When data finally becomes decisions
Microsoft Power BI is the business intelligence platform from Microsoft - a cloud-based service for data visualisation, reporting and analysis that turns raw data into interactive dashboards, precise KPIs and decision-relevant insights. Companies of all sizes use Power BI to bring together data from ERP systems, CRM platforms, databases, Excel files and external sources and visualise it in a standardised interface.
Power BI is part of the Microsoft ecosystem and is deeply integrated into Dynamics 365, Microsoft Fabric, Azure, Excel and Teams. If you already rely on Microsoft technologies, Power BI is the BI layer that holds this ecosystem together: Financial data from Dynamics 365 Finance, supply chain metrics from Supply Chain, customer data from CRM and operational metrics from ERP flow together in a single report, up-to-date, consistent and accessible to everyone in the organisation.
Today, Power BI is far more than just a tool for IT departments or BI specialists. Copilot is firmly integrated into Power BI: It creates initial reports from voice input, explains data patterns in natural language, answers questions directly on the dashboard and generates summaries for management reports. Departments that previously had to wait for IT resources can now explore data independently and create reports themselves - without any prior technical knowledge.
With the introduction of Microsoft Fabric, Power BI is no longer just a stand-alone BI tool, but the visualisation and analysis layer of a complete data platform. In direct-lake mode, Power BI accesses OneLake data directly, without importing or redundant data storage. This makes reports faster, the database more consistent and the maintenance of semantic models much easier. Anyone introducing Power BI today is building on a foundation that grows with the company and its data strategy.
Power BI shows what the database has to offer. If you want clean, consistent and up-to-date reports, you need more than just a good front end - you need a well thought-out data architecture behind it. collana develops Power BI solutions from semantic modelling and data integration to company-wide BI architecture: based on Microsoft Fabric, the Azure Data Stack or directly from Dynamics 365.
Power BI provides managers with consolidated KPIs, real-time financial figures and operational dashboards that summarise decisions on a single page. Instead of monthly Excel reports with outdated data, sales, margin, inventory turnover and customer development are available at any time. collana develops management dashboards that are based on Dynamics 365 Finance, Supply Chain or Business Central and provide exactly the key figures that are decisive for the respective company management.
Relevant for: All industries, especially Wholesale & Foreign Trade, Production & Manufacturing, Healthcare, NPOs & associations
Sales by channel, region and product, campaign performance, customer segmentation and sales forecasts can be prepared in Power BI so that sales and marketing teams can analyse independently. collana has developed a Power BI-based marketing data stack for jpc that combines campaign control and product range management for millions of items on one dashboard.
Relevant for: E-Commerce, Wholesale & Foreign Trade, Food industry, Production & Manufacturing
Power BI connects directly to Dynamics 365 Finance and provides role-based financial reports for CFOs, controllers and specialist departments: Budget comparisons, variance analyses, liquidity ratios and group consolidations in an interactive interface. Monthly financial statements, which were previously compiled manually in Excel, are created automatically and are immediately available for all relevant roles.
Delivery performance, inventory turnover, production capacity utilisation and quality indicators become real-time in Power BI. collana develops supply chain dashboards that use Dynamics 365 Supply Chain Management and Business Central as data sources and support operational decisions on the shop floor as well as strategic supply chain plans in management.
For companies with multiple locations, companies or countries, Power BI offers consolidated analyses in one view - with standardised definitions, consistent currency conversions and role-based access. collana has developed an international BI platform for Beckhoff Automation based on Power BI and Microsoft Fabric, which centralises key figures from several countries and business units.
Relevant for: Production & Manufacturing, Wholesale & Foreign Trade, process industry, Healthcare, E-Commerce
Power BI enables departments to explore data independently and create reports themselves - without an IT ticket and without waiting. collana defines the framework: semantic models that ensure that everyone in the company works with the same definitions and the same figures, while departments have the freedom to create their own analyses.
Relevant for: All industries, especially mid-sized companies looking to build BI capabilities
Not because they have smarter people. But because their data is finally visible. Those who introduce Microsoft Power BI do not gain new software for the BI department, but a tool that allows managers, controllers, sales and operational teams to work with the same figures - up-to-date, consistent and interactive. The following companies have taken this step with collana and show what is possible.
In many companies, Excel is the secret centrepiece of reporting. Every month, data is exported from ERP, CRM and other systems, collated into tables, formatted and sent to managers. This takes time, generates errors and delivers figures that are already out of date by the time they are sent out. The question is not whether Excel should be replaced by Power BI, but when.
A Power BI implementation does not start with the tool, but with the database. collana analyses which data is located where, how it is connected and which semantic models need to be created so that everyone in the company works with the same definitions. Then comes the implementation: data connections, semantic models, role-based dashboards and reports that show exactly what is relevant for decision-making.
For companies already using Dynamics 365 Finance, Supply Chain or Business Central, Power BI is the natural next step: the ERP data is already structured, the Microsoft connection is native and reports are created without the need for time-consuming integration work. For companies building a BI platform for the first time, Power BI on a fabric basis offers the most direct route to a modern, AI-enabled data architecture.
A Power BI implementation is only as good as the database on which it is built. A nice dashboard over bad data is not progress. What is needed is a partner who not only knows Power BI, but also understands how company data is really created - in which system, with which quality and in which context. This is precisely the approach that collana takes when supporting companies in the introduction and further development of Microsoft Power BI.
collana is a six-time certified Microsoft Solutions Partner and fulfils the requirements in several areas of expertise: Business Applications, Data & AI, Digital & App Innovation, Infrastructure, Security and Modern Work. These certifications are not an end in themselves. They prove that we not only know the Microsoft platform, but that we have mastered it at enterprise level and are continuously developing it further.
What distinguishes collana from a pure tool implementer is our understanding of what numbers mean in a company - and what happens if they are not correct. Whether it's an international BI platform for a production company, marketing analyses for a music distributor or controlling reporting for an economic research institute: we know the requirements, the typical data quality problems and the points at which generic BI solutions reach their limits. b-imtec, the specialised BI team within the collana Group, brings over 40 years of combined experience in business intelligence and data analytics to the table.
collana not only supports companies right up to the first dashboard. The aim is a long-term partnership: from the initial data strategy analysis, semantic modelling and implementation through to ongoing operation and continuous further development of the BI platform. More than 1,000 customers in Germany, Switzerland and other European markets rely on this collaboration.
Not every company needs a complete BI platform straight away. collana offers targeted introductory formats that quickly create clarity and deliver concrete added value without a great deal of upfront commitment. The Data Intelligence Workshop quickly shows which data is available, which analyses are possible and what concrete next step Power BI means for the respective company.
Microsoft Power BI is a cloud-based business intelligence platform that transforms data from various sources into interactive dashboards, reports and AI-supported analyses. Companies use Power BI for management reporting, financial and controlling analyses, sales and marketing analyses, supply chain KPIs and operational dashboards on the shop floor. Power BI is part of the Microsoft ecosystem and is deeply integrated into Dynamics 365, Microsoft Fabric, Azure, Teams and Excel.
Power BI is available in several licence models. Power BI Desktop can be downloaded free of charge and used locally. Power BI Pro costs per user per month and allows reports to be shared in the cloud. Power BI Premium per user offers extended functions such as AI-supported analyses and paginated reports. For company-wide use, there are Fabric Capacity models that make Power BI accessible to all users without individual licensing. New prices for Pro and Premium licences have been in place since April 2025. collana advises on the selection of the optimum licence model for the respective company profile.
Power BI is the visualisation and analysis layer of Microsoft Fabric. Fabric is the higher-level data platform that combines data engineering, data warehousing, data science, real-time analyses and Power BI in a single SaaS environment. If you only use Power BI, you work with the reporting front end. Those who use Fabric give Power BI a much stronger, more consistent and lower-maintenance database in OneLake storage. For many companies, Power BI is the entry point and Microsoft Fabric is the strategic next step.
Both are leading BI platforms, but take different approaches. Tableau is known for its depth of visualisation and is often used in data-intensive, analytical environments. Power BI scores with its deep integration into the Microsoft ecosystem, the significantly lower licence costs and the native connection to Dynamics 365, Azure and Microsoft 365. For companies that already rely on Microsoft, Power BI is usually the economically and strategically stronger choice.
This depends on the scope and database. An initial productive dashboard for a clearly defined use case, for example sales reporting based on Dynamics 365, can be implemented in just a few weeks. A company-wide BI platform with multiple semantic models, data sources and roles takes correspondingly longer and requires careful data architecture in advance. collana starts many projects with a data intelligence workshop, which quickly creates a solid foundation for further implementation.
Yes, Power BI has native connectors for SAP HANA, SAP BW and SAP Business Warehouse as well as for Oracle, Salesforce, Google Analytics, Snowflake and many other systems. Data from non-Microsoft sources can be loaded directly into Power BI or made available as a shared database via Microsoft Fabric and the Azure Data Stack. collana develops data integration architectures that connect Power BI with any source system - clean, maintainable and scalable.
Power BI is explicitly designed for companies of all sizes and is one of the most widely used BI platforms in the SME sector. The licence model is flexible: small teams start with Power BI Pro, while larger companies switch to capacity models as usage grows. Integration with Microsoft 365 and Dynamics 365 makes Power BI the direct next step for companies that already rely on Microsoft without the need for new infrastructure.