Getting Started
Ghiasi suggests that channel pros interested in Power BI help customers with a simple, easy project, like using the free desktop version to visualize and report on local Excel information. Excel is familiar, and Power BI is easier on large sheets than Excel's tools, he says. "The low-hanging fruit of pulling Excel data for reports and visuals is a great place to start."
O'Connor recommends putting together a proof of concept for clients, “including two or three reports and a dashboard." You must first learn the customer’s data model, usually meaning the cloud, but can then give honest feedback on what they can and cannot do.
Another way to get started is to "help a client get better visuals out of an ERP with poor reporting," West says.
West believes the best route to success, however, is getting someone who understands the business part of BI to work with the client. If your company doesn’t have a CTO or CIO, that may mean its owner. "Start getting familiar with Power BI, and clients will think it's magic."
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About the Author
JAMES E. GASKIN is a ChannelPro contributing editor and former reseller based in Dallas.