fbpx
Sherpa Digital News
How to Create Insightful Dashboards in Microsoft Power BI
How to Create Insightful Dashboards in Microsoft Power BI
By James Sharpe
How to Create Insightful Dashboards in Microsoft Power BI

Data visualization is a powerful tool for communicating complex data. It presents it in a simple, easily understandable format. But it is not enough to simply create a graph or chart and call it a day. To truly make use of information, it is important to create insightful reports. Reports that effectively communicate the story behind the data.

Insightful reports help decision-makers understand key trends and patterns. As well as identify areas of opportunity and make informed decisions. If analytics graphs and bar charts are only telling part of the story, it can lead people to wrong decisions.

Creating holistic and insightful reports requires the use of several data points. One tool that enables this is Microsoft Power BI.

What Is Microsoft Power BI?

Microsoft Power BI is a business intelligence tool. It allows you to connect many data sources to one dashboard. Using Power BI, you can easily model and visualize data holistically.

The platform has over 500 different data connectors. These connectors can tap into sources such as Salesforce, Excel, Azure, and more. Users can leverage pre-built report templates to save time in creating data-rich reporting. Teams can also collaborate and share dashboards virtually.

Microsoft Power BI
Image is from Microsoft

Tips for Designing Great Data Visualization Reports

Getting started in Microsoft Power BI entails:

  • Signing up for the software
  • Connecting your data sources
  • Using its tools to create report visualizations

But creating great reports goes beyond that. Below, we’ll go through several tips and best practices for getting the most out of your Power BI output.

Consider Your Audience

You should design reporting dashboards with the end user in mind. What is it that this audience wants to see? Are they looking for bottom-line sales numbers? Or do they want to cover insights that can help target productivity gaps?

The use of clear and concise language and effective visualizations are important. These help to highlight the key takeaways from the data. Customize reports to the audience’s level of technical expertise and business goals.

Don’t Overcomplicate Things

Many times, less is more. If you find that your dashboard looks crowded, you may be adding too many reports. The more you add, the more difficult it is to read the takeaways from the data.

Remove all but the most essential reports. Look for ways to include different data sets in a single report, such as using stacked bar charts. Dashboards should show important data at a glance, so do your best to avoid the need to scroll.

Try Out Different Chart Types

Experiment with presenting your data in different ways. Flip between bar, pie, and other types of charts to find the one that tells the story the best. When building a new dashboard for your organization, get some input. Ask those who will review the reports which chart type works best for them.

Get to Know Power Query

Power Query is a data preparation engine. It can save you a lot of time in developing insightful reports. This engine is used in Microsoft tools like Power BI and Excel.

Take time to learn how to leverage this tool for help with:

  • Connecting a wide range of data sources to the dashboard
  • Previewing data queries
  • Building intuitive queries over many data sources
  • Defining data size, variety, and velocity

Build Maps with Hints to Bing

Bing and Power BI integrate, allowing you to leverage default map coordinates. Use best practices to leverage the mapping power of Bing to improve your geo-coding.

For example, if you want to plot cities on a map, name your columns after the geographic designation. This helps Bing identify exactly what you’re looking for.

Tell People What They Are Looking At

A typical comment heard often when presenting executives with a new report is, “What am I looking at?” Tell your audience what the data means by using features like tooltips and text boxes to add context.

Just one or two sentences can save someone 5-10 minutes of trying to figure out why you gave them this report. That context can get them to a decision faster. It also helps avoid any confusion or misunderstandings about the data.

Use Emphasis Tricks

People usually read left to right and from top to bottom. So put your most important chart at the top, left corner. Follow, with the next most important reports.

If you have specific numbers that need to stand out, increase the font size or bold the text. This ensures that your audience understands the key takeaways.

Use can also use colors to emphasize things like a “High, Mid, Low.” For example, a low level of accidents could be green, a mid-level in yellow, and a high colored red. This provides more visual context to the data.

Need Help with Power Bi or Other Microsoft Products?

We can help you get started or improve your use of Microsoft 365, Power BI, and more. Give us a call today to schedule a chat about leveraging this powerful platform.


Featured Image Credit

This Article has been Republished with Permission from The Technology Press.

Send a quick message

Looking for help on your next project?  Send us a message for a no hassle chat.

Sherpa Digital are a leading Website Design and Management business in Melbourne.  We specialise in developing websites for small and medium sized businesses, as well as providing WordPress Maintenance plans and hosting, SEO, Email Marketing and Automation, as well as IT Services for Small and Medium Businesses.

What Our Clients Think

We are very fortunate to have formed excellent partnerships with many of our clients. Here’s what they’re saying about us.

Melanie PayetMelanie Payet
01:41 28 Feb 22
I cant thank James from Sherpa Digital for creating my business website. Not only does it look amazing, James service was 100% fantastic. If your looking for a professional website, look no further and give James a call, you wont be disappointed. Not only is James prompt to replying,he is an easy down to earth guy to work with.
Paula DunnPaula Dunn
01:25 11 Oct 21
There are many in the digital space who claim to be experienced, quality driven professionals, and then there are those who are truly professional, approachable and solution driven. My experience with Sherpa Digital is that of quality, perseverance and solutions that have been tailored to my needs. I highly recommend Sherpa Digital and will continue to use them for all of my digital development needs going forward.
Philippa YoungPhilippa Young
23:18 10 Oct 21
Working with James at Sherpa Digital has been a fantastic experience. Starting with a clear plan and quote, through to the final product it was a smooth and streamlined project. James was always available to discuss any questions, and nothing was too much trouble. James was professional, knowledgeable, flexible and solution focused. I would strongly recommend James for your website and IT needs.
Ness JollyNess Jolly
22:38 24 Jun 21
Thanks for your great work James.I have to say that your professionalism, punctuality and responsiveness to meet our needs is a breath of fresh air.
Elysia ElElysia El
01:18 11 Mar 21
If I could give James six stars I would. I needed some help on a tricky website over the Christmas break and he was helpful, friendly, supportive and responsive – he was happy to explain anything that I didn't understand well (in a non-geeky way). Beyond the knowledge and skills, his interpersonal skills and rapport is great.
js_loader

Call us today on 1300 868 174 for a quick and easy chat about your website or IT needs, or drop us a message through our online enquiry form