We compare the leading business intelligence systems in our daily use.
Our client: “All that data drives me crazy!”Our reply: “Let’s look at software options that might help you.”
We have used data analytics tools and provided business intelligence for numerous clients for more than 15 years. We do that independently of any vendor. In this five-post series we will share our accumulated experience and advice.
Let’s start by looking at how users usually take one of three approaches to choosing a data analytics tool.
First approach: Digging deep
First, extensive research. Prospective buyers scan vendors ranging from “A” like Alibaba Cloud to “Z” like Zoho. They
- Cost
- User experience
- Accessibility of experts
- Availability of tutorials
- Activity of communities
Second approach: Looking for leaders
A second approach is to outsource the research. Buyers resort to consulting firms and their market reports. One of these is Gartner’s “Magic Quadrant for Analytics and Business Intelligence Platforms”.
It places vendors on a grid with four quadrants. The top right-hand quadrant depicts “Leaders” who combine powerful products for today with an innovative vision for tomorrow. Since 2016, three such Leaders have been dominant:
- Microsoft’s Power BI
- Salesforce’s Tableau
- Qlik
Though 2024 brought new competitors, Microsoft’s Power BI has consistently outperformed the market according to Gartner. That leads many buyers into Microsoft’s arms without further thought.
Third approach: Choosing convenience
A final approach is to go by market dominance and simple convenience – and that also leads into Microsoft’s direction.
For one thing, the Pro version of Power BI is already included in Microsoft 365 E5, the company’s productivity platform for enterprises.
Also, Microsoft’s huge software portfolio allows users to seamlessly integrate Power BI into other applications and strategic decisions. So, the convenient choice is often Power BI.
Pause for thought: What tool works best in practice?
To be sure, Power BI is a great tool. But we think it is worth taking a step back. So, we will present our own practical experience with Gartner’s three Leaders.
Our projects with different clients have shown us: Qlik, Tableau, and Power BI all have their relative strengths. Presenting those in three separate posts will hopefully help you decide what works best for you.
