The presentation introduced self-service business intelligence (BI) using PowerPivot. It discussed traditional BI delivery methods versus self-service options and demonstrated PowerPivot functionality, including loading large datasets, relationships, calculations, and visualizations. It explained how PowerPivot integrates with SharePoint to enable collaborative analysis across the enterprise. Upcoming enhancements in the next release were previewed.

1. Self-Service BI with PowerPivot—
Today and Tomorrow
SharePoint Fest Chicago
July 2011

2. Today’s Agenda
• Introduction
• Context and delivery / analytical options
• Delivery / analytical technologies
– Traditional vs. self-service
• Self-service BI examples (demo)
• How does this relate to SharePoint?
• Next release
• Recap

3. Introduction
• Duane Schafer – Microsoft BI Practice Manager at Perficient
– National traveling BI practice within Microsoft Competency Center
– Over 15 years of technical implementation and architecture
experience
– B.S. Computer Science, MBA with DSS emphasis
– Primary industry experience in Sales/Marketing, Energy, Healthcare
– Experience with Microsoft, Oracle, Cognos, Business Objects,
Tableau
• Duane.schafer@perficient.com

4. Audience Poll
• Who has heard of PowerPivot?
• Who has used PowerPivot in their enterprise?
• Who is on Business side vs. IT?

5. BI Umbrella Term—What Does it Imply?

6. End-to-End Solution View

7. Delivery / Analytical Options
Traditional BI
IT gathers IT builds IT builds IT builds
Data cubes reports dashboards
Self-service BI
‘Flavors’ of self-service… Definition?
Business performs
Business gathers and models data
analysis
Collaboration and management
Business shares / Business & IT manage

8. Delivery / Analytical Technologies
• Traditional BI
– SQL Server Reporting Services (developer tools for reports)
– Report Builder 3.0 (SSRS lite for the desktop)
• Replaces RB 2.0 and provides report authoring for
business users
• Cannot create shared data sources, MDX queries (OLAP)
or use the Report Wizard
– PerformancePoint (developer tool for dashboards /
scorecards)
– SQL Server Reporting Services (developer tool for reports)

9. Spatial Dashboard Source

10. Spatial Dashboard Source

11. Spatial Dashboard Example

12. Delivery / Analytical Technologies
• Self-service BI
– Report Builder 3.0 (looks like SSBI but feels like developer tool)
– Excel (feels like SSBI due to pivot tables and conditional formatting)
– PowerPivot
Excel’s Magic Box Vertipaq Engine It Slices, It Dices…
• Collaboration and management
– SharePoint
– Excel services (enabler)

13. What is PowerPivot and Who Will Use It?
• Self-service BI analysis and delivery tool
– Excel 2010 plug-in allows data integration from multiple
sources
– Business users perform ‘cube-like’ (OLAP) data
transformations and calculations
– Analyze large data sets (over 1 million records in Excel)
– Easily build visually compelling reports
– Ability to share across the enterprise
• Excel users that need ability to do ad-hoc data analysis
– No knowledge of SQL required
– Bridges the gap between business and I.T.

14. PowerPivot Demo
• Data load w/ size comparison
• Managed relationships
• Calculated columns (DAX)
• Related (DAX)
• Slicers
• Color scales
• Sparklines
• Data bars

15. PowerPivot Example

16. PowerPivot Example

17. PowerPivot Back End

18. Audience Checkpoint

19. How Does PowerPivot Relate to SharePoint?
• PowerPivot for Excel
– Free download / add-in for Excel 2010
– Allows local analysis
• PowerPivot for SharePoint
– PowerPivot Service Application within SharePoint 2010 (eCAL
required)
– Allows PowerPivot workbooks to be published to SharePoint
– Allows enterprise collaboration and analysis
– Allows I.T. to manage PowerPivot workbooks

20. PowerPivot in SharePoint

21. Other Considerations
• Security
– Permission to the workbook means permission to the data even if
data came from a more secure source (appears to be changing with
Denali)
• Governance
– Managing the use of this tool (and dissemination of data) is
important
– Enterprise Information Management (EIM) strategy must consider
the use and impact of PowerPivot
• Backup and Recovery
– Copy of data is stored in SharePoint content database
– SharePoint is responsible for backup, not SSAS

22. Next Release “Denali”
• PowerPivot
– What is it? Next version of “personal BI” (i.e., self-service)
– What’s new:
http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/3729.aspx
– Download: http://www.microsoft.com/download/en/details.aspx?id=26721
– New DAX functions, visual enhancements (e.g., relationships), SSAS features
• Crescent
• What is it? New visualization tool (SSRS report type)
• Overview: http://social.technet.microsoft.com/wiki/contents/articles/project-
crescent-overview.aspx
• Demo: http://channel9.msdn.com/Events/TechEd/NorthAmerica/2011/DBI208
• Needs SharePoint 2010 bits
• How does this relate to PowerPivot?

23. Next Release “Denali”

24. Resources
• http://powerpivotgeek.com
• http://powerpivotpro.com (great client-side stuff)
• http://blogs.msdn.com/powerpivot/
• http://www.powerpivot.com
(downloads, virtual labs, samples, and more . . .)

25. Summary
• Traditional vs. self-service BI and when to use
• PowerPivot for Excel 2010 provides ‘cube-like’ analysis to the
business user on their desktop
– Handles millions of records through data compression
• PowerPivot for SharePoint 2010 enables collaborative analysis
– Requires eCAL for SharePoint due to heavy use of Excel Services