Client success stories

Industry: Retail Analytics

Technologies: Microsoft Fabric, Power BI, OneLake, Lakehouse, Data Warehouse, SQL, Data Pipelines, Semantic Models

This engagement demonstrates how AGER BI helps organisations move from manual, high-risk reporting processes to modern Microsoft Fabric platforms that are automated, governed and ready to scale. The project combined data engineering, warehouse modelling, semantic modelling, Power BI reporting, operational documentation and production support into a single end-to-end delivery.

The result was a production-ready analytics platform that gives Matrix Insights a reliable foundation for weekly data processing, secure reporting and future analytical growth.

Matrix Insights engaged AGER BI to design and implement a modern Microsoft Fabric analytics platform capable of automating the ingestion, transformation and reporting of large retail datasets.

The objective was to replace a legacy reporting environment with a scalable, cloud-based analytics platform that would reduce manual effort, improve reporting reliability and provide a governed foundation for future growth. The engagement was not simply a dashboard build. It required a complete data platform that could support recurring retail data processing, secure supplier reporting, operational support and future expansion.

AGER BI designed, built and deployed an end-to-end Microsoft Fabric solution using Microsoft’s Medallion Architecture. The implementation combined data engineering, semantic modelling, reporting, security, documentation, operational handover and production support to create a platform Matrix Insights could maintain and scale with confidence.

Matrix Insights processes large volumes of weekly retail sales, stock and promotional data that supports reporting delivered to retailers and suppliers. This reporting is business critical, so the replacement platform needed to protect continuity while improving the reliability and scalability of the underlying data processes.

The previous operating model relied heavily on manual data preparation, manual validation and individual operational knowledge. As data volumes increased and reporting requirements expanded, this created growing operational risk and made it harder to scale the service without adding unnecessary manual effort.

Matrix Insights required a modern analytics platform capable of:

The implementation also needed to be completed within a tight delivery timeframe while ensuring continuity of critical reporting services. This made delivery discipline, controlled scope, careful validation and practical operational design essential to the success of the project.

AGER BI designed and implemented a complete Microsoft Fabric analytics platform hosted entirely within Microsoft Fabric. The solution was built to turn weekly retailer data into trusted, governed and reporting-ready datasets through a repeatable data processing framework.

The platform was designed around practical operational needs. It needed to ingest data reliably, preserve raw source data, curate and validate information, model data for reporting, enforce security and provide reporting outputs that could be maintained over time.

The result is an automated, governed and scalable analytics platform that transforms raw retailer data into trusted business intelligence while giving Matrix Insights a durable foundation for future growth.

High-level Microsoft Fabric architecture illustrating the end-to-end analytics platform implemented by AGER BI. Individual client implementations are tailored to meet each organisation’s business and technical requirements.

The platform was designed using Microsoft’s recommended Medallion Architecture, providing clear separation between raw, curated and reporting-ready data. This structure improves governance, traceability and maintainability by ensuring each layer of the platform has a clear purpose.

The Bronze layer preserves source data, the Silver layer applies cleansing and standardisation, and the Gold layer provides modelled, reporting-ready data for analytics and reporting consumption.

The end-to-end architecture includes:

Data flows through a fully automated architecture:

Secure Data Transfer → Bronze Lakehouse → Silver Lakehouse → Gold Warehouse → Semantic Models → Power BI Reporting

This architecture provides scalability, governance and a repeatable processing framework aligned with Microsoft best practice. It also gives Matrix Insights a platform that can support additional suppliers, retailers, reporting requirements and future analytical capabilities without needing to redesign the core architecture.

A major part of the engagement focused on building the data engineering foundation required to support reliable weekly processing. Rather than relying on manual preparation and ad-hoc intervention, AGER BI implemented repeatable data pipelines, structured transformation logic and reporting-ready data models.

The data engineering framework incorporated:

This framework enables trusted analytical datasets to be produced automatically with minimal manual intervention. It also improves traceability, reduces operational dependency on individual knowledge and gives Matrix Insights a stronger foundation for supporting growing data volumes over time.

The reporting layer was designed to provide consistent, governed and secure access to analytical information. AGER BI focused on creating a reporting foundation that could support existing reporting requirements while also providing a pathway to more interactive analytics in future phases.

The reporting platform was developed using enterprise Power BI architecture including:

The platform provides consistent reporting built upon a single governed source of truth. By separating the reporting layer from the underlying data engineering processes, Matrix Insights can maintain reporting outputs more efficiently and introduce future reporting enhancements without disrupting the core data platform.

Security and governance were central to the solution design because Matrix Insights needed to distribute reporting to different audiences while protecting data visibility. The platform therefore needed to support controlled access at both the workspace and data level.

The implementation included:

This ensures users can only access information appropriate to their role while maintaining strong governance across the analytics platform. The security model supports supplier-specific reporting and controlled internal access, helping Matrix Insights maintain confidence in how data is distributed and consumed.

A key differentiator of this engagement was that AGER BI did not stop at implementation. The platform was documented and handed over with the operational detail required to support, troubleshoot and maintain the solution after go-live.

AGER BI produced a detailed Solution Architecture, Operations and Support Guide covering:

This documentation gives Matrix Insights a practical operating manual for the platform. It reduces reliance on undocumented technical knowledge, improves supportability and gives the business confidence that the solution can be maintained as reporting requirements evolve.

Cloud cost optimisation formed an important part of the solution. The goal was not only to implement Microsoft Fabric, but to implement it in a way that balanced processing performance with sensible ongoing operating costs.

AGER BI designed the platform to maximise Microsoft Fabric efficiency through:

This approach helps ensure that compute resources are available during the required processing and refresh windows, without leaving unnecessary capacity running when it is not needed. As a result, Matrix Insights benefits from a scalable Microsoft Fabric platform with a more controlled operating cost profile.

Following implementation, AGER BI continued to support the production environment to ensure the platform remained stable and reliable. This support was important because a production analytics platform needs to be monitored, refined and improved as real-world data and operational scenarios emerge.

AGER BI supported the environment through:

This ongoing support helped ensure the platform continued to operate reliably as business requirements evolved. It also reinforced AGER BI’s role as a delivery partner focused on long-term platform success, not simply initial technical implementation.

The completed solution delivered a modern analytics foundation that improved how Matrix Insights processes, manages and distributes retail performance data. It replaced a manual and operationally intensive model with a governed Microsoft Fabric platform designed for repeatability, reliability and scale.

Key outcomes included:

Together, these outcomes provide Matrix Insights with a stronger operational foundation for delivering retail analytics services. The platform is designed to support current reporting needs while preserving flexibility for additional automation, expanded reporting and future analytics capability.

The platform brings together the major components required for a production-ready Microsoft Fabric implementation. Rather than relying on a single reporting layer, the solution combines data ingestion, engineering, modelling, security, documentation and operational support into one cohesive analytics environment.

This combination of capabilities demonstrates that the engagement delivered a complete analytics platform, not just a reporting output. It gives Matrix Insights the technical foundation, governance controls and operational structure needed to continue scaling its analytics service.

The solution was delivered using the Microsoft analytics ecosystem, allowing Matrix Insights to consolidate data engineering, storage, modelling and reporting within a single cloud platform. This approach reduced architectural complexity while keeping the platform aligned with Microsoft Fabric and Power BI best practice.

Core technologies included:

Using these technologies together allowed AGER BI to deliver an integrated analytics platform that is secure, scalable and maintainable. It also ensures Matrix Insights remains aligned with Microsoft’s modern data platform roadmap.

The strongest validation of any analytics platform is the confidence it gives the client after delivery. Matrix Insights recognised not only the technical quality of the Microsoft Fabric implementation, but also the professionalism, delivery discipline and care taken throughout the engagement.

“AGER BI delivered a Microsoft Fabric and data platform that most organisations would consider a multi-year undertaking in just eight weeks. The solution was built to support a major Australian retailer and its supplier network, an environment with significant commercial complexity and high expectations.

The technical capability was exceptional, but what really stood out was the professionalism, attention to detail and commitment to delivering exactly what was promised. Deadlines were met, budgets were respected and there were never any surprises.

AGER BI took the time to understand our business, our data challenges and our objectives before delivering a solution that exceeded our expectations. We would highly recommend AGER BI to any organisation looking for a trusted Microsoft Fabric and Power BI partner.”

Matrix Insights

This project demonstrates AGER BI’s ability to deliver complete Microsoft Fabric implementations, from architecture and data engineering through to reporting, governance, operational support and knowledge transfer.

Rather than simply developing dashboards, AGER BI designs and implements production-ready analytics platforms that combine modern Microsoft technologies with best-practice data engineering, governance and enterprise architecture.

Our solutions are built to reduce operational risk, improve reporting reliability and provide a scalable foundation that grows alongside our clients’ businesses. For organisations looking to modernise reporting, automate data preparation and build trusted analytics capability, AGER BI provides the practical delivery experience required to move from concept to production.