Power platform contract jobs; is demand set to increase, and increase?

As a specialist recruiter in the field of data and analytics, I have seen a lot of organisations increasingly turning to powerful business intelligence tools like Power BI to gain insights, as it helps make informed decisions, and campaign business growth.

As a result, writes Drew Guinnane, data and analytics recruitment consultant at Leap29, there is an increasing demand for Power BI platform contractor jobs, and I expect this to continue increasing for the foreseeable.

What is Power BI?

Power BI is a leading business analytics tool that allows organisations to visualise their data and share insights across the organisation or embed them in an app or website. Its user-friendly interface and the capabilities have made the application a favourite among business professionals, data analysts, and decision-makers.

How data is increasing

The increase of data in today's digital age is quite startling to witness. Every day, organisations collect vast amounts of data from numerous sources, including sales transactions, customer interactions, website traffic, and social media engagement. Utilising the potential of this data requires dedicated tools and expertise, and this is where Power BI contractors come into play.

Why Power BI contractors are in demand

Data visualisation expertise

Power BI contractors possess the skills to transform raw data into meaningful visualisations. They can create interactive dashboards, reports, and charts that provide insights.

Customisation and integration

Every organisation has unique data needs. Power BI contractors can customise reports and dashboards to suit specific business requirements. Moreover, contractors are being asked to integrate Power BI with other tools and systems, such as SQL Server, and Azure, to create continuous data pipelines.

Data analysis in Power BI

The Power BI contractors I place tend not to be just data visualization experts; they are also skilled in data analysis. Such contractors often tell me how they can identify trends, outliers, and correlations within the data, with a view to helping organisations make data-driven, data-informed decisions.

Scalability

As businesses grow, so does their data. Power BI contractors can design scalable solutions that accommodate increasing data volumes without compromising performance. This scalability is crucial for long-term success.

Drivers of increased demand for Power BI contractors

Five factors are contributing to the increasing demand for Power BI platform contractor jobs.

1. Digital transformation

Across a range of industries, ther's a lot of companies undergoing digital transformation efforts to stay competitive. In my view, Power BI plays a pivotal role in this transformation by providing real-time insights and facilitating data-driven strategies.

2. Remote work and data accessibility

As we all know, the covid-19 pandemic accelerated the adoption of remote work and rapidly highlighted the need for remote data-access and collaboration. Power BI allows teams to access and analyse data from anywhere, making it an essential tool for the ‘new normal’s’ work model.

3. Data privacy and security

With data breaches becoming more frequent, a significant chunk of organisation are now placing a strong emphasis on data security and compliance, particularly where they have suffered incidents in the recent past. Power BI contractors can help implement robust security measures to protect sensitive information.

4. Cost-effective solutions

Research has shown how Power BI offers cost-effective data analytics solutions compared to building custom platforms from scratch. This cost-efficiency is particularly appealing to small and medium-sized businesses.

5. Nice prospects for Power BI Contractors

Power BI offers contractors a versatile and lucrative field that transcends industry boundaries. Its adaptability allows professionals to explore opportunities in various sectors, from healthcare and finance to retail and manufacturing.

Where we are today with Power BI

When speaking to tech contractors and other IT professionals, there is right now a real focus on staying up-to-date with Microsoft's regular updates and enhancements -- and Power BI is no exception, because having the very latest from MS helps contractors ensure they remain in high demand since they can demonstrate that the platform's evolving features aren’t outpacing them and their expertise.

The outlook? Well, in a data-driven world, the need for quick-to-deploy professionals who can extract actionable insights from data is very unlikely to reduce. With Power BI's global reach, contractors can collaborate with clients and organisations worldwide, unlocking a vast array of opportunities for growth and success.

Power BI contracting: the future (and yours potentially too)

In conclusion, based on conversations with many professionals within the data and analytics industry, our expectation is that the demand for Power BI platform contractors will increase -- and increase, because organisations recognise the importance of data-driven decision-making, as well as data visualisation and data analytics. With the ever-growing volume of data and the need for customised solutions, Power BI contractors play a crucial role in helping businesses thrive in a data-driven world.

With that in mind, if you’re considering a career in data analytics or business intelligence, specialising in Power BI could be a smart choice, as this field is growing significantly and offers a wealth of opportunities in a dynamic and evolving field which, currently, knows no bounds.