Dashpivot article – Power BI has excel integration

Power BI has excel integration

Why would you import into Power BI directly from excel?

Many businesses store their data in Excel spreadsheets because of its user-friendly interface and versatility. Importing directly from Excel to Power BI allows users to leverage their existing datasets without the need to convert or reformat them.

Power BI offers advanced analytics capabilities that are not available in Excel. These include complex data modelling, large-scale data visualisation, and the use of sophisticated algorithms for predictive analytics. By importing data from Excel, users can apply these advanced analytics to their familiar datasets.

While Excel provides basic charting and graphing tools, Power BI excels in creating interactive and highly customisable visualisations. Importing data into Power BI enables users to transform their Excel data into more dynamic and compelling visual reports.

By importing Excel data into Power BI, users can combine it with data from other sources like SQL databases, web services, and cloud-based data. This integration provides a more holistic view of the data and supports more comprehensive analytics.

When Excel data is imported into Power BI, it can be set up to refresh automatically, ensuring that reports and dashboards always reflect the most current data.

Power BI is more adept at handling large datasets than Excel. Importing data into Power BI is beneficial for scaling up analytics as business data grows. Power BI can efficiently process and analyse large volumes of data without the performance issues that can occur with large Excel files.

Different ways to import your Excel data into Power BI

There are several different ways to get your Excel data into Power BI, depending on what tools and software you're already using, and each have pros and cons.

Direct Import Method
- Open Power BI Desktop and select "Get Data" from the Home tab.
- Choose "Excel" from the list of data sources.
- Browse and select your Excel file. Power BI will then show the Navigator window.
- Select the sheets or tables you want to import.
- Click "Load" to import the data directly into Power BI, or "Transform Data" to modify the data in the Power Query Editor before loading.
Excel Data Model Integration
- If you have a Data Model built in Excel (especially with complex relationships), you can import this directly into Power BI.
- Follow the Direct Import Method, but ensure you select the data model tables.
- This method keeps the relationships and calculations defined in the Excel Data Model.
Publishing to Power BI from Excel
- In Excel, after preparing your data, go to the "File" tab.
- Choose "Publish" and then select "Upload to Power BI".
- Choose the workspace in Power BI where you want to publish your data.
- Open Power BI Service, and you’ll find your dataset there. You can create reports directly in Power BI Service based on this dataset.
Connecting to Excel Files in the Cloud (OneDrive or SharePoint)
- Store your Excel file on OneDrive for Business or SharePoint Online.
- In Power BI Desktop, select "Get Data" and choose "Web".
- Enter the URL of the Excel file. Power BI connects to the file as a web source.
- This method allows for more dynamic updating, as changes made to the Excel file in OneDrive or SharePoint are reflected in Power BI.
Using Excel as a Data Source in Power BI Service
- In Power BI Service, select "Get Data".
- Choose "Files" as the source and then select your Excel file from your local drive, OneDrive, or SharePoint.
- This method is more about using Power BI Service directly rather than Power BI Desktop.
Scheduled Refresh
- For Excel files stored on OneDrive or SharePoint, you can set up a Scheduled Refresh in Power BI.
- This ensures that your Power BI reports stay up to date with the latest changes in the Excel file.

Are there drawbacks to using Excel with Power BI?

Integrating Excel with Power BI, while advantageous for its familiarity and ease of use, presents several drawbacks that can impact the efficiency and effectiveness of data analysis.

One of the primary challenges is scalability as business spreadsheets can sometimes get very, very big. Excel is not inherently designed to handle very large datasets or complex data models. When these Excel files are used as a data source for Power BI, the limitations in handling large volumes of data can lead to performance issues. Power BI is capable of processing and analysing large datasets with higher efficiency, but its performance can be hindered if the underlying Excel file is bulky or overly complex. This situation often results in slower report generation and can impact the responsiveness of dashboards within Power BI.

Another significant concern is data integrity and accuracy as excel doesn't really have data validation or required fields. Excel files are susceptible to human errors, including accidental data entry mistakes, incorrect formula applications, or even file corruption. These issues can critically compromise the accuracy of the data being imported into Power BI. Excel lacks the advanced data validation and integrity checks found in more robust database systems, making the data more vulnerable to inaccuracies and inconsistencies.

The issue of real-time data updates also poses a challenge if you need access to data as up-to-date as possible. Excel does not support real-time data updates inherently, needing manual refreshes in Power BI to update reports and dashboards with the latest data. For businesses that depend on real-time analytics for quick decision-making, this lag can be a considerable disadvantage.

Collaboration and version control in Excel present hurdles when you're working on files together with your team. When Excel files are used as a source for Power BI and are simultaneously being edited by multiple users, it can lead to version control complexities. Conflicting edits and inconsistent data versions can result in inaccurate reporting in Power BI, thereby hindering effective data analysis and decision-making.

Security and access control in Excel are a limitation of spreadsheets. Excel files, when shared among various users, can pose significant risks in terms of data security. Managing access to sensitive information and ensuring data security in Excel is challenging, and there's always a risk of unauthorised access or data breaches.

Alternatives to using Excel for the Construction Industry

Construction Management Software:
- Dashpivot: The Dashpivot platform is a set of powerful and flexible building blocks which enable you to capture, store, automate and analyse any information in the way that you want. Integrate with Power BI with the Flowsite Power BI integration.
Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) Systems:
- SAP for Construction: Tailored for construction projects, it helps in managing finances, project portfolios, and supply chains effectively.
- Oracle Construction and Engineering: Provides solutions for project management, risk analysis, and process efficiency.
Project Management Tools:
- Trello or Asana: These tools are great for task management and collaboration, though they may lack some industry-specific features.
- Microsoft Project: Offers robust project management features, and integrates well with other Microsoft products, making it a strong alternative to Excel.
Database Management Systems:
- Microsoft SQL Server: For handling large datasets efficiently, SQL databases can store and manage vast amounts of data more effectively than Excel.
- MySQL or PostgreSQL: Open-source database systems that are widely used for managing large datasets and are known for their reliability and performance.
Collaboration and Document Management:
- SharePoint: Offers document management and collaboration tools, which are essential in construction projects involving multiple stakeholders.
- Google Workspace (formerly G Suite): Includes tools like Google Sheets, which offer real-time collaboration and cloud storage, albeit with less advanced features than Excel.
Customised Software Solutions:
- Custom Software Development: Sometimes, the specific needs of a construction project can best be met through custom software solutions designed to cater to the unique challenges and requirements of the project.
Cloud-Based Analytics and BI Tools:
- Tableau or Qlik Sense: These tools provide advanced data visualisation and business intelligence capabilities, suitable for complex data analysis needs in construction projects.
Financial Management Tools:
- QuickBooks: Widely used for financial tracking and accounting, offering construction-specific features for budgeting and cost tracking.

Each of these alternatives has its strengths and is suitable for different aspects of construction management. The choice depends on the specific requirements of the project, such as the scale of operations, the complexity of tasks, budget constraints, and the level of collaboration needed among team members and other stakeholders.

See how you could run a site diary app via Dashpivot below, and then automatically import to Power BI with Flowsite.

Preview the full example

Use this diary template and integrate into PowerBI rather than using Excel

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Use digital forms and reports instead of Excel spreadsheets

Excel spreadsheets have their uses, but have important limitations for security, collaboration and functionality beyond the Microsoft and Google ecosystems.

Use a fully digital site diary template, progress report, change orders and more to make it easy for your team to complete forms on site via mobile or tablet and have it immediately in a format that can pass straight to Power BI.

The templates come pre-built with all the fields and sections you need to capture information in the right format, with required fields and sections for signatures as well.

Automatically import your data into Power BI rather than manually

Save time and reduce errors by using the Flowsite PowerBI integration to automate the process of getting your construction data into Power BI.

Flowsite integrates directly with Dashpivot and all of the pre-built forms and reports in the library, or your own customised forms, so you can be confident that your processes are designed with Power BI in mind.

Create automated runs so when specific forms and reports are submitted, they go straight to Power BI in almost real time.

Once all your data is in Power BI, you can create your dashboards, reports and visualisations to help your projects run smoother and more efficiently.

Site diary template

Complete and organise your daily diaries more efficiently.

Construction Change Order template

Manage change order completion and approval automation with this smart template.

Delay Analysis Report template

Detail those site delay events with this flexible template.

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About Nick Chernih

Nick is the Senior Marketing Manager at Sitemate. He wants more people in the Built World to see the potential of doing things a different way - just because things are done one way doesn't mean it's the best way for you.

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