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Power BI for Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom

Power BI for Knowledge, Information, and Wisdom

Practical (down-to-earth) Data Presentation and Visualization

Using Power BI for Information, Knowledge, and Wisdom in a Practical Way

Ask me no questions and I’ll tell you no lies.  Sound familiar as from the distant past or as current as today, right now?  How about, let’s ask your data some questions and receive truthful answers.  So much data, so little time.  Can I really get from bits to bytes (of course), to data (of course), to information (of course), to knowledge (usually), to wisdom, that is, executing on actionable and measurable ideas with a reasonable probability of desired results (sometimes).  Let’s talk about using Power BI for information, knowledge, and wisdom: if you consume or even produce data, and who doesn’t, you must think about these things at least sometimes, no?

A Short Side Trip on the Old Information Superhighway
  • Information – Think of a balance sheet.
  • Knowledge – Answers are there in the balance sheet but what are the questions to ask that may be answered by the data?  What questions may the data NOT be able to answer?  What data does?
  • Wisdom – Consider personal experience, consulting with others, mentors, effecting considered change, monitoring data, implementing thoughtful change and repeat.

Now; think Applied Data Visualization — that can be the light to start the campfire, an aid to the cure, the proof in the pudding, an extension of your experience, and perhaps an enhancement to your intuition.  You get the picture.  You get the VISUALIZATION.

Power BI in the Real World – Simple Example

Let’s consider the following brief real world and current example of VISUALIZED and actionable data brought to you by SyncraTec Solutions and Microsoft Power BI.

Quigly Firm (QF) began using Microsoft CRM Online approximately two years ago.  QF agents were incentivized to complete three daily tasks each business day.  Completion of these daily tasks is recorded within CRM.  QF and its agents consistently maintain a nearly 98% completion rate of three daily tasks.  No problem there.  The feed of daily information on completion of tasks was via Excel, Word documents, telephone calls, paper documents, etc.  After some lively and productive discussion, it was decided by all parties that an immediate move to three sources of data feed would be implemented, A, B, and C.  Moreover, feeds A and B are to reduce in usage over time while feed C (a portal available via a browser, Google Android, or Apple iOS) is to increase in usage.  How are QF and its agents doing?

Adoption, that is, moving away from Feeds A / B, and to C was progressing as expected until December.  Why the drop in using Feed C and the increase in using Feed B?  This is where some research and correction is suggested.
(Dear reader, I have chosen to look at this differently than starting with KPIs — we all get those.  They are information; and instead think of it from the IKW (Information, Knowledge, Wisdom) perspective.  If this makes sense or not I would be pleased to hear your point of view.  Also, you know your data better than I do, and would be just as pleased to hear from you of any interesting, even exciting, examples using IKW and ways you would like to visualize and act upon your data.  Thank you for reading this and responding!

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