Plugs into existing tech works well
Use Cases and Deployment Scope
I work at an architecture firm, and we use Microsoft Power BI for a range of uses, both internal-facing and external-facing. We have typical accounting data, project management data and marketing data - these get visualized for consumption using standardized dashboards. But we also have standard dashboards for staff skill metrics and analytics for our large (BIM) building models. Our final use case is for design studies, showing clients how different design options compare in terms of performance and cost.
Pros
- Drag and drop widgets that cross-interact
- Data ETL allows loading and cleaning of data from a variety of sources
- Keeping complex processes and large quantities of data tidy
Cons
- Text string length is capped during import, but it isn't well documented
- The UI can be very complex for new users
- Sharing content with people outside of your organization can be very difficult
Return on Investment
- Real-time reporting of BIM metrics helps teams make smarter, cleaner models and reduces time spent debugging or cleaning the models later
- Being able to do complex data visualization and analysis for clients has directly translated into new kinds of work and new projects. Tasks like spatial inventories and audits are now part of our service offerings.
- We've been able to see the information that was already stored in our systems in one place, visually. This has helped us de-silo and use that data to inform firm operations. Hiring and staffing in particular have benefitted from dashboards that show gaps in staff members' skills.
