1. Define your goals:

Before starting with Power BI it is crucial to identify your goals. Think carefully in advance about which parts of the business you want to improve: financial results, cost control, customer satisfaction or operational efficiency. Here are a few examples.

Suppose you want to improve cost efficiency, and every week you dig into the data to work out which levers to pull. You generate valuable insight and you see improvement, but it costs an average of 10 hours a week. It would be far easier if that process ran automatically. With reporting built in Power BI you can pull those insights at any moment, which gives real time insight and saves an average of 10 hours a week. The goal has become tangible and concrete, and that makes it much easier to work towards.

Cost efficiency is of course not the only possible goal. Think of insight into the best product and market combinations, so your sales people know exactly which combinations work and how sales can be improved. Operational insight, into the logistics process for example, can produce surprising results too.

In short: be clear about your goals and define them tightly. That lets Power BI reporting be built very specifically, so the results that matter to you are exactly the ones you can see.

2. Gather the relevant data:

Identify the data sources in your organisation you need in order to reach your goals. That may be data from internal systems such as CRM, ERP or operational databases. You can also draw on external sources such as market research, competitor data or sector information. Then decide how to extract those sources, through the right connections and APIs, and bring them together. Make sure the data in your different systems also lines up. Customer X may be customer number 99 in system A and number 1010 in system B, and it matters that they are recognised as one and the same customer.

3. Design a strong data model:

A good data model is the basis for effective Power BI reports. Think about the structure of your data and the relationships between tables. Identify the key KPIs and dimensions you need in order to measure your goals. A well designed data model produces reporting that is both accurate and meaningful.

The data model largely determines what is possible in terms of visualisation, showing the right KPIs in a report, and performance. A poorly built model means long load times. We recommend structuring the data using a star schema, snowflake or data vault. Which of those you choose depends on performance and on what you want the reporting to show.

4. Build reports people understand:

Reports should be intuitive and easy to read. Present the information attractively, using charts, tables and other visuals, and take account of what your audience actually needs. Colour coding, filters and slicers all help, but above all avoid overloading the page. Too much information means the core, the KPIs that matter most, does not come across. Assembling a very extensive data set is tempting, but restrict yourself to the insights that matter most.

5. Add interactive features:

Power BI offers a range of interactive features that let users go deeper into the data and get better insight, such as slicers, filters and drill through. They make it possible to explore the data around your own questions, so when you want to know more about a figure, its context or the explanation behind it, those features are what get you there.

6. Track the KPIs and measure progress:

Once the Power BI reporting is built and live, follow the KPIs you set and act on what they show. Review periodically whether they are all still relevant, or whether new ones have appeared. When the strategy or the business model changes, revisiting the KPIs is essential. Adjust the reporting where needed.

7. Make decisions from the data:

Power BI lets you take decisions from current, reliable data. Use the insight from reports and dashboards to make better decisions that produce better results. Encourage C level managers, operational managers and owners to use the data as the basis for discussion and strategic choices. Above all, use what the report says in the conversation with your colleagues. That way the discussion is grounded in fact rather than in gut feeling.