Learn Excel first if you work with figures, calculations and one-off analysis. Learn Power BI if you need to build interactive reports that other people use regularly. The two are not rivals. Microsoft makes both, they share tools, and many teams use them together.
What each one is for
Excel is a spreadsheet. It suits calculations, working through figures line by line and flexible analysis. It also has business intelligence tools of its own: Power Query to bring in and reshape data, PivotTables to summarize it, and a Data Model for working across related tables.
Power BI is Microsoft’s business analytics platform. You build reports in Power BI Desktop, using Power Query to prepare data and DAX for calculations, then publish them to the Power BI service, where teams can view, explore and share them. Reports can refresh on a schedule, and there are mobile apps for viewing them.
Which suits which job?
Accountant building a budget or reconciliation: Excel, because you need cell-level control.
Administrator tracking staff or stock records: Excel.
Analyst answering a one-off question from a manager: usually Excel.
Sales or operations lead sending the same report each week: Power BI, so the report can refresh and be shared.
Manager who needs to explore figures by region or period: Power BI, for filters and drill-down.
HR or finance team combining data from several systems: often both, with Power Query preparing the data.
When to move from Excel to Power BI
Consider Power BI when you notice these signs:
You rebuild the same report by hand every week or month.
Several versions of one spreadsheet are going around by email.
Different people need to see the same figures in different ways.
You combine data from several sources each time.
Your workbook has become slow and hard to maintain.
How they work together
You do not have to choose only one. Power BI can use Excel files as a data source. Power Query works in both, so what you learn in one carries across. People can also explore a published Power BI model from an Excel PivotTable using Analyze in Excel, as long as they have permission.
Which should you learn first?
For most people, Excel. Understanding tables, formulas and PivotTables makes Power BI easier to learn, because you already think about data in the right way. If your Excel skills are solid and your job involves regular reporting, Power BI is a sensible next step.
Training in Doha
Leaders Training Centre offers Excel and Power BI training for individuals and teams. Training several people? Ask about corporate training, or talk to an advisor about the right starting level.
Sources
- Excel
- Power BI
- Data skills