Data visualization. It’s more than just making your reports look nicer with color-coded graphs and charts. It’s actually about transforming the raw numbers from your ERP into information that is both understandable and actionable. Data visualization also helps simplify complex data. Right away, you can see what’s working, what’s not, what the trends and risks are, and more. In short, data visualization allows the data to tell its own story, opening the opportunity for non-finance users to better understand what’s happening in the business at a deeper level. 

But there’s more involved with data visualization than simply putting your ERP data into a chart or graph and making sure it’s done up in your brand colors. It can be a complex task. 

Embedded Dashboards in Your ERP

Some ERPs come with embedded dashboards, which come with a slew of benefits, notably:

• Single source of truth: Embedded dashboards can leverage data from anywhere in your ERP system and use it to populate charts and graphs. 
• Live data: Spreadsheet reports typically use static exported data that can only be updated by rerunning the report. An embedded ERP dashboard gives you everything updated to the moment. 
• Drill-down capabilities: Using embedded dashboards for data visualization lets you drill into the details behind the results. 
• Eliminate the risk of static spreadsheets: While ERP data is protected by role-based security in the ERP, once it’s in a spreadsheet, it’s basically a free-for-all. Anyone can view, edit, and potentially damage confidential reporting and dashboard results. 

Complete Data Visualization Can Be Challenging

But what about ERPs that don’t have native dashboards? Or consider organizations that need to create dashboards that include both ERP data and data from outside databases. There’s already a lot going on in ERP data, which can make it a task and a half to visualize on its own. Then add in other data sources, and you’ve got quite the perfect storm on hand. 

First, you’ll need to have a robust data governance strategy in place so you can manage data complexity and ensure its integrity. This involves defining clear data management roles and responsibilities, establishing data quality standards, and implementing effective security measures. 

Next, you need to have the right data visualization tool in place, specifically one that is built to manage the volume and complexity of your ERP data and any other data you need to add. The data visualization tool you select should also come with advanced security features and access controls so that confidential information remains confidential and not open to just anyone in the company who happens to open the dashboard. Several data visualization tools, like Power BI, use role-based access, encryption, and compliance with security standards to protect your data while still leaving it available for exploration by the right individuals. 

There’s also some warning to data visualization, namely that users must be mindful of the opportunity for misinterpretation or oversimplification. In the quest to simplify complexities, one must be careful not to distort or even oversimplify complex realities, and instead design data visualizations that accurately represent the underlying data. Pay attention to scale, context, and appropriate visualization types. Avoid creating graphs and dashboards that could be misleading or confusing, even inadvertently. As much as the aesthetic impact of your data visualization is important, it’s even more important to maintain accuracy and clarity because of the direct influence these dashboards and visualizations will have on the quality of the decisions made from them. 

What to Look for in A Data Visualization Tool

There’s no one-size-fits-all for visualizing data, because each business is going to have different needs, preferences, and goals. Compatibility, functionality, usability, and scalability are all top considerations. 

• Does the tool integrate with both your ERP system and other assorted data sources as needed? 
• Can it handle different data formats and structures? 
• Does it have the features necessary to create the graphs, charts, and even interactive elements you’re looking for? 
• Is it user-friendly enough for those who will be working with it most, and does it come with templates and other support? 
• Can it handle the complex data sets, number of users, and other business needs you might have? 
• Does the data visualization tool align with your organization’s strategic goals? 

Finally, take a look at the price tag to see if the cost to acquire, install, maintain, and upgrade the data visualization tool fits your budget. 

Data Visualization with Excel and Power BI

Power BI is one of the top data visualization tools leveraged by the organizations we work with at CloudExtend, and it’s no wonder, as Power BI includes robust visualization capabilities and broad connectivity, such as Excel. Excel’s familiar yet powerful interface makes it easy to import data from multiple sources and manipulate it into reports that feed Power BI dashboards. 

Using Excel to feed Power BI is especially helpful for orgs that need to combine data from multiple databases along with ERP data from a source such as NetSuite for the most complete data visualization. For many, this turns the Excel portion into a manual process, even while visualization is easy to achieve with Power BI’s capabilities. And while native NetSuite reporting provides valuable insights on its own, it often requires users to perform extensive manual manipulations to extract the needed data. Saved searches are helpful there, but still only provide static data to work with in Excel. 

That’s where the power of Excel integration comes in, connecting NetSuite saved searches directly with Excel to provide live refreshable data to populate the exact reporting you need to populate your Power BI dashboards and build powerful data visualization for your business. With ExtendInsights, modern businesses can move beyond static reports to real-time, interactive data visualizations that power quick and informed decision-making. 

Let ExtendInsights bridge the gap between NetSuite’s powerful data engine and Power BI’s advanced visualization and analytical tools. Try it now for free.