Power BI is used by 97% of the Fortune 500 in some capacity. It is the go-to platform for business intelligence and data visualisation.

But despite its near universal adoption, it’s an open secret that many organisations struggle to extract strategic value from their investment in Microsoft’s connected suite of tools, services, and apps.

Online forums and post-deployment reviews surface recurring frustrations around poor data quality, performance slowdowns on large datasets, and the steep learning curve of Data Analysis Expressions (DAX).

These issues may seem technical, but they have real consequences, especially during

periods of economic volatility when finance teams need clear, actionable intelligence.

“To genuinely unlock Power BI’s potential, you need people who can connect technical capability with commercial priorities,” said Gary Dunion, Director, Analytics & EPM at SystemsAccountants.

“Real insight comes not just from dashboards, but from specialists who translate complex financial data into actionable business narratives,” he said.

With the right focus, Power BI enables teams to spot inefficiencies, uncover patterns, and surface opportunities that static reports often overlook.

Here’s what that looks like in practice.

How skilled finance teams spot risks early

One SystemsAccountants client, a large insurance carrier, achieved results by restructuring how finance accessed and used data. Instead of reacting after the fact, the team could intervene in real time.

Finance Data Analysts and FP&A Managers worked with operations to consolidate figures buried across Excel files, ERP systems, and external databases.

Together, they built a unified forecasting model using Power Query and Power Pivot. Within three months, they uncovered a production bottleneck quietly costing the business £500,000 a year.

Although the data wasn’t new, the insight was.

Unfortunately, not every deployment delivers this kind of impact, and one of the most common mistakes is focusing on visuals before clarifying the questions they’re meant to answer.

The right questions make dashboards strategic assets

A multinational manufacturing firm approached SystemsAccountants after its IT-led deployment fell short.

Despite polished visuals, the reports lacked clarity on financial KPIs and context, largely because it later emerged Finance Business Partners and FP&A Analysts hadn’t been involved.

“Without clear alignment to strategic decisions, even sophisticated dashboards become noise,” Gary said. “Effective Power BI reporting starts with defining the questions that matter.”

Strategic reporting answers questions like:

• Are cash-flow forecasts accurate, and what’s driving any variance?
• Which operational factors have the greatest impact on margins?
• How exposed is working capital to fluctuations in receivables?
• Which external shifts will most affect profitability next quarter?

When used to its full potential, Power BI can surface this kind of intelligence, and in doing so become a true strategic asset.

The backbone of strategic reporting

Strategic insight relies on three fundamentals: collaboration, clean data, and robust infrastructure.

Power BI can support all three, but only in the hands of professionals who understand both the platform and the business it’s meant to serve.

With the right team in place, Power BI delivers real-time, cross-functional reporting so everyone is working from the same numbers, with little need for manual intervention.

Analysts model live financial and operational data. Executives access trusted insights instantly.

Without that foundation, dashboards can easily become superficial. They may look polished, but fail to explain the “why” behind shifts in working capital, margin variance, or forecast drift.

Worse, when data pipelines break or outputs lack context, analysts run back to offline Excel spreadsheets, losing time, clarity, and trust in the process.

Successful organisations align Power BI reporting to decision-making rhythms. They invest in specialists who can model complex data clearly, communicate financial implications, and surface insights that matter to leadership.

The impact is measurable in faster close times, sharper forecasts, fewer disputes over data, and as Gary and team have witnessed over and over, improved confidence in every strategic conversation.

“Clients measure success through faster decision cycles and better board reporting,” he said. “The reporting looks good, but more importantly, it’s trusted.”

The people behind the performance

Senior finance teams today are increasingly judged on their ability to anticipate and deliver meaningful business intelligence. 

Most already have the technology and the data. What’s often missing is clear alignment between these resources and strategic business questions, plus the specialisms needed to connect the dots.

Technical skills alone can extract a lot of value from Power BI, but the differentiator is professionals who combine data fluency with financial insight and commercial acumen.

“Real value arises from professionals who translate complex data into actionable narratives,” Gary said, noting that technical skill “is necessary but insufficient”.

“Finance knowledge and business acumen are essential,” he said.

Some of the most in-demand roles SystemsAccountants regularly recruits are:

• Finance Data Analysts who unify fragmented datasets
• FP&A Managers skilled in advanced DAX modelling for scenario analysis
• BI Consultants who bridge data science and executive decision-making
• Power BI Developers with experience aligning dashboards to business priorities
• Data Engineers who ensure reporting pipelines are robust, governed, and scalable

This is the kind of talent that can help finance offices use Power BI more strategically and turn tools into outcomes.

By spotting risks early, shaping forecasts dynamically, and influencing decisions, they become essential commercial partners, trusted by leadership and integral to steering the organisation forward.

“Almost every firm uses Power BI,” said Gary. “But it’s the talent behind it that separates those who simply deploy software from those who truly unlock its strategic potential.”