Many people often joke or complain about this, and it is also a challenge in our consulting work, but does “Export to Excel” hurt your vision for a Modern Analytics Platform?
The answer is no, but it’s not that simple. Our experience shows that “Export to Excel” can be a key way to engage people who are reluctant to embrace what Power BI (or any other package can do). If data exports are set up so that people can get their own extracts, this can support any strategy based on a Modern Analytics Platform. However, exporting data while also finding out what people do with those extracts is crucial. After all, if someone is just using the extract to create another report or regular visual, then those needs should be met by the platform. So this use case can work in the short term. As these uses are identified and automated with reports then we should about whether the new platform can deliver what the business needs.
John Fisher’s Transition Curve explains the emotional reaction that people have when they face change. They start with anxiety or even fear. That fear can be very real in big infrastructure projects like the implementation of Power BI, where teams that seem far removed from the day-to-day “reality” of the business are giving assurances. For those people, “Export to Excel” is how they keep control and ensure that they can “avoid the disaster”. Only when those delivering solutions understand those behaviours not as something to condemn but as something to work through, can they achieve a successful outcome.
Understanding that you need to collaborate with the business to achieve your goals is essential for the successful adoption of your new Enterprise Analytics Solution. A key point here is that sometimes those who are the most reluctant at first can become the biggest advocates of a solution. In our experience, we have found that reducing “Export to Excel” can often be achieved by using “Analyse in Excel” or the still-in-preview Excel Table, which can ease the transition while also keeping the data team informed and help strengthen the relationships needed to embed the new solution into the core of your new Data Culture. Geordie Consulting has your organisation’s worked with organisations of all sizes across scopes. Get in touch and we can organise a free call. We can review your plans, offer suggestions to help smooth the process or work with you to ensure the success of your vision.
Geordie Consulting is a boutique Power Platform Consultancy based in Newcastle-upon-Tyne, UK. We support our global clients to harness the full power of their data through semantic modelling, reporting, process mining, apps and automation. We offer comprehensive training to empower your teams to confidently use, maintain, and develop your organisation’s data capabilities.
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