Reporting with Microsoft Power BI: Predicting trends and patterns, CONET Technologies Holding GmbH, Story

In this blog post, we will give you an overview of what Microsoft Power BI is, what features and benefits it offers, and how the intelligent connection of PowerApps and Power BI can be used for expanded possibilities. Our goal is to show you why Power BI and PowerApps are indispensable tools for analysis and business process optimization in the modern corporate world.

Microsoft Power BI can be used together with PowerApps to support data-driven decisions.

What is Microsoft Power BI?

Microsoft Power BI is a comprehensive business intelligence (BI) and data visualization solution that helps companies Transform data into meaningful insightsA general overview of Power BI and its use for decision support can be found here.

Features & Benefits

Microsoft Power BI has a wide range of features that make it one of the leading BI tools on the market. We present the most important of them:

Data modeling: It provides robust data modeling capabilities that enable users to create complex data models, define relationships, and transform data within Power BI Desktop.

Natural language queries (Q&A): Users can ask questions in natural language and receive answers in the form of visualizations, making it user-friendly even for people without a technical background.

Integration of AI and machine learning: Power BI integrates with Azure Machine Learning so users can include advanced analytics and predictive models in their reports.

Security and Compliance: Power BI provides extensive security and governance features, including data encryption, Row-Level Security (RLS), and integration with Azure Active Directory to ensure that data is secure and accessible only to authorized users.

Mobile support: The Power BI Mobile app allows users to access their reports and dashboards from anywhere. The mobile app is available for iOS, Android, and Windows and offers an optimized user experience for mobile access.

Cost-effectiveness: Compared to other BI tools, Power BI offers a competitive pricing model. There is a free version for individual users and the Pro version, which enables collaboration among other things, is reasonably priced, making it accessible to small and medium-sized businesses.

Integration with the Microsoft ecosystem: As a Microsoft product, Power BI integrates seamlessly with other Microsoft tools such as Microsoft 365, Azure and SharePoint, enhancing its functionality and making it a practical choice for companies that already use Microsoft products. In addition, integration with the Microsoft Power Platform makes it possible to move fluidly between data analysis, application development and automation. For example, reports in Power BI can be enriched with data from a PowerApp.

Community and Support: Power BI has a large and active community, extensive documentation, and numerous online resources and tutorials. In addition, Microsoft offers professional support and regular updates.

PowerApps in Power BI: Seamless integration for extended functionality

PowerApps and Power BI are both parts of the Microsoft Power Platform, which provides tools for building low-code applications, automation, and data analysis. They have different features, but can be used together to Optimize business processes and support data-driven decisions.

PowerApps is the Power Platform product for customizable Create applications without extensive programming knowledgeThese “apps” (applications) can be created for a wide variety of digitization needs, for example for recording complaints in companies.

Connection and collaboration:

Integration of Power BI into PowerApps: PowerApps can embed Power BI reports or dashboards to give users insights into data within the app.

Using PowerApps in Power BI: Power BI offers the possibility to embed PowerApps in reports or dashboards. This allows users to perform actions directly from a report, such as updating data sets or adding data to new points via a PowerApp. This integration can be used to work with the PowerApps in a Power BI report. To interact with and update displayed data or to supplement.

Data sharing: Both tools can access common data sources, such as Common Data Service (now known as Microsoft Dataverse), SharePoint, or SQL Server. This ensures that data in PowerApps and Power BI is synchronized and consistent. Data entered into PowerApps can be visualized directly in Power BI reports, providing a real-time overview of business processes.

Use case: In our webinar, we will use the example of integrating a canvas app for complaint management to show you how you can make the data behind the app visible and track live changes.

Conclusion

Microsoft's continued development of Power BI, including the integration of artificial intelligence and machine learning, demonstrates its commitment to offering innovative solutions that meet the needs of modern businesses. These advanced features enable companies to not only analyze their current data but also predict future trends and patterns.

By integrating Power BI and PowerApps, companies can optimize their processes, make data-driven decisions, and adapt agilely to a changing business environment. Together, both tools form a comprehensive solution that strengthens innovation and competitiveness.

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