Is your data prepared for the shift to genAI?

As many of you know, Microsoft made Fabric generally available (GA) back in November 2023. This doesn’t affect you all too much as of today if you are using Power BI in your organization. However, it is good stay up-to-date on the upcoming changes that will be happening.

If you ask me, Power BI is not going away in the next five or even ten years, but we will begin to see a full transition into leveraging genAI with our data. If your organization is continuing to rely on Excel exports from your CRM or ERP and not choosing to leverage a transactional database, your organization will be left behind in this new wave of leveraging genAI with our data. By setting the foundation creating a transactional database, you set yourself up for the future. With this base, you can create a basic staging layer which lays the foundation for a datawarehouse. From there, it becomes much easier to migrate to Microsoft’s OneLake feature where we will be able to access our data in real-time without the need for scheduling refreshes.

What should you be doing today to prepare your data for the shift to genAI?

1. Use a transactional database today

   • This creates the foundation for a datawarehouse.

2. Create a list of defined metrics

   • You will want to test the results that AI produces. If you don’t have a baseline to test against, your business is at risk on reporting on false numbers

3. Lakehouse

   • It’s a much simpler lift and shift from a structured transactional database to a lakehouse than coming directly from the source systems

Power BI Premium Licensing Update

Does your org use Power BI Premium Capacity? Read below.

Highlights:

1. Microsoft is changing from Power BI Premium to Fabric Premium Licensing.

2. New customers will not be able to purchase Power BI Premium Capacity after July 1, 2024.

3. After January 1, 2025, Power BI Premium Capacity will be renewed into the Fabric Premium licensing.

4. Does not affect Power BI Pro and Power BI Premium Per User (PPU).

As many of you know, Microsoft made Fabric generally available (GA) in November 2023, so it is no surprise that four months later, they are changing the licensing. This is not meant to sound any alarms and changes as of today, but we have less then 9 months to prepare for the upcoming changes if your organization is using Power BI Premium Capacity.

If you are being impacted by this change from Power BI Premium Capacity to Fabric, click this link to prepare for the transition.

What is data storytelling?

“Creating a simple narrative is more effective than overwhelming your audience with content.”

The key components to data storytelling are

Narrative

A story that considers the people and process first and aims to simplify analytics

Data

Transforming complex data into visualizations is more of an art than a science

Visualizations

Choosing the right visual is vital to either overcomplicating or simplifying your data.

As a consultant that has been in the BI industry, often times, I see so many overwhelming reports. They’re either filled with too many visuals or it takes me ages to understand what the report is trying to tell me.

Creating a report is more of an art than a science. Executives who are key decision makers need to be able to quickly glean from your dashboards.

As developers, we often times get too excited to showcase this complex calculation, but in reality, our stakeholders likely won’t use that metric.

So what should you be doing?

1. Landing Page needs to be directional and general

Your landing page to your dashboard should be generalized and directional. Imagine a very busy CEO of your company opening your report. The CEO wants to known directionally if the business is doing well or not. If it isn’t, then where should the CEO be focusing? This leads you to your next step.

2. Begin deep diving into your data.

Put yourself in the CEO’s shoes. If your data is showing that your sales is decreasing month to month, where should the CEO look next? Is it possibly that sales cycle is too long? Are your average deal sizes decreasing? Begin to slice and dice that data like a Michelin-star chef.

3. Data dump

So you’ve create several tabs to your report and your stakeholder generally knows the health of the business. I always recommend that you create a tab at the end of the report where it’s a straight data dump. If it’s a sales report, I recommend creating a tab that has all the deals or leads and just give free reign to your stakeholder by using filters or slicers and allow an Excel export.

Still stuck on your data story? Contact us at info@allstonyale.com or call us at 832-600-0659.

Let your data be your super power.