How to up your reporting game with Microsoft Dynamics 365 CRM & Power Apps
A lot of prospects that we talk to keep telling us: "We don't have any reporting. We want reports on our business."
But when we delve into it, it’s not very clear what they really want. A lot of the time, it’s simply that they want to somehow slice and dice their data to have a
better insight into what is going on inside and outside their organisation.
For those who are using Microsoft Dynamics 365 and Power Apps, there are many great options to deliver attractive and insightful information, all the way up to
the sophistication and cutting edge of Microsoft Power BI.
And it is true to say that very few companies ever need to get up to that level.
We thought it was a good time to go through the different levels of reporting to give some insight into the different capabilities available in the platform.
Views: System & Personal Views
Views are the windows through which we look into the data universe. In Dynamics 365 CRM and Power Apps, there are two types:
System Views: These are pre-defined views set up by the person that configured your system, offering a standardised way to present data across the organisation. It is essentially the default lens to look at your information.
Personal Views: These are customisable views which can be created by individuals to hone in on what they require to do their jobs, either at an individual or departmental level.
You are able to filter, sort, add or take away columns to fit your needs with the data all coming from the same sources.
Charts: System & Personal Charts
Being able to visualise data effectively is a hugely powerful tool for any organisation, giving people the chance to spot trends and see opportunities for growth
and efficiency.
System Charts: These are predefined visualisations (again, set-up when your system was configured), such as bar charts, pie charts, and line graphs that can be used across your company.
Personal Charts: Each individual user can create their own personal charts by selecting fields, setting criteria and building out the bespoke visualisations required for presentations, monthly reports etc.
Export to Excel
Any data view (system or personal) can easily be exported to Excel, giving users greater control and flexibility in building and interrogating data. It’s immediate and can bring
in up to 100,000 records, which is fabulous.
Excel Templates
Having exported a system or personal view to Excel, you can then add additional worksheets contain Excel reporting features such as pivot tables, charts and custom tables that you create.
Your final 'report workbook' can then be re-imported back into the system as an Excel Template. Thereafter, each time you export the template it includes that last data set, along with the
reporting items you added. System-wide Excel Templates can also be made by a system administrator.
Dashboards: Combining Charts & Views
Creating dashboards that blend both views and charts into a real-time mission control centre for your department or organisation definitely takes reporting up to
another level. These dashboards can also included embedded in Power BI reports.
Instead of a weekly or monthly view of the numbers, you are able to see exactly what is going at any time, both visually and into the actual details, allowing your
key people to navigate the data efficiently.
Power BI
Microsoft Power BI is the interactive data visualisation platform that fully focuses on business intelligence. It connects to Dynamics 365 CRM and Power Apps database (called Dataverse),
giving you full access to the data within the system.
Reports and dashboards can be created in Power BI Desktop and then uploaded into the Power BI online service, so that they can be accessed by the relevant people easily.
It is a very powerful tool that brings together all the key elements that we have already discussed and is often more than is needed for many organisations.
Summary
The key action is to define your requirements for providing reports to manage your organisation effectively and dynamically. The range and capabilities of the
Microsoft stack to deliver quality data in the best way for you is astonishing at times.
Solutions Shared can help you both define what you need and help build the reporting structure that will take your business forward.
Contact us here for a free consultation.
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About the Author
John Clark
Founder | Microsoft Dynamics 365 & Power Platform Consultant, Solutions Shared Ltd