Good data model
Seven years ago, it began Vervaeke They’re in the process of connecting their ERP system to Power BI, and in the meantime, their CRM system has also been integrated. CEO Kristof Blockeel had a clear vision when he started this project: “Your Power BI data model is crucial. You need to think very carefully about what you want to achieve, which data you want to connect, and where you’ll bring it all together. Right from the start of our ERP project, I was already thinking about our primary keys. It’s important to define these keys in advance, not after the fact. For us, this long-term thinking is the foundation of the success of Power BI ”Our data model has always been the foundation of everything."
Despite his vision and interest in technology, Kristof was glad to have Alistar’s help in setting up Power BI. “Personally, I found the setup quite complex, especially when you want to merge two data sources. So we were very happy with the Alistar's expertise. ”They got the ball rolling, and now we can build on that ourselves.”
With Power BI, you can see data from various sources at a glance—data that you wouldn't otherwise be able to easily combine
Kristof Blockeel – CEO of Vervaeke
Various data sources
“I’m especially excited about Power BI because it lets you bring together data from all your different systems,” says Kristof. Vervaeke uses an Access database that tracks hours worked at the factory. They do this using a handheld scanner to scan barcodes that come from Dynamics 365 Business Central (formerly NAV) and form the primary keys. This allows employees to specify which machine they are working on and for which product. The BI reports provide insight into how long work has been done on each product and the profit margins associated with it.
“Your Power BI data model is the foundation of everything”
The technicians' time is tracked in our Microsoft Dynamics CRM, so they know exactly how long it takes to complete a particular project. There is also a BI report that shows whether there was a margin on the installation.
“For our finance department, we use standard reports set up by Alistar that are populated with data (such as profit margins, etc.) from Dynamics 365 Business Central. This way, we always have a clear overview of the financial status of the companies within our group, anytime, anywhere.”
In the future, Kristof would like to create cash flow reports in Power BI. “We’d like to know which payments are still pending and what we’ll still need to pay to suppliers. This is very important information for our company.”
Data available throughout the company
Currently, about half of the employees have access to the BI reports, but Vervaeke definitely intends to expand this further and involve the entire company. “That’s precisely the strength of Power BI: bringing together data from ERP, CRM, Access, etc., so that the entire company can use it. From sales managers to production staff, the CEO, and technicians, everyone needs to be able to view and analyze the data in detail so they can then draw smart conclusions from it.”
From sales managers to production staff, the CEO, and technicians—everyone has to work together
Gut feeling or Power BI data model?
Running a business based on gut instinct or on data—it’s a debate that often strikes a nerve in the business world. Kristof explains his perspective: “We’ve already made important decisions based purely on data. For example, we saw that the main system we produced had a margin that was far too low, and was therefore unprofitable. This was a major wake-up call, but we acted on it quickly.”
Still, he believes gut instinct is just as important. “You shouldn’t fall into the trap of blindly following your Power BI reports. If only it were that simple! It’s dangerous when people ignore their gut instinct and rely purely on the numbers. Mistakes can always happen. Numbers can be wrong, so you have to remain critical. It’s the interpretation of the numbers that matters most.”
Although gut instinct still plays a prominent role for Vervaeke, Kristof says that Power BI does help bring data together in a clear and organized way: “It’s nice to be able to see certain things at a glance. For us, Power BI is a tool that brings together information that you would otherwise have to look at separately, and that’s incredibly valuable.”
