SharePoint Online for Business Intelligence and Analytics

SharePoint Online is a powerful collaboration and content management tool offered by Microsoft, which can also be leveraged for business intelligence and analytics. It provides a centralized platform for storing, sharing, and analyzing business data, making it easier for organizations to make informed decisions. In this blog post, we’ll explore how to use SharePoint Online for business intelligence and analytics.

Connect SharePoint Online to Data Sources

The first step in using SharePoint Online for business intelligence and analytics is to connect it to your data sources. SharePoint Online supports a wide range of data sources, including Excel spreadsheets, SQL Server databases, and cloud-based services like Microsoft Power BI. Once you’ve connected your data sources, you can create reports, dashboards, and other visualizations using SharePoint Online’s built-in tools.

Use SharePoint Online Lists for Data Management

SharePoint Online lists are a powerful tool for managing data in a structured way. You can use lists to store data from a variety of sources, including Excel spreadsheets, Access databases, and SharePoint forms. Lists also support customizable views, which make it easy to filter and sort data according to your needs.

Build Dashboards with SharePoint Online

SharePoint Online provides a powerful dashboard builder that allows you to create custom dashboards with charts, graphs, and other visualizations. You can use the dashboard builder to connect to your data sources and create interactive dashboards that provide insights into key business metrics.

Use SharePoint Online’s Built-in Analytics Tools

SharePoint Online comes with several built-in analytics tools that can help you make sense of your data. These tools include Power View, Power Pivot, and Power Query. Power View is a data visualization tool that allows you to create interactive charts, graphs, and other visualizations. Power Pivot is a data modeling tool that allows you to create sophisticated data models for your business data. Power Query is a data extraction and transformation tool that allows you to connect to and transform data from a variety of sources.

Leverage Third-Party Tools for Advanced Analytics

If you need more advanced analytics capabilities, you can leverage third-party tools that integrate with SharePoint Online. For example, Microsoft Power BI is a cloud-based business intelligence and analytics tool that integrates seamlessly with SharePoint Online. Power BI allows you to create interactive dashboards, reports, and other visualizations that provide insights into your business data.

SharePoint Online is a powerful tool that can be used for business intelligence and analytics. By connecting to your data sources, using SharePoint Online lists for data management, building dashboards with SharePoint Online, using its built-in analytics tools, and leveraging third-party tools for advanced analytics, you can gain valuable insights into your business data and make informed decisions.