Bringing Microsoft Power BI and Dynamics Together

According to one recent study, users around the world create about 328.77 million terabytes of new data daily. From a business perspective, hidden inside that data is the objective story of everything—from what is going on in the market around you to what your organization might look like in a decade if certain decisions are made today.

The issue is that so much data is being created that simply keeping up with it all can quickly become an uphill battle – to say nothing of how difficult it is to derive anything meaningful from it.

That, in essence, is what tools like Microsoft Power BI and Dynamics are all about.

Power BI is designed to help you visualize data in a way that makes it easy for virtually anyone to understand and integrate those visuals into a lot of the apps we already use and depend on. Dynamics 365 is a suite of intelligent business apps that take things one step further by adding predictive, AI-driven insights into the mix.

To put it more simply, Microsoft Power BI takes the data your business is creating daily to help give you a better understanding of where you currently are. Dynamics can then use that same insight to help take you where you want to be. This is why Putting the two together is a critical step. It’s also a process that requires you to keep a number of key things in mind.

Understanding Microsoft Power BI and Dynamics

First, it’s important to develop a detailed understanding of Microsoft Power BI and Dynamics and their capabilities.

Power BI was designed as a collection of resources that all work together as one. They bring seemingly unrelated data sources together, allowing you to see the “bigger picture” of your day-to-day operations in an immersive and interactive way. It doesn’t matter if your data is in an Excel spreadsheet, a cloud-based data warehouse, or elsewhere. Power BI helps you understand what is happening, allows important insights to rise to the top, and makes it all easy to understand and even easier to share with those who need it.

The Power BI Report Builder, for example, can create paginated reports from your data that can then be shared with other users within an enterprise. Those reports are then published to the Power BI Report Server, where people can use them for a wide range of different reasons. Someone in product development may need the specialized knowledge contained in those reports for project management purposes. A colleague in sales might use them to track sales quotas. So long as the information is accurate and readily available, it can be used in any way needed by anyone who requires it to do the best work they can.

As mentioned, Dynamics is a suite of applications that “helps you run your entire business” through predictive insights generated by artificial intelligence. To that end, there are several different Dynamics products to explore, including:

• Microsoft Dynamics 365 for Finance and Operations is an ERP and CRM SaaS offering designed for mid-sized and large organizations. It combines what were formerly two different products: Dynamics AX and Dynamics CRM.
• Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central, which used to be known as Microsoft Dynamics NAV, includes modules for financial and operations professionals, sales professionals, and marketing team members.
• Microsoft Dynamics 365 Sales is the main customer relationship management (CRM) offering in Dynamics.

Dynamics 365 includes 15+ applications, including ones for human resources, supply chain management, intelligent order management, project operations, and more.

Power BI is about understanding the present, while Dynamics helps you better predict the future. Above all else, both are resources dedicated to helping you make the right decision for the right situation at the right time, no matter what.

Benefits of Connecting Microsoft Power BI with Dynamics

Seamless Integration

One of the major benefits of connecting Microsoft Power BI with Dynamics is that it’s incredibly easy. By design, the two solutions are intended to work well together from the start. There is even a consistent user interface between Dynamics and Power BI, allowing them to essentially act as an extension of one another. You and your employees won’t have to spend time learning how to perform the same tasks in two different ways depending on which tool you’re using. You can spend less time learning the technology and more time putting it to good use.

Improved Decision Making

Once that connection has been made, your workforce will almost immediately begin to enjoy the inherent benefits of data visualization.

According to another recent study, about 65% of the general population is made up of visual learners. Not only do we understand even complex topics better when they’re presented to us visually as opposed to via text, but we also retain that information for longer periods of time. Visuals can help employees in all departments get on the same page regarding what is happening with the business, regardless of how fast things are moving.

Integrating Dynamics and Power BI also provides access to real-time data which is crucial if certain conditions like market characteristics or consumer buying patterns change rapidly (as they often do). You’ll know about changes immediately, putting you in a position to take proactive steps based on how this new insight aligns with your business goals.

Enhanced Reporting Capabilities

The integration of Power BI and Dynamics also allows you to use customizable reports and pre-built templates as-needed. Again, with the sheer volume of data being created, it’s unlikely that every piece of information is equally “relevant” or “valuable” to your operations. Much of it will be digital noise – this is precisely what data visualization helps you cut through, getting to the true (and important) story hidden underneath.

With customizable reports, you can highlight those metrics and that data that matters most to you. You don’t have to sift through “irrelevant ” insights just to find what you’re looking for.

Ultimately, integrating Dynamics and Power BI is all about freeing up as much of your valuable time as possible so that you can focus on what truly matters to you.

Increased Efficiency

Thanks to the capabilities of both tools, it’s now possible to automate those important (but time-consuming) menial tasks that used to eat up a significant part of your day. Even if something can’t be fully automated, processes can still be streamlined to become the most efficient versions of themselves possible. Plus, with the predictive AI-driven insights inherent in Dynamics, you can quickly identify trends, patterns, and consumer behaviors to capitalize on.

Scalability and Flexibility

When you bring Dynamics and Power BI together, you get a powerful platform that grows as your business does. You don’t have to worry about “outgrowing” your system or suddenly dealing with unpredictable and often exorbitant upgrade costs if you’re scaling too fast for your technology to keep up with. Dynamics is a solution designed to always adapt to your changing needs, regardless of what those needs happen to be.

Advantages of Connecting Microsoft Power BI with Dynamics

In addition to benefits like real-time data access and advanced analytics as described above, connecting Microsoft Power BI with Dynamics also puts you in a position to take advantage of elements like the following:

• Increased Data Accuracy. Bringing all of your various data sources together as one not only helps to reduce the possibility of human error by reducing the amount of manual data entry required, it also virtually eliminates data duplication as well.
• Customizable Dashboards. Microsoft Power BI and Dynamics allow you to create customizable dashboards for your entire business, specific departments, or even down to the employee level.
• Secure Data Sharing. When everything is consolidated under essentially the same platform, information can be shared easily and securely in a way that virtually guarantees it will never fall into the wrong hands.

Caveats When Connecting Microsoft Power BI with Dynamics

Having said all that, here are several critical things to be aware of when integrating Microsoft Power BI with Dynamics.

• Data Overload. The volume of data that your business is working with will only grow as your business does the same. Without proper data management practices in place, you could suffer from information overload – essentially putting you right back where you started in terms of being unable to derive valuable insights from your information.
• Training and Skill Requirements. For the best results, all employees must embrace Power BI and Dynamics. Encourage teams to learn the new software and tools and integrate them properly into their existing workflows.
• Possible Integration Issues. If your business relies on older, off-the-shelf business apps, you are more likely to encounter technical and software compatibility problems.
• Cost. You’ll need to adequately budget for the software’s cost, the aforementioned training to get users up to speed, and any possible maintenance that might be required in the future.
• Choosing a Vendor. Don’t just choose a partner that can make the Power BI and Dynamics connection in a technical sense and then expects to play no ongoing role in your business. Choose someone who will be there to offer continued support as needed. Any vendor you partner with should be as invested in your ongoing success as you are.

Benefits of Connecting Microsoft Power BI with Dynamics

Proper Planning and Preparation

For the best results, proper planning and preparation are always important before combining Microsoft Power BI and Dynamics. The process is easy, yes, but it’s not as simple as flipping a proverbial light switch.
You need to start by identifying your business needs for this connection. What will you be able to do after it that you can’t do right now? Likewise, look at your business goals. What will this help you accomplish? Plan your integration strategy around the answers to questions like those.

User Training

Be prepared to invest in user training and education to help people fully utilize the tools from the start. At a minimum, people should be trained well in advance of the launch date so they understand what is happening, why it’s important, and how it will make their lives easier.

Regular Maintenance and Updates

It’s always important to keep both Microsoft Power BI and Dynamics up to date to maximize the benefits. If you fail to regularly update your software, at best, you’re missing out on new features and performance enhancements that would only increase your return on investment.
At worst, you’re exposing your entire organization to unhatched security vulnerabilities and other issues that could quickly turn into a cybersecurity nightmare.

Implementing Data Governance

Finally, always implement data governance to properly manage not only the availability of your data, but also its usability, integrity, and security both during and after the connection. The four pillars of data governance include:

• Data quality. Steps must be taken to ensure that data is accurate, complete, and consistent.
• Data stewardship. People, especially in leadership roles, need to take ownership and accountability over the management and maintenance of data.
• Data protection and compliance. Sensitive data must be proactively protected against unauthorized access, misuse, and breaches.
• Data management. Data should be effectively managed throughout its lifecycle, from creation to deletion.

Ready to learn more about the benefits of connecting Microsoft Power BI with Dynamics? Contact IT Solutions today to discover how we can help you implement and manage these tools to drive your team’s success. If you’re a client and would like to discuss this further, please reach out to your Strategic Advisor.