project progress, discussing strategic plans, and addressing any concerns. Their ability to translate complex data insights into understandable terms is crucial in these interactions.

Responsibilities of a Microsoft Business Intelligence Developer –

• Implementing, Deploying, and Maintaining Power BI – Whether working independently or as part of a larger development team, the Power BI developer is responsible for the lifecycle of BI tool. This includes implementing, testing, deploying, maintaining, and debugging the interface that delivers valuable results to end users.
• Assisting in Database Design, Data Modeling, and Curating Reports – The Microsoft BI Developer works closely with data engineers to design necessary database tables and models for querying. They leverage their deep understanding of reporting to ensure the BI software can identify the required data, build the right queries, and then send them to the database.
• Writing Technical Documentation for BI Tools – Creating comprehensive technical documentation is a key responsibility. This documentation aids in troubleshooting issues with the BI tool and provides a valuable reference for the system.
• Quality Assurance and Testing – Before BI tools and solutions are deployed, the Power BI Developer is responsible for rigorous testing to ensure the highest standards of quality, accuracy, and functionality. They identify bugs and issues and collaborate with the development team to rectify them.
• Training and Support – BI Developers often provide training to end users, helping them understand and effectively utilize the Microsoft BI tool. They also offer ongoing support, addressing users’ issues or difficulties.
• Security and Compliance – Given the sensitivity of the data they handle; Microsoft BI Developers are responsible for ensuring the security of Power BI system. They implement appropriate security measures, manage user access controls, and ensure all data practices comply with relevant laws and regulations.
• Continuous Improvement – To ensure the BI tool remains effective and relevant, Power BI Developers monitor and analyze their performance, seeking ways to improve their functionality and user experience. They also stay abreast of the latest trends and advancements in BI technology, updating and upgrading the systems as necessary.
• Soliciting User Feedback – To ensure the BI tool meets users’ needs, Power BI Developers often solicit feedback from end users. They use this feedback to identify improvement areas and enhance the user experience.
• Implementing AI Interfaces – In the ever-evolving world of technology, BI Developers may also be tasked with deploying AI interfaces. These interfaces can automate information analysis, increasing efficiency and accuracy.
• Data-Driven Decision-Making – As key players in an organization’s data strategy, Power BI Developers play a pivotal role in data-driven decision-making. They analyze data trends and patterns, providing valuable insights that guide strategic decisions.

Once you hire the right developers who can deliver the best in these roles and responsibilities, you can unlock great business heights.

Connect with a PBI Expert

But what makes a great Power BI developer? Let’s explore the essential skills they bring to the table.

What Skills Does a Power BI Developer Need?

A Power BI developer is responsible for designing, constructing, & implementing Power BI solutions.

Here are some key skills that a Power BI developer must have –

Technical Know-How of Power BI Desktop

It is a free version of Power BI.

With the help of this tool, Power BI developers create interactive reports and dashboards, deploy, and analyze data from various sources.

They must be skilled at optimizing this free version to deliver customized insights.

Data Modeling

Under Power BI developer skills, data modeling refers to the process of defining relationships between data tables and creating calculations.

This skill enables Power BI developers to create effective and meaningful reports and dashboards.

DAX (Data Analysis Expressions)

It is a formula language used in Power BI for custom calculations.

Proficient developers of Power BI must be able to use DAX to create custom calculations, measures, and calculated columns.

Data Transformation

It is the process of cleaning, structuring, and reshaping data to make it suitable for analysis. Your to-be developer must be proficient in Power Query, a component of Power BI, which is often used for data transformation tasks.

Data Visualization

It is one of the must-have Power BI developer skills which involves translating data into representations such as maps or graphs.

Your choice of Power BI developers must be familiar with visualization libraries.

Power BI Embedding

Power BI embedding process allows Power BI developers to integrate Power BI reports & dashboards into custom applications, websites, or portals.

This allows you to access seamless integration with reports and data insights directly within your existing platforms.

Data Integration

Power BI developers must be proficient in this process to combine data from multiple sources for a unified business intelligence experience.

Leveraging this skill, they enable data integration from various data sources, creating a single source of truth.

Power BI Gateway

With this skill, expert Power BI professionals connect on-premises data sources and Power BI cloud services. This setup enables data refresh and secure data transfer for reporting and analysis.

Know-how of Power BI Report Server

It is an on-premises solution by Microsoft that allows organizations to host, manage, and distribute Power BI reports. Power BI experts must be able to leverage this to ensure efficient report access and deployment within the organization.

Connect with a PBI Expert

Power Automate for Automation

Power BI developers are expected to be familiar with this automation tool as it enables them to automate workflows and tasks triggered by data-driven events or insights.

This helps them in increasing efficiency, productivity, and data-driven decision making.

Know-how of Power BI Mobile

Power BI mobile enables users to access, view, and interact with Power BI reports and dashboards on smartphones and tablets for on-the-go data analysis. Your to-be Power BI developer must have a technical understanding about implementation & features of Power BI mobile.

It’s important to know that only a handful of developers possess these skills.

This means you must search diligently for someone who ticks all the right boxes.

But why is it so crucial to hire a Power BI developer in the first place? Let’s break it down.

But Why Do You Need to Hire a Power BI Developer?

A Power BI developer doesn’t just work with data—they bring it to life. From crafting stunning visuals to making your reports actionable, they’re key to unlocking the true power of your business data.

Here are the top reasons why hiring a Power BI developer is a smart move –

Reason #1 Power BI developer can help you get started…

A Microsoft Power BI developer assist you in setting up the MS BI system and collecting the relevant data. They also help you define the proper KPIs, deal with data storage issues, etc.

When using Power BI, there are three things you should be aware about.

These include –

• Data Acquisition
• Data Visualization
• Data Modeling

Power BI offers unique capabilities like Power Query and Power Pivot that completely redefine the paradigm of data management in business organizations, so you can do all three (mentioned above) at once.

But even if you have a seasoned analyst, you’ve probably never seen anything like it.

Therefore, you need Power BI experts to assist you in overcoming the initial roadblocks so that you can leverage the Power BI software more effectively.

#Reason 2 – Power BI developer trains your company’s in-house Power BI users

A certified Power BI report developer can also train your internal staff members who will use the BI tool on a regular basis.

Let’s understand this with the help of an example.

#Reason 3 – Certified Power BI developer help reduce costs

Business owners and leaders, like yourself, can save a significant amount by choosing to hire Power BI experts.

Power BI is a self-service tool, and businesses can start using Power BI for their operations by purchasing the ready-to-use Microsoft Power BI license that are made available in the market.

Although it is a self-service tool, hiring a Power BI developer brings undeniable benefits.

• They minimize costly rework and data mishandling
• They enable your teams to focus on what’s important
• They ensure the efficient use of your organization’s resources
• They bring refined methodologies which means you can start leveraging data insights sooner

Connect with a PBI Expert

#Reason 4 – A Power BI developer help you save your time & energy

Managers no longer need to spend long hours every week creating reports manually in excel.

With the help of Power BI Developer, you can create appealing visuals and automated dashboards for yourself in no time.

Instead of learning Power BI yourself, you can rely on the developer’s expertise to quickly create your dashboards using the right data model and optimal visualizations.

A Microsoft BI developer also shows you the best practices for structuring your data in the future so that the BI solution is scalable and sustainable with minimal maintenance.

There’s more to it.

Hiring professional Microsoft business intelligence developers can offer many benefits for businesses. Here’s a quick rundown of the benefits they offer –

1. Streamlined Decision-Making Process

BI Developers are experts at converting raw data into actionable insights. These insights can drive strategic decision-making, helping businesses make informed, data-driven choices.

2. Enhanced Operational Efficiency

Power BI Developers can help businesses identify inefficiencies and bottlenecks by creating custom dashboards and reports.

3. Accurate Forecasting

Power BI Developers can accurately forecast market trends and customer behavior using data analysis and predictive modeling. This can be invaluable for industries like finance or retail, where predicting future trends can provide a competitive edge.

4. Cost Savings

By identifying inefficiencies, reducing errors, automating and streamlining processes, the professionals ensure significant cost savings.

5. Improved Customer Insights

Power BI Developers help businesses, like yours, better understand their customers’ behaviors and preferences, leading to improved marketing strategies and customer service.

6. Data Security

Professional Power BI Developers are well-versed in best practices for data management and security. They can ensure your business’s data is securely stored and accessed, protecting your data from potential data breaches.

Hiring professional BI Developers significantly enhance your business’s efficiency, decision-making, forecasting, cost-effectiveness, customer understanding, and data security.

Where do you find expert Power BI Developers?

You can find them in the same place you find top tech talent.

• Freelance websites
• Online job platforms
• Professional networking websites
• Power BI consulting companies

But hiring the best Power BI developers can be a daunting, expensive, and time-consuming task. Also, you cannot be 100% sure if the hired developer can deliver your desired results.

Instead of focusing on hiring individual PowerBI developers, it’s better to choose a Power BI development services provider.

Why? You ask.

Because they equip the best and brightest Power BI developer for hire on-demand. This also sets you free from the need to hire, train, and retain a team of Power BI experts.

Still skeptical?

Out of all the options, the best way to hire Power BI experts is through a specialized Power BI company. Let’s explore why.

Why Outsource Rather Than Hire a Business Intelligence Developer?

Hiring Power BI experts from a PBI development services provider makes a smarter choice.

While hiring a Microsoft business intelligence developer can be advantageous, many organizations are discovering the benefits of outsourcing these services or hiring Power BI developers directly from the Power BI companies.

1. It Proves to be a Cost-Effective Solution

Hiring a full-time business intelligence developer can be costly, especially considering salary, benefits, and overhead costs. On the other hand, outsourcing allows you to pay for services only when needed, making it a more cost-effective solution.

Here’s an example for better understanding.

2. It Offers Access to a Diverse Skillset

A single Power BI Developer may not possess the full range of skills required to meet all your business’s unique needs. However, when you outsource, you gain access to a team of professionals, each with their unique expertise.

Here’s an example for better understanding.

3. It Provides Scalability

Your business needs can fluctuate and being able to scale services up or down as required is a significant advantage. With an in-house Power BI Developer, adjusting to these changes can be challenging. However, outsourcing offers greater flexibility, allowing you to quickly adapt to changing business needs.

4. It Enables You to Stay Current

Power BI technology is continuously evolving, and staying abreast of these changes can be time-consuming. Outsourced Power BI professionals from a Power BI development company specialize in this field and are more likely to be up-to-date with the latest tools, techniques, and best practices.

5. It Allows You to Focus on Core Business

By outsourcing BI development, organizations can free up time and resources to focus on their core business operations. This can lead to increased productivity and efficiency in other business areas.

While having an in-house business intelligence developer can be beneficial, outsourcing this role offers greater flexibility, a wider range of expertise, cost savings, and the ability to focus more on core business operations.

But out of multiple agencies that provide BI solutions, which are the top data visualization experts you can trust? Keep reading to explore.

Now you know why you should outsource Power BI experts over in-house hiring. Read on to discover why hiring Power BI experts from a PBI development services provider makes a smarter choice.

Connect with a PBI Expert

5 Reasons to Hire Power BI Developers from a Power BI Consulting Company

Power BI is easier to use and the easiest to implement than other BI systems.

Yet, to get the most out of it, it’s best to hire PowerBI developers from a Power BI consulting company that specializes in Power BI technology and data analytics.

The following are some of the reasons why you should hire Power BI (Business Intelligence) developer straight from a Power BI consulting company –

Gain Access to Pre-vetted Power BI Experts

Since Power BI is a self-service BI system, you can easily implement it and create basic dashboards without putting your workforce through extensive training.

However, for detailed data visualization, you will require technological expertise and experience in data analytics.

This is where a Power BI developer from a consulting company enters the story.

They are pre-vetted experts who provide advanced technology solutions such as machine learning, smoothing, predicting trends, and deep learning, by leveraging Power BI’s complex analytical capabilities.

On the other hand, if you hire PBI developers from your home market, you may face a lack of diversity in their skills.

Stay Updated with the Latest Features

Microsoft releases new features of Power BI every now and then.

These updates are packed with visualizations, data models, new integrations, and capabilities.

Your ready-to-deploy data analytics team is always aware of the new features’ implementation. As a result, you don’t miss out on anything new and improved.

Power BI experts from a Power BI consulting company stay up to date with the latest Power BI updates and features. Their dedication to remain updated and curious to learn about new features and skills all the time will benefit you ultimately.

And they know just when and how to use the most recent updates.

Connect with a PBI Expert

Enjoy Air-tight Data Security

Power BI gives you complete control over your data security and reporting functionality.

Its Row-Level-Security (RWS) feature allows you to manage software access by defining the roles of the filters. Therefore, your data is protected, and only those you authorize can access it.

But there’s more to Power BI security.

By hiring Power BI specialists from a Power BI consulting company, you can benefit from their experience in developing robust and secure Power BI solutions for your organization. Something you may struggle with if you choose to work with a local PBI developer.

Connect with a PBI Expert

Enjoy Improved Data Insights and Focus on Core Competencies

The internet generated around 2.5 quintillion bytes of data per day in 2020. And 95 percent of firms believe that data should be used to improve performance.

Even if you are a startup company, effective data analytics will be required to expand and sustain your business.

Power BI engineers from a Power BI consulting company help you collect, analyze, organize, and present data effectively.

Therefore, you’ll have a better understanding of your data, and in turn, you will be able to make better and more informed business decisions.

All this while you stay focused on what’s important.

Get Customized Interactive Dashboards

Power BI has a multitude of industry-specific visualizations that are unique, user-friendly, and highly customizable.

Microsoft has gone a step further by publishing the codes, which has resolved the global visualization challenge.

As a result, your Power BI developers from a Power BI company can write or modify the source code for the visualizations and share them.

By collaborating with a Power BI consulting company, you can hire Power BI developers according to your specific needs and benefit without directly investing in their hiring and management.

As you’re aware of the benefits of hiring Power BI experts from a Power BI company, let’s understand what else a PBI company helps you with.

Connect with a PBI Expert

What Else Does a Power BI Development Company Help You With?

If you hire Power BI developer from a BI consultation company, you can explore the following Power BI services –

Power BI Implementation Services

It refers to the process of designing, developing, and deploying a Power BI solution within your organization to meet your business specific reporting and data analysis needs.

Power BI Consulting Services

The primary role of experts from Power BI consulting firms is to offer in-depth Power BI project consultation based on your unique business needs and future goals.

It involves providing end-to-end assistance with troubleshooting, optimizing, customizing, and training on the Power BI platform.

Power BI Support Services

This Power BI service is dedicated to making the Power BI users’ lives easier through training and troubleshooting. It also involves ongoing support to address any emerging challenges and maintain smooth operations.

Power BI Advanced Analytics Services

As the name suggests, this service involves assistance with complex data visualization and advanced data analysis.

Power BI Report & Dashboard Development Services

This Power BI service refers to creating custom dashboards and reports. This service simplifies data representation and emphasizes your business preference.

You get detailed reports to improve your business decisions and understand the data effectively.

Power BI Workforce Training

Furthermore, experts from business intelligence consulting firms provide professional training to your workforce to simplify the adoption of Power BI into your business ecosystem.

Their customized training empowers your team with the right skills and knowledge required to boost the potential of Power BI in your organization.

Power BI Embedded

This service empowers you to create a single view of your data by integrating Power BI reports and dashboards into your applications, portals, and web pages.

That was all about Power BI developers and Power BI services for you.

Before we dive into the further details, we want you to know that –

When it comes to BI analytics consulting, there are 2 chief factors that monopolize the minds of CIOs, CTOs, CEOs, and decision-makers –

• Offering unrivaled value to customers
• Maximizing return on investment

While you can offer unparalleled value to your customers by unleashing the full potential of Power BI, you need a capable hand to make the most of your Power BI investment – A team of seasoned Power BI consultants.

You may wonder, is it a bet worth stacking my business intelligence budget?

Now here’s a question for you –

”While engaging with the best Power BI consulting firm may sound like an additional expense on your balance sheet, but will you be able to afford the opportunity cost of not optimizing your business intelligence strategy as per the evolving business demands?”

We bet you can’t!

Every modern business leader is capable of managing a robust business intelligence strategy but are you willing to do so at the cost of potential trade-offs and a detailed balancing act?

No, right?

Thus, joining hands with reliable business intelligence consulting companies sounds like a strategic decision.

But what’s the ROI of investments in business intelligence consulting? – you may ask.

Fair question.

Ironically, ROIs are simply calculated based on the profit generated and revenue yielded – which isn’t justifiable.

Along with the profit-making goals, you should spot the areas where the business intelligence consulting partner helped you mitigate unreasonable costs that were previously depleting your financial reserves.

business intelligence consulting

As we pivot to our key segment, let’s shift focus to the toughest BI challenges that Power BI consulting companies solve for you.

Connect with a PBI Expert

Toughest BI Challenges that Power BI Consulting Companies Solve for You?

You may face multiple Power BI challenges during integration or while using Power BI, for creating and managing detailed business reports for better analysis. These challenges are easily solved by business intelligence consultants who specialize in Power BI.

Want to know more about them?

Here are the major challenges that can hinder your business growth and utilization of Power BI’s potential, that a Power BI consultancy expert help you resolve.

CONNECT NOW

Let’s look at them one by one.

Challenge 1 – Data Integration from Different Data Sources

The growth in data sources requires your business intelligence team to pull together data for analysis from multiple databases, business applications, and big data systems.

Without the proper integration from different data sources, the Power BI tool may produce fragmented insights, restricting a 360-degree understanding of your business scenario.

The Business Intelligence professionals, such as Power BI developers follow the most common approach of deploying a data warehouse as a central location for the entire BI data, to solve the problem.

They can also use Power BI to integrate data without loading it into a data warehouse. But it can be a complicated process.

But you will still require solid technical skills and comprehensive data understanding to complete the process.

“Why do I need a business intelligence consulting partner when my internal BI team can do the job?” you may wonder.

Because there’s more to this set of challenges.

You might encounter other data integration challenges, such as problems in refreshing Microsoft Business Intelligence reports from a Google BigQuery cloud data warehouse or challenges in harmonizing different file formats used by other data source systems.

Your team of BI experts can resolve the challenge by creating a different extract, transform, and load (ETL) mapping for each file, but it can be time-consuming.

Instead, they can create a Java application to bring the files into a common format to process them efficiently in a single ETL job.

Even after your team successfully managed to compile and extract the data, there is a possibility of additional data quality issues.

Thus, attempting to address these challenges, without the proper skills and expertise of Power BI consultancy, can seriously restrict your system’s scalability, and increase the time required to analyze your business data and further make informed business decisions.

The rise in complexities and issues in seamlessly getting data from different data sources is easily resolved by engaging with professional Power BI consultants.

So how do these PowerBI consulting experts turn this tough Power BI challenge into a solution?

The Business intelligence consulting experts leverage their years of BI experience to manage the challenges of gathering business data from multiple sources and create well-vetted reports that help you streamline the process.

Challenge 2 – Poor Data Quality

Your business intelligence reports are only as accurate as the data you have used.

This means any inefficient or unhealthy data used will inevitably result in inaccuracy, compromising the overall integrity of your reports.

Business leaders, very often in a rush to collect data for analysis, neglect the quality of data or assume that they can simply rectify the errors in the future after the data has been collected.

They fail to understand that data quality is an uncompromising factor when you are aiming for quality business intelligence.

Underestimating the importance of good data quality is the root cause of many Power BI issues, causing multiple challenges for your BI solutions, to achieve desired growth.

To ensure the unwavering quality of data, business intelligence consulting companies, like Integrative Systems, help you set up a robust data management strategy before deploying Power BI.

This strategy helps you track the lifecycle of your data and set up an accurate data collection process.

Sounds overwhelming?

It may be a demanding process especially if your business doesn’t have a well-established avenue for business intelligence or the support of Power BI consulting firms.

Worry not!

You can easily rope in the industry’s best Power BI consulting firm for efficient planning and execution and shift your focus on your core business operations.

The professionals from business intelligence consulting companies use the latest tools and strategies to help you filter essential and non-essential business data, empowering your team to create meaningful and accurate Power BI reports that help you achieve your business targets.

Challenge 3 – Power BI Issues with Siloes Breaking

Another significant Power BI challenge your business intelligence team can face without the support of qualifying business intelligence consultants is siloed systems.

Effective business intelligence is impossible without the completeness of data.

However, accessing siloed data with different permission levels and security settings poses a serious challenge for Power BI professionals.

You must break down silos and harmonize the data to improve the decision-making power of your business.

But it’s not easy to break down the data silos.

Why?

Because, in the absence of dedicated support from a Power BI consulting firm, you lack internal data standards across different departments and business units.

Are you aware of the consequences of inconsistent data silos?

It can possibly lead to different versions of the truth. You see different results for KPIs, and various business metrics labeled similarly in separate systems – a total chaos.

To avoid that, your BI team can establish a well-defined data modeling layer and clarify definitions for each KPI and metric.

Yet, it can be the hardest challenge to overcome as it requires defining and aligning work spanning business functions.

Sounds like too much work? Don’t worry.

You can simply rope in a reliable Power BI business intelligence consultancy company that holds expertise in harmonizing the data and breaking down the silos for enhanced decision-making.

Connect with a PBI Expert

Challenge 4 – Learning and Training Required

Although Power BI is a simple-to-use data visualization software, your team requires training and change in management programs offered by business intelligence consulting agencies, related to business intelligence initiatives.

You also need to promote the regular involvement of business executives and managers to ensure their Power BI reports are analyzed and managed with finesse.

It helps them get better results and helps you scale your business to new heights using Power BI.

Your data analyst and business analyst can collaborate with the management team and provide them with the desired automated reporting option using Power BI.

But without a reliable Power BI consulting expert by your side, it’s challenging to ensure your workforce understands the ins and outs of Power BI and makes the most of it.

“What happens if you skip the training and knowledge transfer to the stakeholders?” you may wonder.

Neglecting the importance of training and knowledge to operate Power BI, shall highly minimize its effect, reduce your ROI, and slow down your business growth.

As a solution, you can hire Power BI professionals from a Power BI consulting firm to provide quality training and knowledge to your workforce and to ensure everybody works effectively to tackle your business intelligence issues.

As a business leader, you should also actively collaborate with your management team to understand the nitty-gritty aspects of utilizing the full potential of Power BI for your business.

Challenge 5 – Managing the Use of Power BI

Uncontrolled Power BI deployments in different business units is another serious challenge solved by business intelligence consulting firms.

If ignored, it can create a chaotic data environment with different silos and conflicting business analytics results, leading to confusion within decision-makers.

Power BI inherently offers a robust data security architecture to store and share user-generated analytics in a protected space.

As a result, the Power BI consultants and your business intelligence and data management teams can seamlessly store data sets in multiple data warehouses or other analytics repositories upfront, to avoid inconsistencies.

As a leader, you need to pay careful consideration while developing standardized dashboards and metrics and enabling your BI experts to create their own.

Why?

Because in the absence of a standardized process, your team may exploit the freedom to explore and analyze data and may publish dashboards and metrics with overlapping KPIs defined differently from one dashboard to another.

Additionally, too much control in the hands of your business intelligence experts can hamper analytics innovation and agility.

As a solution, you can either create in-house strategies to balance the conflict or engage with a business intelligence consulting partner to process the Power BI initiatives and effectively manage your Power BI operations.

These professionals from Power BI consulting firms also deliver quality results with desired custom extensions that meet your specific business needs.

This third-party business intelligence consultancy team also understands your precise BI needs and delivers up to mark dashboards and reports using their out-of-the-box thinking and creative approach.

Challenge 6 – Low Adoption of BI Tools

Whether or not you choose to partner with a reliable Power BI consulting services provider, once you integrate Power BI into your existing business ecosystem, there’s a high chance you will experience a low adoption rate or resistance from your workforce.

They may want to continue using comforting and familiar tools like Excel or other SaaS applications because migration to a better or more efficient tool can be time-consuming and unexciting.

Connect with a PBI Expert

Challenge 7 – Inefficient Data Visualization and Dashboard Practices

Due to half-baked knowledge, data visualization can go wrong while using Power BI, complicating the illustration of your intended data.

Also, a Power BI report is only valuable if it’s easy to navigate and understand the data that’s being presented.

However, many decision-makers underestimate the design and user experience of the reports and focus on getting the data and analytics process done, mostly without the expertise of Power BI consulting services providers.

But beware! It can cause a major challenge for your business because, chances are, during analysis, poor data representation can cause miscalculations or ineffective decisions.

Being a result-oriented business leader, that you are, you must upgrade the quality of your business intelligence reports by hiring Power BI experts from reputed business intelligence consulting companies with proven expertise and experience, in creating detailed reports.

The professionals from business intelligence consultancy not only help you overcome the hurdles but also avoid delays in critical report creation.

They contribute to achieving your business goals by unlocking accurate and precise decision-making.

Challenge 8 – Using Power BI to Create a Data-Driven Culture

It is a well-known fact that Power BI is one of the best business intelligence and data visualization tools that revolutionizes the traditional approach to analyzing and visualizing business data.

It also provides a fresh perspective on business data interpretation facilitating more informed decision-making.

Are you in the process of integrating Power BI into your business ecosystem?

If not, you’re merely attempting to walk in the dark with only a flashlight.

While building a solid data-driven ecosystem is your goal, it can be equally challenging without the support of qualified business intelligence consultants.

A data-driven culture is not only valued at the executive level but also at the frontlines, where your business directly interacts with the world.

Once the data culture is successfully ingrained within your business framework, you will have a robust foundation for your business intelligence initiatives.

As you’re well-versed in the challenges encountered by Power BI users, handling these challenges solo at different stages, in the absence of an expert business intelligence consulting partner can be overwhelming.

This is when business intelligence consulting firms enter with end-to-end Power BI consulting services, to help you re-adjust your focus on your core business operations and take your BI ambitions to new heights.

Long story short –

Your BI initiative needs to have a team of Power BI professionals that are committed to implementing changes, regardless of their complexity.

Your business may require training for many departments. Your company’s employees need to comprehend how the data will aid in making smarter business decisions.

However, some of these responsibilities may overlap based on the size of your organization. If this happens, it can mean the need to hire a Microsoft consulting company for expert guidance in data analytics and report creation.

Moreover, since Power BI is constantly evolving, your business intelligence plan should include maintaining an updated suite of tools.

An existing technology that works well for your business operations may not in some years. Further, it can be replaced by another technology that is even more robust and effective.

To prevent your data from ending up in silos, the technology employed should be well-integrated. You must take into account scalability and comprehend how these solutions will affect your business workforce.

Microsoft business intelligence consultants come with great experience and skillsets. They collaborate with you to identify the ideal mix of applications and services to empower your business intelligence initiative.

Choosing the best Power BI consulting firm can be overwhelming.

You, as decision-makers, have to ensure the selection of a compatible Microsoft business intelligence consulting partner who can meet your precise objectives without compromising on the quality.

Connect with a PBI Expert

As you know why tech leaders, like yourself, are investing in Power BI consulting services, it’s time to know why traditional BI solutions are the talk of history.

Still Relying on Traditional BI Solutions?

Here Are the Top Challenges

Modern BI systems employ a variety of procedures, approaches, platforms, structures, applications, and tools.

Using raw data, all these variables aid in the presentation of meaningful insights that can aid in operational, strategic, and tactical decision-making.

Several companies still use traditional BI solutions to analyze their data and make it more effective and useful. They do, however, face the following challenges:

Challenge 1 – Negative Implications of Using an Excel-based Method

When implementing an excel-based method, they could be subjected to error-prone, slow, time-consuming, and labor-intensive manual reporting.

Challenge 2 – Lacks Historical Data

Several reports are created using only the incoming data; however, this data is not stored for future historical analysis. Even if data is collected, it remains underutilized and stored in systems.

Challenge 3 – Lack of a robust BI ecosystem

A traditional BI system may fail to achieve its primary function, which is to deliver accurate and relevant data to your operations department, when needed. So that they can make intelligent decisions efficiently.

Challenge 4 – Lack of Expertise

The technology may be effective on its own, but businesses may struggle to have team members with technical abilities to successfully leverage its capabilities.

However, this is not the end of the list.

Traditional BI systems may also struggle to integrate with the most recent technologically advanced systems.

Fortunately, there are several new and advanced cloud-enabled BI tools on the market these days.

Businesses, large and small, are using powerful BI solutions such as Microsoft Power BI to process their data to make it more usable and insightful.

Assume your organization has a strong technical in-house BI expertise, or you are a tech-savvy business owner.

Even then, when it comes to some of the most recent analytics solutions, you require some assistance to effectively leverage its capabilities.

In other words, you need a Power BI developer to get the most out of your BI investment and make data-driven decisions.

Wondering why leaders champion Power BI? Let’s explore its key benefits.

Connect with a PBI Expert

Why are Leaders Investing in Power BI? And You Should Too?

Microsoft Power BI is a market-leading BI tool.

Power BI analysts love it because of its extensive data analysis features, advanced visualization tools, and integration with various data gateways.

Similarly, business leaders appreciate it because of its user-friendly interface, robust security, and affordability.

This drag-and-drop BI software solution consolidates information from various sources, assists professionals in evaluating it, and helps to create interactive reports and dashboards.

It lets its users share reports and collaborate easily with one another with the click of a button.

Power BI enables you to gather real-time data and show it in a timely and comprehensible manner.

Having to make decisions based on a sizeable chunk of unprocessed data is certainly a daunting experience that every business owner has possibly had.

This makes visualizing the bigger picture on your own a difficult chore. Only if you have access to analytical insights, would things be different. You’ll be able to make reliable predictions and sound business decisions, isn’t it?

This is where Power BI comes into the picture!

Power BI is a component of the Microsoft Power Platform and is accessible on any device, just like Power App and Power Automate.

It is a renowned AI tool that is preferred by many successful and dynamic businesses in the industry, and it facilitates analysis of every variable to make better judgments.

The beauty of Power BI is that it allows users or decision-makers to conveniently view and access the information that is pertinent to the decisions they must make. It does so with the help of its dashboard’s visual representations.

As a result, Power BI makes business intelligence accessible to all employees who need to review data and make judgments.

Every critical decision can be backed by reliable data. With Power BI, data is constantly updated and analyzed in real time, enabling businesses to make decisions based on facts and figures.

Up next, let’s explore what makes Power BI a reliable business intelligence tool for today’s fast-paced business world.

Connect with a PBI Expert

Features and Components of the Dynamic Power BI Tool

Microsoft Power BI software is like an octopus for your business intelligence requirements. It has a multitude of features that make it a versatile tool for every data-driven organization.

1. Power BI Desktop

Power BI Desktop facilitates the development of BI and data analysis capabilities by enabling everything to be seamlessly integrated into one solution. It is a free tool that can be downloaded and set up to access data and generate reports without needing to have specialized query or report creation abilities.

2. Power Pivot

Power Pivot is a data modeling tool used to develop models and define relationship calculations. You can quickly analyze large volumes of data from multiple sources using Power Pivot and can effortlessly share analytical insights.

3. Power Query

Power Query assists you in discovering, connecting, integrating, and optimizing data sources to fulfill your analysis needs. Power Query allows you to import data into numerous databases, feeds, or cloud-based services in addition to a single data source like an Excel spreadsheet.

Data sources can be files, databases, Azure, the Web, databases, or even the Excel tables in the existing worksheet.

4. Power View

Power View is a data visualization tool that enables you to make interactive charts, maps, graphs, and other visualizations from your data. Power View is accessible in Excel, SharePoint, SQL Server, and Power BI.

5. Power Q&A

With the help of Power Q&A, data can be explored instantly to generate a response via a natural language. For instance, the response to the query, “What were the total sales last year?” This component of the Microsoft Power BI is one of its most dynamic and interactive tools.

6. Power Map

Power Map is a three-dimensional (3-D) data visualization tool that enables you to find insights that conventional two-dimensional (2-D) charts and tables would not offer you.

With Power Map, you can create visual tours that you can share with individuals by plotting temporal and geographic data on a 3-D globe or customized map, presenting it over time.

7. Artificial Intelligence

Every organization needs revolutionary capabilities to thrive in the big data era, including the ability to visualize data, analyze advanced data structures, and turn them into actionable insights.

With the help of Power BI’s AI Insights, you can access several pre-trained machine learning models that can optimize your data processing activities.

Through the Home and Add Column tabs in Power Query Editor, users can access AI Insights and all of its related features and functionalities.

AI facilitates the application of text analytics and picture recognition, the implementation of automated machine learning skills in machine learning models, and the integration of Azure Machine Learning.

Next, let’s uncover the top benefits of employing Power BI for your business.

Connect with a PBI Expert

Top Benefits of Employing the Power BI Tool for Your Business

Imagine turning mountains of raw data into clear, interactive visuals that actually make sense. That’s what Power BI does—it transforms your business data into a competitive advantage.

Here are some incredible benefits that Power BI brings to the table.

1. Collaboration and Sharing

Power BI is a tool designed to make sharing and collaboration fast and convenient. Through channels that enable real-time collaboration, you can instantly share dashboards and reports with internal or third-party users.

The following advantages of the sharing and collaboration features can boost your company’s productivity and profitability:

• Agile adjustment to new situations
• Active in-sync collaboration
• Faster decision-making
• Quick feedback

Teams can collaborate on a single report at the same time and see what the other team member is working on thanks to features like workspaces.

2. Interactive Dashboards and Reports

One of the most critical features and functionalities of Power BI is its range of dashboards and reporting capabilities. These tools are not only highly customizable but also interactive.

You can aggregate, consolidate, and present data in a simple visual manner by using the various visualization tools in Power BI dashboards and reports.

Additionally, the process of creating reports and dashboards is no longer complex or technical.

Power BI eliminates this obstacle and enables conventional employees from non-technical backgrounds to take advantage of this platform feature. It ultimately reduces reliance on technical experts.

3. Integration with Various Data Sources

Power BI’s integration capability, which enables you to integrate multiple data sources, is one coveted feature in general that makes it a necessity for your company.

The scope of Power BI’s data source integration is remarkable, encompassing everything from Microsoft products to third-party applications.

All of these factors work together to equip a business with a robust data analytics platform that can access data from countless sources to generate the most extensive and statistically reliable reports.

Additionally, Power BI’s capabilities as an analytics tool continue to grow as new data sources are periodically introduced, integrated, and updated.

4. Added Functionality with Other Microsoft Applications

Power BI also includes built-in features and compatibility with several other Microsoft applications, allowing you to employ them whenever required.

Business users, for instance, usually need a variety of Power BI reports and dashboards for their operational processes. Applications for Power BI can accelerate this process by introducing numerous dashboards and reports that are specifically designed for this purpose.

This facilitates the efficient and effective presentation of dashboards and reports to the entire company or specific groups of employees.

Developers can also modify navigation routes to make it more convenient for users to access the desired content via Power BI applications. Additionally, it aids viewers in understanding the network of relationships that connects various dashboards and reports.

5. Microsoft Excel Integration

Power BI is often lauded for its accessibility and flexibility, making it simple for anyone to become adept with it fast. This benefit is also applicable to new users.

Now, how does that work?

Because Power BI offers strong Excel integration, it ensures a seamless migration to its system for all the enterprises that still count on Excel for its reporting or analytical capabilities.

A company doesn’t need to spend time learning a new language or software application to integrate their data models, excel queries, and reports into Power BI’s platform. It can, essentially, start using its capabilities and services right away.

Connect with a PBI Expert

6. Global Accessibility

Since Power BI is a cloud-based software solution, its servers are not restricted by specific locations.

As long as your employees have an internet connection, they can access Power BI from anywhere, pick up work right from where they left off, or review their reports and dashboards.

If an employee has to work from home or while traveling, this capability of Power BI is very beneficial for both the employee and the company.

How so?

It prevents work disruptions for employees and allows normal business operations to continue.

Additionally, the platform can be accessed through smartphone apps instead of only via desktop computers and laptops, rendering it even more flexible.

7. Affordability

Data analysis and business intelligence were formerly expensive offerings with higher charges, and this is still true to a certain extent today when collaborating with independent analysts or analytic platforms.

Power BI, on the other hand, has dramatically broken the price barrier by becoming fairly affordable for companies of all sizes, from small to large.

Regardless of size, Power BI enables your organization to benefit from its robust computing services at a modest price and ensures that you keep up with more established businesses in the industry.

Looking for a reliable Power BI Consultancy in the USA?

Look no further than Integrative Systems.

Connect with a PBI Expert

Integrative Systems – Trusted Power BI Development Partner of Your Choice

Data is being aggregated at an astounding rate and volume, and your organization may not be able to extract meaningful insights.

You may have all the tools and technologies relevant to your business, such as Microsoft SQL Server, SSRS, and Power BI. But you might not have the level of expertise required to leverage the data to your complete advantage.

Are you still assessing your business requirements, or do you need to make the most of your existing Microsoft solutions?

Or do you just need assistance getting started with Microsoft technologies like Power BI?

In any case, Integrative Systems can help you manifest and achieve your desired business goals.

Our in-house Power BI professionals have provided data processing, analytics, and secure cloud services for businesses of all sizes. Our Power BI consulting services cover everything from planning and strategizing to creating customized reports.

Our Microsoft Power BI experts will guide you through each stage of delivering result-driven BI solutions with Power BI. They can also create dashboards to visualize data insights to help you make the best business decisions.

When it comes to tailoring top-notch Business Intelligence solutions, Integrative Systems stands as a distinguished choice. Here’s why –

With over 20 years of experience in the industry and a vast pool of satisfied clients across North America and Canada, Integrative Systems is your trusted partner for tailored Business Intelligence solutions.

We are a certified Microsoft consulting services partner, based in Chicago, with years of industry experience and expertise. Our Power BI consulting professional will walk you through every step of the process.

Contact us today at [email protected] to book your Microsoft BI consultation and get started working with us right away!

Connect with a PBI Expert

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What Are Business Intelligence Tools?

Business intelligence tools, often known as BI tools, are software solutions that aggregate a lot of data from various sources, such as files, emails, financial records, business documents, images, and videos, among others.

These software solutions aid in data preparation for analysis to generate reports, dashboards, and data visualizations that improve decision-making skills, boost efficiency and productivity, detect market trends, and discover new business prospects.

Companies can take advantage of their data to generate actionable insights that facilitate the growth and scalability of their businesses and help them win a competitive edge in the market.

2. What Exactly Do Power BI Developers Do?

A Power BI developer is responsible for –

• Understanding business needs
• Building and customizing interactive dashboards
• Ensuring accuracy and security of data
• Spotting key performance indicators
• Establishing best practices for Power BI development, deployment, and usage
• Developing strong data documentation

3. Is Tableau Better than Power BI?

While Tableau is a preferred choice for advanced visualizations and handling voluminous datasets, Power BI stands unbeatable when it comes to affordability, smooth integration with Microsoft tools, and user-friendly features.

4. How Much Does Power BI Expert Charge Per Hour?

Multiple factors decide the hourly rate of a Power BI expert/ Power BI consultant. Such as –

• Experience Level
• Complexity of the Power BI Project
• Relevant Industry Expertise
• Type of Engagement Model
• Geographic Location
• Type of Services Required