Data is the key to strategic decision-making in finance. Controllers and finance professionals need more than just standard reports—they require real-time insights that can drive immediate action. Modern BI tools like Power BI and Tableau enable data visualization, trend discovery, and well-supported strategic decision-making. In this blog, we explore the benefits of BI for controllers and finance professionals and how to maximize the value of your data.

Why use a BI tool?

Most organizations rely on multiple cloud solutions for their administrative and operational processes. As a result, data is scattered across different systems rather than stored in one central location, making traditional Excel reports time-consuming and error-prone. A powerful BI tool like Tableau or Power BI integrates data from multiple sources and instantly transforms it into actionable reports. This means:

• No more manual exports
• No more errors from copy-pasting
• Real-time insights based on up-to-date data

Efficiency and time savings through automation

Finance professionals often spend unnecessary time manually compiling reports. On average, a senior controller at an SMB+ company spends one full day per week preparing reports. BI makes it possible to fully automate reporting on accounts receivable portfolios, saving over 52 workdays per year. Additionally, reports can be automatically sent daily, weekly, or monthly to various stakeholders. This efficiency gain allows controllers and finance teams to focus on strategic analysis instead of repetitive manual tasks.

BI as a game-changer for controllers and finance professionals

Manually merging data from different systems is prone to errors and inefficiencies. BI solutions like Power BI and Tableau provide a scalable and reliable way to consolidate and visualize data from multiple systems. For example, it becomes easy to combine data from the MaxCredible application with credit information from Altares Dun & Bradstreet.

Key Benefits: 

• Real-time insights – Clear reports based on live data.
• Automated reports – Standardized reports with no manual adjustments needed.
• Better decision-making – Immediate visibility into key trends and anomalies.

For finance professionals, this means not only time savings but also improved analysis and faster decision-making.

The challenges of BI tools

Although tools like Tableau and Power BI are intuitive, setting up a robust BI dashboard requires knowledge of ETL processes, data modeling, and DAX formulas. This demands a structured approach and technical expertise. Finance professionals who develop their BI skills can perform deeper analyses and collaborate more effectively with data engineers and IT teams.

What makes a BI dashboard truly effective?

A BI dashboard should not just display data but provide actionable insights. The key? User-friendliness and goal-oriented visualizations. Effective dashboards:

• Are intuitive and answer key questions without extra explanation.
• Avoid unnecessary complexity and focus on core insights.
• Automate workflows, giving users one-click access to the right information.

MaxCredible and Tableau: maximum data control for finance professionals

At MaxCredible, we help finance professionals harness the full power of BI. Our standard Tableau reports provide in-depth insights into crucial financial and operational data. Thanks to automated processes, controllers and finance professionals can work more efficiently. Have specific data needs? No problem—additional data sources can be easily integrated, ensuring you always have the right information for strategic, data-driven decisions.

Data-driven finance: not new, but improved

Gaining control over data is no longer a luxury—it’s essential for success. Finance professionals who embrace BI tools like Tableau and Power BI make faster, smarter, and more well-founded decisions, helping their businesses stay ahead of the competition.

📞 Curious about how MaxCredible can support your organization? Get in touch and explore the possibilities.