What is Power BI?
Microsoft Power BI is a suite of Business Intelligence tools designed for data analysis and the creation of always up-to-date, interactive reports. It is part of the Power Platform family, which also includes solutions like Power Apps, Power Automate, and Power Pages. Business Intelligence tools gather data from various sources, analyze it in real-time, and enable the presentation of results in the form of attractive, interactive reports, summaries, dashboards, charts, and maps.
Key Benefits of Microsoft Power BI What are the advantages of using Power BI solutions?
Let's start with the access to real-time data about your company's situation, such as sales or financial results. Because these data are continually updated and presented in an appealing and easily understandable format, you can promptly respond to potential issues and threats. Importantly, Power BI integrates data from various sources, such as Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, Excel files, CSVs, or SQL Server databases. You can share visualizations with team members, partners, or clients, securing them against unauthorized modifications with varying levels of permissions. With access from different devices, including mobile, you can have critical reports at your fingertips at all times.
Examples of Power BI Applications
You can create interactive reports in Power BI on your own, but there are also ready-made solutions available. Our experts have developed, for example, an OEE report that continuously illustrates efficiency indicators crucial in the production process. It is based on analytical best practices, conversations with customers, and our experience in the manufacturing industry. Its effectiveness is best exemplified by a case from one of our clients. With the introduction of the report, management gained access to real-time data on the efficiency of individual machines. The analysis revealed, among other things, that due to breakdowns and planned downtime, one machine was available for only 60% of the time. This knowledge allowed for appropriate corrective actions, better resource utilization, and avoidance of unnecessary expenses.
Power BI Desktop License
Let's delve into the topic of licensing for Microsoft Power BI service. Starting with the free version, Power BI Desktop allows you to create full-scale reports. It is aimed at users who create reports for their personal use and do not need to share them. Only publishing reports to the cloud is possible, but this means that anyone with the link can access them. For reports containing sensitive information about company operations, this is not a secure solution. Notable functionalities of Power BI Desktop include:
- Integration with various data sources.
- The ability to build fully functional reports.
- Individual workspace in the cloud (up to 1 GB per user) for data storage.
- The ability to export data and reports to Excel, PowerPoint, or PDF files.
However, if your company needs to share reports with other users, Power BI Desktop is not the suitable choice. You will need to opt for a Power BI Pro license. Let's now take a closer look at the differences between Power BI Pro and Premium.
Power BI Pro and Premium - What Sets Them Apart?
The Power BI Pro license is for individual users and is sufficient for the needs of small and medium-sized businesses. It enhances the standard functionalities of Power BI Desktop by providing features such as:
- The ability to share data and reports with others (they must have Power BI Pro).
- Data storage space (10 GB per user).
- The ability to embed reports on websites or in Microsoft SharePoint sites.
The Power BI Premium license for a user increases the maximum data storage capacity and data refresh frequency to 48 times per day (as opposed to 8 times per day in the Power BI Pro license). Among the additional functionalities, it offers access to advanced artificial intelligence technology.
There is also a subscription option called Power BI Premium Per Capacity. It is assigned to the entire organization rather than individual users, allowing you to grant Power BI licenses within the organization to enable users to view and interact with reports without additional per-user charges.
Cost of Microsoft Power BI Licenses So, what are the costs of the aforementioned solutions? In the case of Power BI Pro licenses, the expense is €9.40 per user per month. A Power BI Premium license per user costs €18.70 per month. Meanwhile, a Power BI Premium Per Capacity subscription costs €4,675.60 per capacity per month. As you can see, the differences in costs are quite significant. Just between the Pro and Premium licenses, there is a twofold increase in expenses. Therefore, the choice of the right solution should be carefully considered.
Microsoft Power BI Pro and Premium - Which Solution to Choose?
As mentioned earlier, to explore the capabilities of Power BI, the free Desktop version is sufficient. Its limitations arise when you want to share reports with others within the organization. Sharing content with users requires a paid Power BI Pro license. If your company needs to process a large amount of data quickly, it's worth considering Power BI Premium per user. On the other hand, Power BI Premium as a capacity-based subscription is mainly designed for large enterprises and organizations.
Is Power BI a Significant Investment?
As you can see, the initial investment in Power BI doesn't have to be high - for creating reports, you don't need to incur any costs. The costs of individual licenses can also be considered reasonable. Our experience shows that the biggest expenses stem from mistakes made during independent Power BI implementation. To ensure smooth operation of Power BI in your company, consider seeking the support of specialists. They can also prepare report templates tailored to the specific needs of your organization.
In summary, if you are looking for a tool for real-time data analysis and report creation, Power BI is an excellent choice. To effectively implement it in your company, consider leveraging expert support. You can also take advantage of the pre-made reports created by them, which you can find on the Power BI solution page.
