We live in a data-driven world, which is why so many organisations rely on data to inform the decisions they make for the future. There are countless platforms that handle this task, but when it comes to transforming data into usable information, there are two heavy hitters. Power BI and Excel – both from Microsoft – offer different reporting tools to measure your organisation’s performance and environment. If you need to decide between Power BI or Excel, the question is: which one better suits your needs?
In this article, we’ll do a thorough breakdown of the two platforms and what each offers users.
As far as similarities go, Excel and Power BI are both used for data processing and analysis. However, each comes with its own range of tools and capabilities.
Power BI is a flexible data visualisation tool that allows users to build dashboards and create interactive reports from complex data. These dashboards are customisable, visually appealing and interactive, and easily understandable to users who may not have a background in statistical analysis.
At its core, Power BI is described as an Excel-like platform that can deal with rows of data well into the millions. However, Power BI’s tools, services, and business intelligence applications are business oriented. It’s this objective that makes it differ from Excel, which can be used for non-business purposes.
One of the advantages of Power BI over Excel is that it can retrieve data from a variety of sources. This includes online and local (on-premises) file shares, files in different formats, apps, and even Excel spreadsheets. One of the best features of Power BI is the live data refreshing. You can have the latest data imported to your dashboard and factored into existing graphs, ensuring the most up to date information is displayed. You can compare this data to historical information and make crucial decisions based off what you discover.
In contrast, Excel presents various built-in tools and functions for creating graphs and charts, as well as mathematical calculations, forecasting, and iterations. It understands and organises data to help users get a better picture of their environment.
If you grew up with computers, you’ve probably been using Excel for years (even if that’s just for its most basic functions). It has been a trusted, go-to data collection tool since it was released in 1985 and is actually one of the most widely used analysis tools on the market today. Adaptable for most industries, Excel is popular for its simplicity, power, and price point.
You’d recognise the layout from a mile away – picture that familiar spreadsheet that sorts data into rows and columns. If you’ve gone further than just simple calculations, Excel offers users tools to perform complex calculations and insert mathematical formulas easily. Like Power BI, it creates visual representations of this information in the form of graphs.
So, if that’s what each platform offers, what’s the real difference between the two? And how do you decide which option best suits your organisation’s needs?
For the purpose of business analytics, choosing between Power BI or Excel is a tough decision to make. Though Excel has history and familiarity on its side, Power BI is pretty straightforward to use – even if you’re new to data analysis. Both of these programs can do the job, but there are a few points to consider if you’re narrowing down to a single option.
Ultimately, Power BI’s edge over Excel is the level of complexity it offers organisations. It provides a wider range of tools to delve deep into high-level analytics, pointing out patterns and trends based on historical data and live updates. If collaboration is a key requirement for your organisation, Power BI is the better choice as Excel collaboration is only possible if your whole team is on the cloud.
Modern organisations know that in order to grow, you have to constantly assess where you’re at – and you do that by analysing data. At Propelle, we help our clients implement data analysis tools into their day-to-day operations, ensuring they’re able to take stock of their past and current data, and process it into information that informs their future.
Regardless of whether you’re opting for Power BI or Microsoft Excel, our consultants are here to help you find the solution that works best for your organisation. Get in touch with our team to discuss your options.
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