What is our primary use case?
I've mainly worked within the banking sector. It is particularly useful for vertical clients. Power BI is a great tool for reporting. You can source data from any database, like Oracle or Microsoft SQL. It generates reports and provides methods to control your report's power.
How has it helped my organization?
Power BI works with both real-time and offline data. When interacting with real-time data across multiple systems, it offers a great advantage.
I've worked with real-time interactions and appreciate them, similar to how AI is increasingly being incorporated. It's fascinating to see the shift towards AI.
Using middleware technology, like web services, allows Power BI to interact with multiple systems efficiently. This request and response mechanism ensures data is transmitted from the source to the target system in real-time, which significantly benefits business operations by providing up-to-date information.
Moreover, integration capabilities were smooth. I worked on integrating Power BI with PeopleSoft, focusing on custom solutions rather than out-of-the-box features, tailoring the experience to specific needs.
Power BI is very user-friendly and easy to learn. I've even uploaded instructional videos on YouTube, which have helped many users, including some who have become long-term administrators of Power BI.
What is most valuable?
Reporting is the best thing about Power BI. And it could help improve decision-making in many ways.
Power BI is flexible and easier to use compared to tools like Crystal Reports.
What needs improvement?
It should integrate with multiple enterprise applications. For instance, integrating CRM (Customer Relationship Management) and HCM (Human Capital Management) with Power BI can be a significant advantage.
Because, organizations focus on and like software that can do multiple tasks.
The user interface is good but it should have the ability to interact with multiple systems.
I would like to see more AI capabilities in future releases. There's a strong interest in AI, including technologies like GPT, which facilitate real-time interactions.
It's all about real-time interaction between customers and the system, automated to operate under specific scenarios. This ensures it functions in real-time, leveraging AI for more dynamic engagements without needing predefined projects or setups, much like how chatbots are designed for real-time use.
In future releases, I would like to see more encrypted software, and there should be version control for Software. It will avoid pirated downloads.
I would also like to see dynamic content. It should be an add-on in Power BI. It helps users understand reports more easily. For example, when a developer is building a report, they should consider using dynamic content to make the report more user-friendly.
For how long have I used the solution?
I've worked with Power BI for almost one and a half years, focusing on reporting and integration with Power BI.
What do I think about the stability of the solution?
Power BI is very stable, especially in sectors like banking, retail, pharmaceuticals, and telecommunications.
Its stability is expected to increase in the future with advancements in Azure.
I would rate the stability a nine out of ten.
What do I think about the scalability of the solution?
I would rate the scalability a ten out of ten. It's very scalable.
How are customer service and support?
I haven't needed to press for support activities, so based on my experience, it is good in general.
How would you rate customer service and support?
How was the initial setup?
Compared to other reporting tools, it is very easy to acquire, demonstrate, and understand.
I would rate my experience with the initial setup a nine out of ten, with ten being easy.
It is very easy to set up. Security in a private cloud is optimal, whereas public cloud lacks in security. Hybrid solutions offer some balance, but on-premises solutions have a lot of limitations.
Many customers are moving to the cloud for its ease of use, security, availability, and flexibility. Cost efficiency is also a factor. For example, Why would you use the cloud? Say you have 1000 people in your organization, and only 500 need access to Power BI. On-premises, you'd need to buy licenses for all the users. With the cloud, you only pay for what you use.
Considering cost, cloud solutions like Amazon Cloud, GCP Cloud, or Azure Cloud are preferred for their scalability and cost-effectiveness.
So, our customers mainly use cloud deployments.
What about the implementation team?
Deployment doesn't take much time, thanks to it being a Microsoft product, which makes it easy to handle compared to other software.
So, it takes just a few hours.
What's my experience with pricing, setup cost, and licensing?
It's about balancing cost and value. Although Power BI is cost-effective compared to other reporting tools, its pricing should be more adaptable based on the size of the organization to ensure it remains cost-effective for both small and large entities. For example, if the organization has a million end-users, it should be cost-effective.
This is important when considering the scalability of solutions like Kronos or Banner ERP systems, ensuring the cost is aligned with the organizational needs.
The pricing is very low and competitive. Microsoft could consider adjusting the price according to the size and needs of the organization, balancing demand with supply.
What other advice do I have?
Power BI is an essential tool for any kind of detailed reporting. It's efficient and effective.
I would definitely recommend using this solution. Overall, I would rate the solution a ten out of ten.
Disclosure: My company has a business relationship with this vendor other than being a customer.