Business intelligence Accordingly, does a lot of work for us, which always needs to be done in connection with the collection and evaluation of data. This has several advantages, especially when we realize that we live in an increasingly complex world, in which not everyone is an expert, but in which everyone probably needs a basic understanding of many relationships in order to be able to make competent decisions.
Even in pre-modern times, before from business intelligence and corresponding tools such as Power BI People knew how to use model complexity reduction for themselves: For example, early evidence of data visualization can be seen in the celestial table of Tal-Qadi (approx. 3000 BC) or the Nebra sky disk (approx. 2100 - 1700 BC). Although these artifacts may have been accessible to a small group of people, the intention of simplifying the transfer of knowledge and information is already apparent here. But what is that in general anyway: Data visualization?
What is data visualization?
Data visualization refers to the presentation of information and data in graphical or visual form. The main goal of data visualization is to present complex amounts of data in an understandable, concise and appealing way so that patterns, trends and relationships can be identified more easily and without too much prior knowledge. In this way, it is possible to draw reliable conclusions and put a lasting stop to the doubt. By converting data into visual elements such as charts, graphics, maps, or interactive dashboards, users can quickly gain insights and, at best, make well-founded decisions promptly — a fact that is particularly important when it comes to time-critical topics.
How important data visualization is in the current accelerating economic world is shown by a variety of appropriate tools. In this article, we want to focus on the importance of business intelligence in this context. When it comes to helping decision makers to carry out their respective activities adequately, every means that is able to increase the efficiency of the tasks to be completed comes in handy.
The connection between business intelligence and data visualization
Although Business Intelligence Programs (such as Power BI) go beyond their use as mere data visualization tools, it is clear that the function of context-based complexity reduction is a central aspect of the entire context of business intelligence. In the following, we will look at exactly how you can use business intelligence for the purpose of data visualization.
Using so-called “raw data” to create robust analyses is the stated goal of business intelligence in general. In this regard, business intelligence focuses primarily on the comprehensive analysis of corporate data: Data visualization is an important part of this strategy, but business intelligence cannot be reduced entirely to data visualization!
To provide an example of BI software, let's now focus on Microsoft's Power BI by trying to explain in detail how the data visualization function can be used:
What is Power BI?
Power BI is a powerful business intelligence platform from Microsoft that enables users to analyze, visualize, and create interactive reports and dashboards.
Basic steps for using Power BI to visualize data
- Connect data source
First, Power BI must of course be started and connected to the necessary data sources. Power BI supports a wide range of data sources, including Excel files, databases, online services, and Cloud-Platforms.
- Importing and Transforming Data
The required data must be loaded into Power BI in order to be able to use the integrated functions for data transformation. This step is primarily about cleaning data (Dirty Data counteract), filter them and then model them adequately. The Power Query Editor makes it possible to carry out comprehensive transformations.
- Create a data model
By defining table relationships, it is possible to create a coherent data model. Different tables can be represented within a data model in order to relate the data to each other.
- Create visualizations
The desired form of data visualization can be selected from the Power BI library: From bar and line charts, to pie charts, maps, tables, etc., a variety of possible options can be selected; depending on requirements and contextual use, it is possible to select tailor-made forms of visualization.
- Format and customize
It is then always possible to adjust the exact appearance of the data visualization. Power BI offers a wide range of customization options, including colors, axis labels, background images, and more. For greater comprehensibility, the visualization options should be refined or optimized afterwards.
- Add filters and slicers
By implementing so-called filters and slicers, users can be given the opportunity to dynamically select and analyze data. These features make it possible to focus on specific areas of data and create interactive dashboards, which is extremely beneficial for communication.
- Create reports and dashboards
Individual data visualizations can be combined into comprehensive reports. Reports, in turn, can be organized in dashboards, which allow various visualizations and analyses to be brought together on a single page.
- Refresh data
To ensure that the respective reports and dashboards are always fed with the latest information, it is worthwhile to plan regular updates to data sources. Power BI even makes it possible to set up automatic update routines in this regard.
- Approval and Collaboration
Once created, reports and/or dashboards can be easily shared with others. Power BI offers various ways to share, including sharing dashboards, publishing to the Power BI cloud, and embedding them into other applications on a situational basis.
- Analysis and exploration
Power BI's proprietary analytics capabilities make it possible to gain even deeper insights. Drill-down, drill-up, and other analysis tools help you explore data in a variety of ways.
Conclusion on data visualization and Power BI
Power BI provides an intuitive user interface that allows users without extensive programming knowledge to create meaningful visualizations and reports. By combining flexibility, functionality, and ease of use, Power BI is a popular choice for data visualization in particular and for business intelligence in general. Data visualization is and remains an important technology that offers the prospect of a downright reduction in complexity.
