Microsoft Business Intelligence Tools for Excel Analysts Michael Alexander, Jared Decker, Bernard Wehbe
Publisher: Wiley

Oct 23, 2012 - With the recent launch of SQL Server 2012, Microsoft (MS) is placing even more emphasis on their suite of Business Intelligence tools and features such as the multidimensional capabilities of Analysis Services or static visualisations using Reporting Services. Apr 9, 2014 - In recent months, there has been a big push for self service business intelligence tools by Microsoft. The center of this universe is Microsoft Excel, a common application used by the typical data analyst. When we look at BI through the eyes of end-users as well as business analysts, we can see two different approaches centered on two different philosophies, roughly comparable to the differing philosophies of Apple and Microsoft. Sep 17, 2012 - Joe, a CPA and MBA, has developed technical Microsoft SQL, Reporting Services, Analysis Services, and PowerPivot skills over the last five years and is a valuable member of Slalom's BI Practice. It was working, but, it was painful. Jul 26, 2012 - I'd like to make a bold statement: In Excel 2013 you now have the only self-service end user BI tool you need. May 8, 2013 - Business Intelligence apps could meet the varying needs of corporate end-users more efficiently than the all-encompassing tools analysts require, and help make BI a core part of enterprise decision making. However, Microsoft's BI stack Microsoft Excel has traditionally been used to access multidimensional data and presented in tabular, pivot tables or the more recent PowerPivot product. Building on Excel as the foundation, we started by introducing new analysis capabilities such as the Timeline Slicer, calculated OLAP fields, Quick Explore, then extending existing capabilities such allowing Slicers directly on Excel tables. What if Microsoft built something really Back then, I was facing a particularly challenging data problem trying to divine useful intelligence out of millions of lines of cryptic website click data in the world's most ubiquitous analysis tool, Excel. Image @Szyl LLC – you can head over to http://www.microsoft.com/office/preview/ to join the preview (beta).