In these modern times, most organizations understand the importance of business intelligence (BI) software and how it can provide intuitive real-time data analytics tools that drive insight-based action. That leaves a lot of people searching for the perfect solution, but with so many out there and all the information and conflicting opinions, it can be hard to choose the right one.
Organizations who run on Microsoft most commonly look to the Azure & Power BI combo to deliver real-time data analytics. However, there are other BI products out there that don’t require additional solutions to get the most out of them. Powerful all-in-one BI products, like Domo, that transform your data into unified next level insights that drive fact-based decisions. Knowing about and understanding all the tools that are on the market is the first step in making an informed decision on what’s right for you. Let’s take a closer look and compare Domo vs Power BI & Azure.
The Great Debate: Best-in-Breed vs. All-in-One Solution
Companies are responsible for storing and managing 80% of the global data, and so the debate over what solution best manages all this data is a big one. It depends on a lot of things – budget, functionality requirements, long-term priorities, etc. Surface level, you may not know the differences in each of the product’s functionality and capabilities, but there are some you need to be aware of. Before making the big investment in your business, compare what’s out there so you can save yourself money and ensure you get the right one for your needs. The last thing you want is to spend significant resources, only to find out the solution doesn’t work as expected or you need to buy additional software to get what you want.
A lot of the best-in-breed technology stacks are literally that, the best, but only in one specific category. Best-in-Breed solutions typically require integrations with other platforms to function holistically and provide that value that you’re looking for, like the common combination for Microsoft Azure and Power BI. Some people may feel that having the best of each option provides deeper functionality and that it’s worth the additional work of integrating. In our experience, this type of combo can miss the mark though, as they usually don’t offer all the encompassing bells and whistles that an all-in-one solution can provide.
Domo is considered an all-in-one solution, while also being a best-in-breed. People often think best-in-breed brings better functionality, but Domo has ruthlessly fought to have all the same functionality as the other solutions. “If anything, some of the visualizations actually beat out other tools”, Kevin Larrivee, an Executive Analytics Consultant at BT Partners says.
He continues, “The Domo team has brought in experts in each of the different departments and they have the added benefit of being down the hall from each other to make everything work together seamlessly.” A recent study put out by Total Economic Impact backs this up by finding that organizations leveraging Domo’s low-code data apps platform can achieve an overall ROI of 455% over three years and recouped their investment in less than a month.
Efficiency
The key feature of an all-in-one solution is that everything you need exists in one tool. As opposed to best-in-breed platforms which are across multiple tools that are then combined and configured by different people. While this might be doable, it also means there’s less autonomy or freedom with what you can do. Domo reduces the time to production because one person can do everything. One person can pull everything into the software, then do the data manipulation, and then create the visualization. With the other options, you need a different person for each of those steps.
Costs
The all-in-one solution is usually more affordable without sacrificing any benefits – you’re implementing one solution instead of three separate ones. For example, Tableau charges per user, so it seems on the surface to be very reasonable, but what most people don’t realize is that they need other products to actually use the software as intended. Along that line, Microsoft’s Power BI is charged monthly per user and is relatively inexpensive. When you add in everything else to get the results and capabilities you want, that price can be very different.
When we compare other products to an all-in-one solution like Domo, Domo charges a flat rate for five users but has five tools all built into one software. That’s a massive difference. It’s key to keep in mind you’re not exactly comparing apples to apples because of the way the pricing is laid out. To truly compare Domo vs Power BI & Azure, you need to breakdown the calculations to see how much the different tech stack options will end up costing you to get the results you need. Essentially, in our experience, having everything in one simple data pipeline, like Domo, provides a big leg up over a software setup where you’re combining two or three different solutions trying to create that perfect solution of your dreams.
With the global big data and business analytics market being worth a staggering $274.3 billion this year, choosing the right platform is a major decision. One that requires some time and thought, but don’t let that deter you from acting on it. The benefits you’ll reap from data analytic software are immense. The rich variety of data and visualizations contain extremely valuable insights. Insights that help you make more informed business decisions, streamline operations, and accurately measure KPIs and strategic goals. All of which puts you leaps and bounds ahead of your industry and competitors. If you’re interested in learning what solution might be best for you, simply send us a note, and we can talk.
