Power BI Apps for Dynamics 365 Business Central

The integration of Power BI apps with Dynamics 365 Business Central stands out as a transforming approach to improve business analytics and intelligence. This blog explores the dynamic synergy between two strong Microsoft technologies and provides a thorough overview of how Power BI apps improve Dynamics 365 Business Central's features.

Let's first consider the relevance and need of business intelligence and analytics before diving into the specifics of Power BI:

Emergen Research estimates the market for business intelligence and analytics to rise at a compound yearly growth rate of 11.2% to reach a value of USD 60.49 billion by 2027 from USD 27.20 billion back in 2019.

What is Power BI?

Microsoft created one of the most powerful business intelligence applications—Power BI. It enables you to create meaningful, interactive visuals and reports from raw data taken from many sources. Power BI consists of the following main components:

1. Power BI Desktop: A Windows application for generating comprehensive reports and visuals.
2. Power BI Service: It is an online report-sharing and collaborative work tool.
3. Power BI Mobile: Apps for accessing reports on mobile devices.
4. Power BI Report Builder: For creating paginated reports.
5. Power BI Report Server: An on-premises server for publishing reports created on the Power BI Desktop.

Power BI is meant to be easy to use, hence both data professionals and individuals with less technical knowledge can access it. It lets you design dashboards, reports, and visualizations that can support data-driven decisions.

What are the Benefits of Power BI?

The many benefits that Power BI provides will help companies' data analysis and business intelligence to improve. There are several main benefits:

1. Artificial Intelligence (AI): Power BI uses artificial intelligence (AI) capabilities to let users develop machine learning models, leverage image recognition, text analytics, and interface with Azure Machine Learning.
2. Analysis and Sharing of Big Data: Big data analysis and sharing help to handle vast amounts of data, therefore enabling insights and collaboration between data scientists, data engineers, and business analysts.
3. Integration with Various Data Sources: Power BI offers connectivity with a broad spectrum of data sources, therefore facilitating data gathering and analysis from many sources.
4. Personalized Dashboards and Interactive Reports: Users using personalized dashboards and interactive reports can design aesthetically pleasing, interactive dashboards and reports.
5. Real-time Access to Information: Real-time access to information lets companies make quick decisions grounded in the most recent facts.
6. Excel Integration: For those acquainted with Excel, Power BI provides flawless integration, therefore improving the capabilities of spreadsheets including strong analytics tools.
7. Regular Updates: Microsoft routinely updates Power BI with new features and enhancements, therefore keeping the tool up-to-date with the newest trends in data analysis.
8. User-friendly Interface: The interactive UI/UX elements enable access even to people with little technical expertise.
9. Customizable Security Features: Power BI lets one customize security features to guard sensitive information.
10. Cost-effectiveness: It is a cost-effective solution that doesn’t require professional technical support. This makes it accessible to businesses of all sizes.
11. Accessibility: Users can access the service on any device, any place which provides freedom and convenience.
12. Integration with Microsoft Apps: Power BI adds capability and simplifies processes by working in tandem with other Microsoft products.
13. Collaboration: It encourages teamwork by improving collaboration which enhances communication and productivity.
14. Time-saving Templates: Pre-built templates help to save time and effort in report creation.
15. Scalability: Power BI can handle rising volumes of data and users as a company grows, therefore enabling scalability.
16. Data-Driven Insights: It enables companies to have more thorough insights into their operations, thereby guiding better decisions.
17. Performance Optimization: By pointing up areas for improvement, Power BI solutions can assist in maximizing business performance.
18. Version Control: Maintaining consistency and accuracy by tracking several versions of reports and datasets helps version control to be simpler.

These benefits underline Power BI's function as a complete platform for business intelligence and data visualization, therefore enabling companies to effectively use their data.

How to Embed Power BI Reports in Business Central?

Embedding Power BI into Dynamics 365 Business Central calls for various steps. Here’s a high-level overview of the process:

1. If you haven't already, install Power BI Desktop on your computer.
2. Click Get Data in the Home tab of Power BI Desktop, then choose Online Services.
3. Select a Dynamics 365 Business Central connector and log in using Business Central account credentials.
4. Once connected, the data from Business Central allows you to build your report on the Power BI Desktop.
5. Publish your report to the Power BI service once you have created your report.
6. Go to the page in Business Central you wish to embed the report on.
7. In case the Power BI FactBox is not visible, go to the action bar and choose Actions > Display > Show/Hide Power BI Reports.
8. Choose Select Reports in the Power BI FactBox, activate the report, and subsequently choose OK.

The official Microsoft documentation on Working with Power BI reports in Business Central and Enabling Power BI interaction with Business Central provides comprehensive guidance. There are also video guides that will walk you through the procedure exactly. Remember to keep an eye on any updates or modifications in the procedure since the platform and its features evolve with time.

Power BI Pricing

To fulfill diverse business needs, Power BI has many pricing plans. Here is a synopsis of the several choices:

• Power BI Free: With visual analytics right in your hands, this free plan lets you produce rich, interactive reports.
• Power BI Pro: Priced at $10.00 per user/month, this plan lets you read Power BI reports shared with you and publish your own for more impact.
• Power BI Premium Per User: This subscription offers all the capabilities of Power BI Pro together with data professionals' access to enterprise-scale features for $20.00 per user/month.
• Power BI Embedded: Designed for producing customer-facing reports, dashboards, and analytics in your own applications, this plan offers variable pricing.

Additional Details Include:

• Model Memory Size Limit: Varies depending on the plan; 1 GB for the free account.
• Refresh Rate for Power BI Datasets: For the free plan, up to 8/day; for Pro and Premium users, 48/day.
• Maximum Storage: 100 TB for Pro and Premium users; 10 GB/user for the free plan.

Visit the official Power BI pricing page to make a purchase or for further information.

Power BI Consulting Services

Professional services provided by certified partners or consultants to enable companies to adopt, maximize, and properly use Microsoft Power BI are known as Microsoft Power BI consulting services. These services include:

• Implementation: Helping with the setup and configuration of Power BI within a company's IT environment.
• Data Modeling: Helping to organize data in a manner best fit for Power BI analysis.
• Dashboard and Report Creation: Creating dynamic dashboards and reports with actionable insights.
• Training and Support: Giving staff members training so they can utilize Power BI in the best way possible.
• Strategy and Advisory: Providing strategic guidance on how to match business goals and objectives with Power BI usage.

These services help companies to fully use Power BI for data visualization, business intelligence, and decision-making support.

Should you be interested in such services, contact Dynamics Square now! 

Power BI Implementation

Using Power BI in a company requires a sequence of strategic actions to guarantee that the tool is used properly and corresponds with the objectives of the company’s data management and analysis. Here’s a high-level overview of the process:

1. Assess Your Needs: Examine your data needs and how Power BI can satisfy them. 
2. Get the Right Subscription: Select the Power BI subscription suitable for the size and demands of your company.
3. Set Up Power BI: Configure the Power BI environment including tenant setup, user tools, and devices.
4. Clean Your Data: Verify that the data you will utilize in Power BI is accurate and correctly structured.
5. Create Reports and Dashboards: Create visual aids to enable you to understand your data.
6. Collaborate and Share: To collaborate with your team, set up Power BI's collaborative and sharing features.
7. Review and Iterate: Constantly evaluate the success of your Power BI application and make required changes.

Additionally, it’s important to consider the following areas during the implementation:

• BI Strategy: Define a clear BI strategy that aligns with your organizational objectives.
• Content Lifecycle Management: Manage the development, deployment, and maintenance of Power BI content.
• Security: Implement security measures to protect your data and comply with regulations.
• Data Gateways: Set up data gateways if you need to connect to on-premises data sources.
• Integration with Other Services: Plan for how Power BI will integrate with other services and platforms used by your organization.
• Auditing and Monitoring: Establish auditing and monitoring processes to track usage and performance.
• Adoption Tracking: Monitor Power BI's adoption inside your company and identify areas that need improvement.

For a comprehensive guide and best practices, visit Microsoft's Power BI implementation planning series that offers fundamental ideas, actions, decision-making criteria, and tactical advice. Remember that the adoption of Power BI depends mostly on meticulous preparation and alignment with your company’s objectives.

Ultimately, the way Power BI is integrated with Dynamics 365 Business Central marks major progress in data management and business analytics. This flexible substitute for conventional reports gives customers thorough dashboards and the capacity to drill into data for complete insights.

Organizations are enabled to make superior, data-driven decisions by means of capabilities such as customizable visualizations, the capacity to merge data from several enterprises, and the simplicity of embedding reports straight within Business Central. The flawless connection between Power BI and Business Central guarantees that companies can properly use their data, thereby improving strategic planning and optimizing operations. The synergy between these strong Microsoft products will surely evolve as we go forward, offering stronger answers for the ever-changing needs of contemporary businesses.

Are You Looking for a Power BI Consulting Partner?

Dynamics Square is a Microsoft Dynamics partner and has earned its reputation by consistently delivering smooth and successful Dynamics 365 implementation solutions. You can reach out to us for Microsoft Power BI implementation. Our Power BI consulting team is committed to driving innovation by delivering implementation within budget and deadlines. If you are looking for such services, then look no further than us.

Please feel free to contact us by phone at +1 281 899 0865 or by email at arish.siddiqui@dynamicssquare.com if you need any assistance. 

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