Microsoft BI (MSBI)

Score7.4 out of 10

934 Reviews and Ratings

What is Microsoft BI (MSBI)?

Microsoft BI is a business intelligence product used for data analysis and generating reports on server-based data. It features unlimited data analysis capacity with its reporting engine, SQL Server Reporting Services alongside ETL, master data management, and data cleansing.

Categories & Use Cases

Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile
In-app dashboard reports and data visualization.
Category average: 7.9
Pixel Perfect reports
Pixel Perfect reports are highly-formatted reports with graphics and ability to preview the report before printing.
Category average: 8.2
Report Formatting Templates
Category average: 8.1

Responsive Design for Web Access
Web design aimed at producing easy-to-read sites across a range of different devices.
Category average: 7.9
Mobile Application
A dedicated app for iOS and/or Android.
Category average: 7.4
Customizable Platform (Open Source)
A customizable, open source API Gateway is a fast and scalable type of API
Category average: 7.7

Von Varun Pasan View profile

Sr. Account Manager in Human Resources at Pinnacle Technology (51-200 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

It was short tenure that i used on trial basis. I used for managing & tracking my client job openings, individual performance of my team member, tracking all the rejections. It really helps to maintain all data in real time where i was easily able to track about overcall our performance metrics to maintain the client score card ratio.

Pros

Data Management in real time where you can connect to other data sources very easily. I got 5 team member who were making their day-to-day excel sheet of their working activity and with the help of MSBI, I was able to merge all the data at single platform and was able to remove duplicate entries and to track repeated positions. It really helped to understand where we were lacking and where we need improvement on our performance.

Cons

As mentioned, i had a little used of it for a month only so i am not sure if i had any issue with MSBI.

Usability

Lakhan Suri View profile

SQL AND BI Developer in Information Technology at Carmen Solutions (51-200 employees employees)

Pros

Create packages to move data and perform different data related tasks using SSIS
Create reports to summarize the data in an understandable form using SSRS
Analyze the data provided by teams and create data cubes and reports to understand the data properly using SSAS.

Cons

It should be an open source tool for a vast variety of implementation.
You need to buy a licensed server to maintain MSBI
Need a proper course or content to learn concepts, which sometimes creates difficulty.

Alternatives Considered

Pentaho, WebSphere DataPower Gateway and Informatica Enterprise Data Integration

Other Software Used

Microsoft Office 2016, Pentaho, Skype for Business (formerly Lync)

Nilufa Hossain View profile

IT Specialist in Research & Development at Lamda I-TECH (11-50 employees employees)

Pros

Comparatively easy to use compared to other data analytics solutions, collaborating with other colleagues on data work is simple.
Using Visual Studio for database, ETL, reporting, and analytics development save time and money.
Transfer of data from one application to another via Excel and comparison of data attributes between applications
Dashboard functionality, as well as Python support, are available, allowing you to add additional charts and graphs.

Cons

Only the pro version allows me to complete most tasks, and there aren't many options for customizing the interface.
Browser-based, so some browsers won't work, and the price isn't as competitive.
It doesn't have as many visually appealing graphs and charts, and it's not as intuitive to use as some others, but we can get used to it.

Return on Investment

Profit increase due to MSBI output and a better understanding of multiple functions other than cost.
Data compatibility will be improved, and MSBI will have the opportunity to handle the API more effectively. The MSBI ETL stack works well with relational databases, but with cloud-based data sources emerging, non-relational data sources should be supported.
Save time interpreting data. Our analytics capabilities have helped our clients understand complex data with simple reports. Thus, it facilitated decision-making.

Alternatives Considered

Tableau Desktop, SAP BW/4HANA and Tableau Server

Other Software Used

Microsoft 365 Business Premium, SAP Crystal, Microsoft Azure, Azure DevOps Services (formerly VSTS)

Usability

Aononna Tazin View profile

Customer Relationship Management Specialist in Information Technology at Green Light Ltd (51-200 employees employees)

Pros

An end-to-end solution that connects multiple data sources and a single vendor is ideal.
Excellent tools for visualizing data. Using Visual Studio, I could develop database, ETL, reporting, and analytics projects all in one environment.
Easy to use compared to other data analytics solutions, with powerful analytical and trending tools and easy access to our data and views.

Cons

It has limited visual options, and Microsoft BI (MSBI) isn't the best for advanced modeling and analysis.
Excel proficiency is required before diving into PowerBI, and reshaping and reorganizing data is possible but not easy.
Additional training and tutorials for Microsoft BI (MSBI) would be helpful for organizations with a large number of users and better pricing options required.

Return on Investment

Profits increase due to a strategic change suggested by Microsoft BI (MSBI) output. Additionally, maintenance is straightforward.
Data harmonization and synchronization are two essential aspects of information technology. Save time interpreting data and easily integrate with Azure apps already in place.
Using our analytics capabilities, we have assisted our clients in better understanding complex data by providing them with simplified reports. So it streamlined decision-making.

Alternatives Considered

Oracle Analytics Server (formerly Oracle BI Foundation Suite), Pentaho and Tableau Server

Other Software Used

Azure DevOps Services (formerly VSTS), Skype for Business (formerly Lync), now part of Microsoft Teams, Microsoft Azure, Zoho CRM, Salesforce.com

Usability

Al Mubassir Muin View profile

Software Engineer in Information Technology at Prime Tech Solutions Ltd. (51-200 employees employees)

Use Cases and Deployment Scope

Microsoft Power BI is a beautiful and powerful data visualization tool that we use. It is a robust business analytics tool with excellent visualizations. Excel files, OneDrive, and third-party tools like SQL databases are all supported. We can use the Query revised feature to edit and transform our data, accessible anywhere. It makes it simple to import data from Excel or other sources. Many options are available for visuals, including custom visuals added to any report. With these data visualization charts, real-time automation is possible. For non-technical users, the Power BI desktop has the best part: it is simple to use. Basic visualizations can be created using a variety of drag-and-drop options. Microsoft Power BI has been fascinating to observe how visuals interact between pages.

Pros

Easy customization of workspaces for different project groups via a dashboard and a drag-and-drop interface.
Easy report generation and data attribute comparison across applications. Perfect for data-only devices.
Visual Studio integrates database, ETL, reporting, and analytics development. Large technical user community and rich tool feature set.

Cons

Costs are high compared to the competition, and it could be more user-friendly.
As a browser-based app, it doesn't have as many eye-catching charts and graphs as some others, and some browsers are better than others at running it.
Most of the tasks require a pro version, and proper training is necessary to use it, but you can learn how to use it.

Return on Investment

Increased data compatibility and presenting data to clients is much easier, which has helped with our reportings to the clients.
A better understanding of multiple functions aside from cost has significantly impacted quickly generating visualizations for our data.
The financial impact has been pleasantly surprising from using it, and Quicker report generation and data management tools are better in the long run than saving data on raw CSV.

Alternatives Considered

SAP BW/4HANA, Pentaho and SAP Access Control

Other Software Used

Excel4apps, SAP Crystal, Azure Bot Service (Microsoft Bot Framework), Microsoft 365 Business Premium, Tableau Desktop

Usability

Oracle Analytics

Spoom

Microsoft BI (MSBI)

What is Microsoft BI (MSBI)?

Categories & Use Cases

Key Features

Top Performing Features

Dashboard / Report / Visualization Interactivity on Mobile

Pixel Perfect reports

Report Formatting Templates

Areas for Improvement

Responsive Design for Web Access

Mobile Application

Customizable Platform (Open Source)

Reviews

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Use Cases and Deployment Scope

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Other Software Used

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