Today, companies are constantly seeking ways to leverage and integrate data to gain actionable insights and stay ahead of their competition. One powerful combination that has emerged to achieve this is the integration of Microsoft Power BI with Dynamics 365.
By integrating Power BI and Dynamics 365, businesses can leverage a powerful, integrated solution to draw valuable insights from their existing operations data, streamline business processes, and enhance overall business performance.
Read on to learn more about Power BI Dynamics 365 integration and where our senior Dynamics consultants can fit in your organization.
Understanding Microsoft’s Power Platform
The Microsoft Power Platform comprises five easy-to-use applications: Power Apps, Power BI, Power Automate, Power Pages, and Power Virtual Agents. These applications can seamlessly integrate with existing Microsoft solutions like Azure, Office 365, or Dynamics 365.
Data connectors provide a crucial link between data from the Power Platform and your organization’s current Microsoft solutions or external tools. By combining the Power Platform with other solutions and leveraging pre-built Microsoft Dataverse functionality, users won’t have to go between applications or data sources to manage critical business data, as the platform seamlessly transfers data across each application.
The Lowdown on the Microsoft Power BI Service
The Microsoft Power BI service enables users to model, connect, visualize, and analyze data and build secure, customizable reports for their organization. With connections between intelligent reports and other aspects of the Microsoft landscape, users can better understand how to leverage integrations between Power BI and other existing Microsoft technology to optimize value and drive better outcomes.
Core Elements of Power BI
Here are the five components of Microsoft Power BI service:
- Build visualizations that make sense to your business by showing important elements or telling a story that fits existing data.
- Create live dashboards that enable organizations to view current data and interact with reports or visualizations.
- Provide a simple platform for integrating data between Microsoft applications with minimal effort.
- Access insights and data wherever you are on any device, including a web browser, mobile device, or desktop computer.
- Leverage Natural Language query functionality to make intuitive inquiries about critical business data.
Top 4 Features of Microsoft Power BI
Here’s a look at a few of the main features Power BI has to offer for business users:
1. Power BI Desktop
The free Power BI Desktop program lets users easily access data and create Power BI reports. By using a Power BI desktop, users aren’t required to know much about querying and report design to create intelligent Power BI reports.
2. Multiple Data Sources
Power BI contains over 99 data sources, and Microsoft offers built-in integrations between Azure, Cloud, Text, Excel, SQL, CSV, PDF, and other on-premise data sources. This way, users can see all necessary data and reports, regardless of where it comes from or where it’s stored in their SAP system.
3. Handing Out Reports
Power BI allows users to share reports and data sets from their Excel platform with other team members without worrying about compromising data security or going against privacy requirements.
4. Customized Visualization
Power BI comes with various report visualizations and ready-to-use dashboards, enabling users to download built-in graphics and integrations from other marketplaces to visualize sales data more effectively.
Benefits of Power BI Dynamics 365
Before Power BI is enabled in Dynamics 365, users should have a Power BI account and a Dynamics 365 subscription with administrative privileges.
Here’s a closer look at the main benefits of the Power BI platform:
Reports in Real Time
When Dynamics 365 and the Power BI report server are combined, users can access and leverage custom reports in real-time. Real-time business reports can be viewed and modified at any time or location through an intelligent report server that provides rich, interactive reports to support data-driven decisions.
Intelligent Dashboards
Many companies leverage the same dashboard across all departments, often leading to a heavier workload, misunderstandings, and interruptions in the team’s progress. By combining Power BI and Dynamics 365 capabilities, organizations can have specialized dashboards for each department.
Improved Customer Service
Combining Power BI with Dynamics 365 products enables businesses to quickly pinpoint preferences for existing and potential customers and overall customer sentiment. Real-time feedback allows customer service teams to gain more insight into critical customer issues and reduce the time it takes to answer questions.
Relevant Data Insights
With Microsoft Dynamics and Power BI integration, users can leverage predictive intelligence functionality to find and create good leads. Intelligent cross-selling features also give users various options to optimize profit, allowing them to apply suggestions to client needs quickly. By accessing customer data in real-time, employees can interact with customers more effectively and gain better insight into their behaviors and preferences over time.
Enhanced Sales Success
With connections between Dynamics 365 applications and the Power BI platform, users can set goals, take corrective action as needed, and view results using the analytics and settings on pre-built sales dashboards. Users can also leverage intelligent visualizations, comprehensive reports, and interactive dashboards to track activities throughout their sales pipeline. The Power BI platform also offers videos, walkthroughs, and other reference materials to ensure sales teams are adequately trained.
A few more advantages of the Power BI Dynamics 365 Integration include:
- Gain a comprehensive view of sales movement, change, and growth over time.
- Add sales reports to Dynamics 365 dashboards or an existing CRM system for improved efficiency.
- Utilize charts and graphs to present data in a more meaningful way.
- View data from different departments to build personalized customer reports and dashboards.
Power BI Insights with Data in Dynamics 365 Business Central
To use Power BI with Dynamics 365 Business Central, users need either a Microsoft E5 license that includes Power BI Pro or a Power BI Pro license. They’ll also need access to other enterprise solutions, like Visio, Microsoft Excel, SharePoint, Microsoft Teams, Power Apps, and Dynamics 365, to access and view reports.
Users can access, view, and analyze reports and dashboards from one unified platform by viewing Power BI reports in Business Central. Users can also build and view dashboards and reports in Power BI using Business Central data and embed specific Power BI reports in the Business Central platform.
Within the Business Central solution, users can create predefined Power BI trends, reports, diagrams, or any other visualization that can help users view and discuss data on a deeper level. Power BI delivers a flexible alternative, allowing users to customize and drill down the visualization to meet their unique organizational requirements.
Leveraging Pre-Made Power BI Content
With the Power BI platform, users can leverage premade Power BI content whenever and wherever they need it. The two types of Power BI content are:
- Power BI content packs issued in the PowerBI.com marketplace
- Power BI content available in Microsoft Dynamics Lifecycle Services (LCS)
Based on the version of the Power BI platform they use, users can utilize one or both types of content directly in their Microsoft landscape.
How We Can Help
Whether you’re looking to integrate Power BI and Dynamics 365 functionality into your existing Microsoft suite or just need an extra hand getting started on your journey with Microsoft Dynamics, Surety Systems can help.
Our senior-level Dynamics consultants have the functional expertise and skills to successfully implement or integrate any Dynamics solution, improve business operations, and meet complex project needs – all on your terms.
Contact Us
Are you interested in learning more about the Power BI Dynamics 365 integration and where our senior-level Dynamics consultants can come in to help?
Contact us today!
