Power BI
Definition
Microsoft's business intelligence platform for creating interactive reports and dashboards with powerful data analysis capabilities.
Use Cases
- PwC: Delivering interactive analytics and dashboards to clients and internal teams for faster, self-service insights. — PwC uses Microsoft Power BI as part of its analytics toolkit, building dashboards and reports and sharing them through the Power BI service, commonly integrating with Microsoft data platforms and enterprise sources. (Improved access to insights through interactive reporting and broader self-service analytics for business users (publicly referenced as part of PwC’s analytics offerings; specific KPI figures vary by engagement).)
- KPMG: Business reporting and analytics for audit, advisory, and internal performance management with shareable dashboards. — KPMG has publicly referenced using Power BI for analytics and visualization, typically combining it with Microsoft cloud services and enterprise data sources to publish governed dashboards. (Faster reporting cycles and more consistent, shareable visual analytics across teams (publicly referenced usage; exact quantified results are not consistently disclosed).)
- Heathrow Airport: Operational and performance reporting to help teams monitor key metrics and make data-driven decisions. — Heathrow has publicly discussed using Microsoft Power BI to visualize and share operational data through dashboards, enabling stakeholders to access up-to-date reporting. (More timely visibility into operational performance and improved decision support via shared dashboards (public references exist; detailed KPI improvements depend on the specific program).)
Provider Equivalents
- Azure: Microsoft Power BI (Power BI Service / Power BI Desktop)
Frequently Asked Questions
- What’s the difference between Power BI and Tableau?
- Both are tools for building dashboards and reports. Power BI is tightly integrated with Microsoft 365 and Azure (Excel, Teams, SharePoint, Azure data services) and is often cost-effective for organizations already using Microsoft licensing. Tableau is widely used across many ecosystems and is known for strong visual exploration. The best choice depends on your existing stack, governance needs, and how you plan to share content.
- When should I use Power BI?
- Use Power BI when you need interactive dashboards and reports for business users, especially if your organization uses Microsoft 365 or Azure. It’s a good fit for combining data from multiple sources (Excel, SQL databases, cloud apps), modeling it with a semantic layer, and securely sharing insights across teams with role-based access and scheduled refresh.
- How much does Power BI cost?
- Pricing depends on how you share and scale reports. Common options include a free Desktop authoring tool, per-user licensing for sharing and collaboration (Power BI Pro), and capacity-based licensing for larger-scale distribution and performance (Power BI Premium capacity, and Premium Per User in some cases). Costs vary by region and agreement, and you may also pay for underlying data sources, gateways, and storage/compute in connected platforms.
Category: data
Difficulty: intermediate
Related Terms
See Also