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Senior Analyst at a tech services company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
May 21, 2021
Good visualizations, dashboards, and scalability, but needs better user interface, rule-based security, and support
Pros and Cons
  • "Its visualizations and dashboards are most valuable. Power BI is great in terms of visualizations and dashboards. The reports that we previously had were not very nice in terms of visualization. It also provides the ability to play with the data."
  • "We have a lot of servers and applications from which we want reports, and it allows us to create reports from an SQL source or some other source."
  • "They can improve it in terms of rule-based security. Currently, it has very limited rules."
  • "They can improve the user interface a little bit to make it more user-friendly. When creating a dashboard, it is not very user-friendly. You have to click on a certain style and use your keyboard keys to move it. You cannot drag and drop it."
  • "Their technical support can be better. They normally take too long to escalate and resolve a case."
  • "I have had only one interaction with them, and it was a bad one."

What is our primary use case?

We use it for reporting. We are using its latest version.

What is most valuable?

Its visualizations and dashboards are most valuable. Power BI is great in terms of visualizations and dashboards. The reports that we previously had were not very nice in terms of visualization. It also provides the ability to play with the data.

We have a lot of servers and applications from which we want reports, and it allows us to create reports from an SQL source or some other source.

What needs improvement?

They can improve it in terms of rule-based security. Currently, it has very limited rules.

They can improve the user interface a little bit to make it more user-friendly. When creating a dashboard, it is not very user-friendly. You have to click on a certain style and use your keyboard keys to move it. You cannot drag and drop it. 

Their technical support can be better. They normally take too long to escalate and resolve a case.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been working with Power BI for five or six months.

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What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I am at the initial stage of using it. We have just deployed a report in our organization, and it is working fine so far. It seems to be stable. I am not sure if we faced any issues with it.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is good in terms of scalability.

How are customer service and support?

I have had only one interaction with them, and it was a bad one. They took around a month to resolve a simple issue. We also had to escalate the case. The resolution was very simple, and ideally, they should have found it on the first day. They normally take too long when it comes to the escalation of cases.

How was the initial setup?

As a first-time user, I found it to be of medium complexity. You have to connect it with the SQL database or your data source. You might not find it very straightforward.

What other advice do I have?

It can also be deployed on-premises. If you have it on-premises, make sure that you meet all the prerequisites and have all permissions. You should sort these things out before deploying Power BI. I faced some issues because I missed one of the prerequisites, and it took me one month to get it resolved. That's why I recommend completing all prerequisites.

I would rate Microsoft Power BI a seven out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
it_user1571454 - PeerSpot reviewer
Manage Client Partner at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
May 8, 2021
Feature rich, functional dashboard, and plenty of charting visuals
Pros and Cons
  • "I have found the best features to be the dashboard creation, graphs, charts, and presentation bar graphs."
  • "This solution is a useful tool for the business and experts, with plenty of features, and I have found it very helpful in terms of data presentation."
  • "I have been doing trial and error to figuring out how to do the data analyzing and modeling. There could be some improvement to simplify it."

What is our primary use case?

I am using the solution for data analytics.

What is most valuable?

I have found the best features to be the dashboard creation, graphs, charts, and presentation bar graphs. As for now, I am able to do a lot of operations but not with much proficiency. I am just getting started with it. I am not very good at doing dashboard creation or writing reports but sometimes I do it during office hours to understand and learn the analytical tools.

What needs improvement?

I have been doing trial and error to figuring out how to do the data analyzing and modeling. There could be some improvement to simplify it.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for approximately one year.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I am only working with small datasets at the moment and the solution has been stable. I am not sure how it will be for larger datasets. We have approximately 50 people using the solution in my organization.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

This solution came free, it was offered by Microsoft with our E3 license.

What other advice do I have?

This solution is a useful tool for the business and experts. It has plenty of features. I do not have a lot of advice because I am just starting to explore the solution but I have found it very helpful in terms of data presentation. 

I rate Microsoft BI a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. partner
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Microsoft Power BI
June 2026
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Owner at Richard Duggan Pty Ltd
Real User
May 8, 2021
Powerful visualizations, easy to use, and integrates well with Microsoft products
Pros and Cons
  • "It integrates better with other Microsoft products. It is very easy to use and has very powerful visualizations. It has also got a lot of development going on."
  • "It should have more integrations."

What is most valuable?

It integrates better with other Microsoft products. It is very easy to use and has very powerful visualizations. It has also got a lot of development going on. 

What needs improvement?

It should have more integrations.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for probably two years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

It is stable.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

It is scalable. I have a few large customers of this solution.

How are customer service and technical support?

I don't have any experience with their support.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

I also use Tableau. Tableau and Power BI are similar in terms of capability.

How was the initial setup?

It was easy. It was done in minutes.

What about the implementation team?

I can do it on my own. You would require external consultants or in-house experts.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

Licensing is on a monthly basis, but I am not sure.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Microsoft BI a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

On-premises
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
reviewer1571778 - PeerSpot reviewer
Responsable Industrie 4.0 at a engineering company with 10,001+ employees
Real User
May 8, 2021
Easy to use for a non-IT person and good for data modeling and working with a large amount of data
Pros and Cons
  • "I like data modeling. You can connect with your database, which is quite useful for me. It is a good tool if you have a large amount of data and you want to gather different data and interconnect it. The Power Query functionality is quite an interesting feature. If you have a query in Excel, you can also copy your query and run it in Power BI. Its dashboard is also very nice and not complicated. You don't need to be a developer to be able to use it. I am not an IT guy, and it is quite easy to use for somebody who is not an IT person."
  • "Its dashboard is also very nice and not complicated."
  • "It is not the right tool to do deeper analysis or predictions. When you have some data and you want to do some deep analysis, there is no feature to help you with this."

What is most valuable?

I like data modeling. You can connect with your database, which is quite useful for me. It is a good tool if you have a large amount of data and you want to gather different data and interconnect it.

The Power Query functionality is quite an interesting feature. If you have a query in Excel, you can also copy your query and run it in Power BI. 

Its dashboard is also very nice and not complicated. You don't need to be a developer to be able to use it. I am not an IT guy, and it is quite easy to use for somebody who is not an IT person.

What needs improvement?

It is not the right tool to do deeper analysis or predictions. When you have some data and you want to do some deep analysis, there is no feature to help you with this. 

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for one year.

What other advice do I have?

I would rate Microsoft BI an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
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reviewer1569021 - PeerSpot reviewer
Vice President & Head at a tech services company with 501-1,000 employees
Real User
May 6, 2021
Good support, seamless integration with Microsoft solutions, and perfect for Microsoft infrastructure
Pros and Cons
  • "It gives you an edge if you are on the Microsoft platform, because if you have been using Microsoft products for a long time or if you have the Microsoft infrastructure, this is the right tool for you, with seamless integration with Microsoft SQL Server and other sources so you get the best of the three things (SSIS, SSAS, and SSRS) in one suite."
  • "It should be more user-friendly and simple."

What is our primary use case?

My team uses it. They majorly used to work on SSRS and SSIS.

What is most valuable?

It gives you an edge if you are on the Microsoft platform. If you have been using Microsoft products for a long time or if you have the Microsoft infrastructure, this is the right tool for you. It has seamless integration with Microsoft SQL Server and other sources, and you get the best of the three things (SSIS, SSAS, and SSRS) in one suite.

What needs improvement?

It should be more user-friendly and simple.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using this solution for almost five years.

How are customer service and technical support?

Their technical support is good.

What other advice do I have?

Companies that are Microsoft shop do prefer using this solution, but non-Microsoft companies or customers generally go for solutions such as Tableau and Domo. Companies that want to go really cheap without any tool costs generally go for an open-source solution. In terms of reporting, data visualization tools such as Tableau and Domo are its competitors. 

The pricing of all these tools will vary depending upon the licenses that you are using and the contract that you have, but from the ease-of-use perspective, Tableau is very easy to work with. A lot of work is being done on Tableau.

I would rate Microsoft BI an eight out of ten.

Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. partner
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Head of Offshore Operations & Solutions at Techcarrot
Real User
May 1, 2021
Quick reporting, high data conductivity, and reliable
Pros and Cons
  • "I have found the quick reporting and the conductivity with all the data sources valuable."
  • "I would like to see some AI incorporated into this solution in the future."

What is our primary use case?

We use the solution for revenue forecasting and other predictive analytic reports based on specific requirements.

What is most valuable?

I have found the quick reporting and the conductivity with all the data sources valuable.

What needs improvement?

I would like to see some AI incorporated into this solution in the future.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using the solution for approximately five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The stability of this solution is great.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The scalability at first was not the greatest but it has turned out it can be very good.

How are customer service and technical support?

The support has been good.

How was the initial setup?

I have found the installation straightforward compared to other competitors.

What about the implementation team?

Having this solution on the could cloud allows for quick deployment. We could deliver the solution within four to eight weeks depending on the complexity.

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There is a license for this solution and we purchase them annually.

What other advice do I have?

I rate Microsoft BI an eight out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Microsoft Azure
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Integrator
PeerSpot user
reviewer1564200 - PeerSpot reviewer
Data Science Leader at a tech services company with 11-50 employees
Real User
Apr 29, 2021
Can be used to plan, communicate, and visualize knowledge extracted from data
Pros and Cons
  • "The best feature of this solution is the way you can plan, communicate, and visualize all the knowledge you extract from the data for the customers. I like the way you can show or visualize the information a client needs to answer a business question."
  • "I think that they can make the solution easy to use for people who are not experts in data because many clients try to use it, but they need to be prepared before using it."

What is our primary use case?

We use it for BI analytics. I am a data scientist, so I model data and show the data through dashboards using this tool.

What is most valuable?

I think that the best feature of this solution is the way you can plan, communicate, and visualize all the knowledge you extract from the data for the customers. I like the way you can show or visualize the information a client needs to answer a business question.

What needs improvement?

I think that they can make the solution easy to use for people who are not experts in data because many clients try to use it, but they need to be prepared before using it.

Also, now we have another solution on the market that is more easy to use for those who are not trained in these kinds of tools.

For how long have I used the solution?

I have been using Microsoft BI for more than five years.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

I think the stability is good. I haven't had any problems yet with Power BI.

How are customer service and technical support?

My experience with technical support has been good.

How was the initial setup?

For me, the initial setup was easy, but I have been working for more than 20 years in data analytics. However, sometimes for end-users it's not as easy as another tool on the market.

A dashboard can be made in 30 minutes or two days, depending on the client, the information, and the quality of the data. I am also a teacher, so for my classes I can create a low plan dashboard in 30 minutes.

What other advice do I have?

I used to recommend Microsoft BI, but the only issue is that you would need to know data analytics before using it. So it is not easy to use if you're not an expert. However, it is a good tool, and I think it's a good solution for many business problems.

Also, I would rate Microsoft BI at eight on a scale from one to ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Hybrid Cloud
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer. Partner
PeerSpot user
reviewer1556970 - PeerSpot reviewer
CEO Gerente General at a tech services company with 51-200 employees
MSP
Apr 26, 2021
Stable, efficient and has a straightforward setup
Pros and Cons
  • "We found the initial setup to be straightforward."
  • "In general, it's helping companies be more efficient, more productive."
  • "The solution could use a faster speed on certain interactions and a refresh of the dashboards."

What is our primary use case?

We primarily use the solution across many company verticals and within every area of the company - including finance, accounting, operations, logistics, HR, et cetera.

How has it helped my organization?

In general, it's helping companies be more efficient, more productive.

What is most valuable?

There's not one specific feature we prefer. I would say it depends on the customer and the processes. What is important to one user may not be as important to another. There's no one feature that excels over another so that we don't see it like second place.

The product offers very good efficiency.

The solution is very stable.

The solution can scale well.

The documentation on offer is good.

We found the initial setup to be straightforward.

What needs improvement?

In Power BI, it would be ideal if we had the capability to import data with forms or similar methods.

It would be nice to have the ability to have a service price to offer customers of Power BI, without having the customer be part of Power BI, I would say. Maybe that could help us consult the suppliers.

The solution could use a faster speed on certain interactions and a refresh of the dashboards. It can sometimes get a bit slow.

For how long have I used the solution?

I've been dealing with the solution for about five years or so. It's been a while.

What do I think about the stability of the solution?

The solution is extremely stable. There are no bugs or glitches. It doesn't crash or freeze. It's very reliable in terms of performance, but it is slow sometimes.

What do I think about the scalability of the solution?

The solution is easily scaled.

Most of our clients are quite large companies. The companies we deal with have thousands of users, however, only a few really use Power BI. Typically only the supervisors and managers use it, not everyone.

How are customer service and technical support?

We've never used customer support. We haven't needed to reach out to them.

The documentation on offer is okay. It can help you troubleshoot or learn about the product.

Which solution did I use previously and why did I switch?

We also work with Tableau and and QlikView alongside Microsoft. We do use some others, however, to a much lesser extent.

How was the initial setup?

The initial setup is straightforward. The deployment takes a good two days to finalize.

In terms of maintenance, we have a support team that covers all of our customers. There isn't really that much that needs to be done. 

What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?

There are less expensive options on offer.

Which other solutions did I evaluate?

Tableau is always one of the solutions we would like to evaluate further, and ClickView is another one.

It is my understanding that ClickView is less expensive, whereas Tableau is more expensive. Really, the reason why most companies go through Microsoft is if they have a Microsoft Business Suite or Office and it's all tied in the same ecosystem. That's perhaps the biggest benefit. It's all within the same ecosystem.

What other advice do I have?

We are consultants and implementers so we usually resell software. We do the end-to-end automation for customers as well. In the case of Microsoft BI, our clients are the ones that buy the license and use it. We don't necessarily use it directly.

We're always working off the latest version, as the solution is constantly updated online. 

I would recommend the solution to other companies and users. 

I'd rate the solution at a nine out of ten.

Which deployment model are you using for this solution?

Public Cloud

If public cloud, private cloud, or hybrid cloud, which cloud provider do you use?

Disclosure: My company does not have a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.
PeerSpot user
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Power BI Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.
Updated: June 2026
Buyer's Guide
Download our free Microsoft Power BI Report and get advice and tips from experienced pros sharing their opinions.