Back

Take control of data with Excel's business analytics tools

Today businesses are required to understand a growing amount of company market and social data to drive effective business decisions and remain comp...

3 min read
Published on Apr 29, 2015
take-control-of-data-with-excels-business-analytics-tools

Today, businesses are required to understand a growing amount of company, market and social data to drive effective business decisions and remain competitive. This trend of analytics everywhere is driving a shift in the roles of business consumers, as the need for direct data access, ad-hoc analyses and in-depth reporting is growing beyond the capacity of their IT departments. Many specialized business intelligence and analytics solutions are entering the market to take advantage of this trend with most requiring installation of new data systems or new training of employees to learn new tools. But if you look closely—Excel—the Office productivity tool you already know and love, may already have the business analytics tools you need to empower you to drive the information analyses and data-driven decisions critical to your business.

Excel1

Building data models with drag-and-drop ease.

Starting with Office 2013, Excel comes with a suite of self-service analytics features that allow you to find, connect, shape, model and analyze your company data in intuitive ways. While the product has always been a powerful calculation device, today’s Excel comes with in-memory technology that allows it to support hundreds of millions of rows of business data with incredible performance—letting you do the necessary analysis without the need for using a database or waiting for IT to develop the models for you.

But like with most evolutions of a product, it can be hard to believe until you experience it for yourself. That is why we have provided innovative interactive tours that let you get a taste of each self-service analytics feature. In just one-click, these web-based tours put you in the driver’s seat of a demo without the need for installations or trial sign-ups. After taking the tours, the Excel for Business Analytics site provides you with the information you need to help get started using these features, whether you already have Excel 2013 or need to upgrade.

Check out all the tours available for you and start taking control of your data!


 

Get to all your data

Excel2

Power Query for Excel helps you discover and bring all your data together so you can start analyzing in seconds. Connect to data from public data, on-premises data sources, Hadoop datasets, streaming data and cloud services. Use search inside Excel to find data around you. Then freely shape and merge data from multiple sources so you can analyze all within Excel.

Create sophisticated data models

Excel3 After connecting to your data, use Power Pivot for Excel to put it all together in sophisticated data models. This used to be something that only the IT department could do, but now you have the power to create models on your own desktop. Use the visual canvas to identify the relationships between the data tables and simply draw relationships to build your model.

Analyze with stealth and power

Excel4

With Power Pivot for Excel, you can enhance your business data with custom calculated fields, hierarchies and KPIs to analyze in the way that makes most sense to your business needs. Best of all, still take advantage of familiar analysis tools, like Pivot Tables and Pivot Charts, but now with more power. Excel’s in-memory technology allows you to analyze hundreds of millions of rows of data.

Perform analysis across 3-D maps

Excel5

With Power Map for Excel, perform geospatial explorations of your data by taking advantage of any data with location to plot across 3-D maps. Interact and story tell with this captivating map tool to see your data in new perspectives and unlock deeper insights.


The post Take control of data with Excel’s business analytics tools appeared first on Office Blogs.

This post has matured and its content may no longer be relevant beyond historical reference. To see the most current information on a given topic, click on the associated category or tag.

Related Posts

Office 365 License Comparison: Business Plans Vs. E5, E3 and E1

GCC High Vs GCC for Protecting CUI with CMMC

Learn the key differences between GCC and GCC High for handling CUI under CMMC, DFARS, and NIST 800-171. Find out which cloud meets your compliance needs.

Mar 31, 2025
4 min read
Risks of not using a CMMC RPO

The Risks of Not Using a CMMC RPO for Compliance and Certification Readiness

A CMMC RPO helps organizations prepare for certification and avoid compliance failures. Learn why working with an RPO is essential for achieving CMMC compliance.

Mar 20, 2025
8 min read
CMMC 2.0 Require GCC High for Compliance

Does CMMC 2.0 Require GCC High for Compliance?

Does CMMC 2.0 require GCC High? Learn the cloud options for compliance, data security, and protecting CUI under NIST 800-171 and DFARS.

Mar 17, 2025
10 min read
Office 365 License Comparison: Business Plans Vs. E5, E3 and E1

CMMC RPO vs a C3PAO: Understanding Their Roles in Compliance

Understanding the difference between an RPO and a C3PAO is crucial for CMMC compliance. Learn why they should be separate and how an RPO helps prepare for certification.

Mar 15, 2025
6 min read
Can You Meet CMMC with Google Workspace?

Can You Meet CMMC with Google Workspace?

Is Google Workspace CMMC compliant? Learn about its DFARS, NIST 800-171, and ITAR limitations and how migrating to GCC High ensures full compliance.

Mar 4, 2025
7 min read
Is Maintaining a GCC High Tenant Worth It for Non-Government

Evaluating the Need for a GCC High Tenant in Non-Government Organizations

Explore whether maintaining a GCC High tenant is necessary for organizations not involved in government work. Understand the pros and cons, costs, and compliance considerations.

Feb 25, 2025
7 min read

Ready to Secure and Defend Your Data
So Your Business Can Thrive?

Fill out the form to see how we can protect your data and help your business grow.

Loading...
Secure. Defend. Thrive.

Let's start a conversation

Discover more about Agile IT's range of services by reaching out.

Don't want to wait for us to get back to you?

Schedule a Free Consultation

Location

Agile IT Headquarters
4660 La Jolla Village Drive #100
San Diego, CA 92122

Secure. Defend. Thrive.

Don't want to wait for us to get back to you?

Discover more about Agile IT's range of services by reaching out

Schedule a Free Consultation