If you're reading this blog post today, you've probably already done the tricky bit. You've likely already created the report or dashboard you wanted to circulate around the business, but, like many before, you've hit a brick wall in your efforts to share the Power BI report with different people.
Well, don't fret. My name is Luke Haskins, Operations Director at Netitude (Microsoft Gold Partner), and I'm here to lend a helping hand by giving you all the information you need to send you on your way. Say goodbye to Power BI-related frustration and angst. Say hello to productivity and the seamless circulation of data!
Before we go any further, if you'd like a recap of what Power BI is and how it can benefit your business (especially if you're from a manufacturing background), please check out our last blog post: Power BI: A Game Changer for Manufacturing (netitude.co.uk)
Power BI is a business intelligence tool that allows users to create interactive dashboards and reports. However, the real value of Microsoft's data visualisation tool comes from being able to share the information with others both inside and outside of your business.
We'll start with what we expect is the most popular sharing method: Sharing Power BI reports with colleagues. Power BI's seamless integration with other Microsoft products, such as Office 365 and SharePoint, can be considered one of its most significant plus points.
It's important to note that all users who integrate with Power BI and the information produced will need a Power BI Pro or Premium Per User (PPU) license to enable internal sharing. Licencing requirements and editing permissions must also be considered and navigated carefully when sharing company data and information via Power BI.
Another great thing about Power BI is the ease with which it allows the user to share reports and dashboards externally. There are numerous ways in which you can do this:
1. Publish to Web:Now, before we let you go and throw your all into sharing reporting stats and business-critical analytics, we'll leave you with some tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your Power BI tool.
We often tend to overcomplicate and compensate in life. However, the most common best practice for getting the very most out of Power BI is to avoid overwhelming your users with too many features. An overstimulated dashboard has the potential to bamboozle even the most tech-savvy individual. Therefore, we implore you to prioritise clearness, clarity and user-friendliness at all times.
You'll also need to be considerate of others; just because you're an expert in Power BI doesn't mean the person you're sharing it with has to be. Try your best to make your dashboards intuitive and easy to consume.
For instance, if you want to show off all the great work you've been doing to your boss, it might be a good idea to stick to your key performance indicators (KPIs) and provide additional context around them where necessary.
The way you display your data will be crucial. Make sure it guides the user's attention in chronological order and doesn't have any random or sporadic info that may cause confusion. Again, the best idea would be to build your dashboards around your KPIs; your job will be to make it as easy as possible to articulate 'what does good look like?'.
You can also follow the 'less is more' mindset, a moto encouraged and endorsed by the leading mental health and behavioural scientists over at Psychology Today. If you're filling your dashboards with unnecessary clutter or complex data points, you simply aren't giving the end user the best chance of understanding your data.
Here are some more succinct tips that are well worth hearing:
Now then, you should have everything you need to become a Power BI pro! In essence, sharing a Power BI report with different people is a simple and efficient process. The simple and seamless integration with other Microsoft products, the range and flexibility of internal and external sharing, and its various features are what sets it apart as the leader in the business intelligence (BI) space, with a whopping 36% of the market share according to TrustRadius research conducted in February 2021.
Whether you want to share reports with colleagues, clients, or the public, Power BI has options to suit your needs. So why not give it a try and see the benefits for yourself?
If you hit any snags or have any Power BI-related qualms in the meantime, reach out to our Microsoft Gold Partner experts here at Netitude!