Reliable numbers at period end
Power BI reads directly from the data source/s so you can be sure that the numbers are correct. It is always wise to control check and reconcile, and if you notice anything that doesn’t make sense there are usually two scenarios:
- A transaction has been incorrectly booked in a source system (need to brush up procedures)
- There is something in the logic of the report that needs updating (need to polish the model)
Otherwise, period end becomes much simpler as all relevant data are pulled into reliable reports and refreshed at the click of a button.
Version control
The beauty is the typical human errors are avoided when you are helping yourself to information through Power BI reports. Nothing is forgotten, deleted by mistake, formulas are not broken, there is no security risk by having to send manual reports around on email, and there is no confusion over version control, ie who on earth has the latest spreadsheet.
With Power BI everyone looks at the same version of the truth and can query the same data at the same time.
How to use Power BI
Most of the heavy lifting when it comes to designing reports can be done in Power BI desktop which you can download for free. Once built you can upload the reports to the cloud for sharing either into Power BI service (powerbi.com) or into our platform Uniifire.no
Uniifire has Power BI embedded and has been set up with a full infrastructure around it. That makes it very easy to connect to data sources, run jobs, manage users, manage data, roles, security, access & sharing.
When to use Excel?
Excel is great for ad hoc analysis, as you can do anything you want. It is much easier to mash data up in excel than it is in Power BI, but for your regular reporting Power BI is a professional, secure and elegant way of getting quickly to goal on a regular basis. You know when reading a Power BI dashboard or report that the data has been cleansed, normalised, transformed and consistently applied to the underlying formulas.
How to get to the data and how can Mantle help?
Data can be connected to or imported and utilised in Power BI in many ways depending on the source and the objective.
It can be challenging and time consuming to set up and manage the data pipelines, particularly as the source systems (especially if they are cloud based) have regularly changing endpoints. In other words what works today might not work tomorrow!
It can be complicated to combine data sources and create all the relevant relationships and build a robust data model if you are not familiar with working with data.
This is where we come in at Mantle, working with slippery & invisible data is our lifeblood! We have a range of prebuilt connectors (integrations) in our library, and are constantly adding more.
We also look at each case to decide on the most effective way of extracting, refining & loading data from all relevant systems. They can be financial, operational or open source to create a workable solution for our clients. We bend and shape the data so that you can get instant access to business critical information without stressing about the backend stuff.
Data is the way forward
Data is getting bigger, more spread out and therefore more complex to harness, yet it helps us understand and improve our business so that we can reduce time, money and stress. Waste in business is a killer, it sucks on resources, reduces motivation and affects the bottom line.
Alternatively with a clear view, business decisions become more data driven and it is easier to assess the business position, performance and prospects in the short – medium & long term. When users get to take a good look at the data it improves planning for the future and helps business leaders create the right business strategies.
The role of accountants
The role is to help businesses get their hands on the information they need. Whether that be by creating the data models and dashboards with/ for your clients, or analysing the data and helping them interpret the results.
Accountants have a strong role to play in digital transformation to ensure the leaders you serve have the best chance of building a sturdy and sustainable business.
Need some advice?
Call us if you want a chat around opportunities in drawing value from data. We are here to support our clients (accountants or end users) with either access to data through prebuilt pipelines, or a whole white glove service where we help you manage everything from A to Z all depending on what expertise you already have inhouse. We are a team of developers / systems people with accounting & business backgrounds so can understand and advice on how to manage the data to the best effect.
Dashboard examples
Below you can see a few pictures from our standard dashboards generated with 24SevenOffice as the data source. We also have prebuilt pipelines to PowerOffice Go, Tripletex, Visma.net, Xero, Hubspot, Tidsbanken and many other sources.
Sales/Customers
Sales influences
Hours/flexibank
Contact us for more information on how this can look for you.
info@mantleanalytics.com
