Everything you need to know about Zebra BI

Earlier, in our blog about data-driven finance, we discussed the importance for the finance department of benefiting from data-driven working. A data-driven finance department can help an organization spot opportunities and bottlenecks in processes. That's why it's important for financial data to be presented in a clear and consistent way, so the figures can only be interpreted in one way. For this you can use Zebra BI, a plug-in for Microsoft Power BI that visualizes your financial data clearly and cleanly. But how exactly does Zebra BI work? You'll read all about it in the blog below.

What is Zebra BI?

Zebra BI's tools include, among other things, reporting templates, style and formatting options, and various types of charts and tables specifically designed for financial analysis.

Why use Zebra BI?

A dashboard is often quickly dreamed up by the CFO or a controller, and it ultimately takes a lot of time to visualize the data. That's why many finance departments currently have cluttered dashboards: dashboards that present far too much - too many visualizations, too much color, too many images, and too little relevant information. To make the right decisions, a dashboard should always focus on the defined KPIs. Everything else is noise, and that can lead you to incorrect insights. As a finance department, you want to avoid this at all times.

By using Zebra BI, you make sure your financial dashboards and reports become much clearer. The plug-in has a number of templates and formatting options, so you spend less time creating reports. The standard graphics let you visualize your financial parameters consistently, so the figures are quick and easy for everyone to interpret. Zebra BI is also fully IBCS and Microsoft certified.

What is IBCS?

IBCS (International Business Communication Standards) is an international standard for the visual presentation of data and reports. The goal of IBCS is to improve the communication of data through the application of a consistent and understandable visual design. IBCS focuses on the presentation of data in tables, charts, and dashboards, and includes guidelines for the use of colors, fonts, icons, and other visual elements. This means IBCS ensures not only consistent use of financial data within a company or organization, but also between various external parties, both within and beyond national borders.

What can I do with Zebra BI?

Zebra BI is mainly used for visualizing financial data, but of course it can also be used for other purposes. For convenience, we've listed them for you below:

1. Data visualization: You can visualize your financial data in various ways. You can use tables, charts, maps, and much more. These visualizations make it easier to identify and understand trends, patterns, and relationships in your data.
2. Reporting: You can use a number of standard templates for your reports. This lets you generate a report quickly and easily. Besides saving time, it also ensures consistency and professionalism in your reporting.
3. Data analysis: The plug-in also offers advanced analysis capabilities, such as drill-down and the creation of models, letting you analyze and understand your data at a deeper level.
4. Integration with Power BI: Zebra BI was specially developed for use with Microsoft Power BI. So you don't need to learn yet another new tool. It integrates effortlessly into Power BI and uses the same functions and features.

How do I use Zebra BI?

Zebra BI is a plug-in for Microsoft Power BI, so you'll always need Power BI to use this tool. You can easily get started with Zebra BI by installing it as a plug-in. From that moment on, you can start creating reports.