Internal Reporting System for Futurice Business Processes
Building a unified data delivery and reporting platform with Power BI, AWS, and Azure
Rays of Space collaborated with Meltlake and Greenstep on a large-scale initiative for Futurice to create an end-to-end data delivery and reporting system. The goal was to integrate information from multiple operational and financial systems, define meaningful KPIs, and enable real-time performance monitoring through Power BI. This system allows Futurice to track internal metrics, align operations with strategic goals, and make faster, data-driven decisions.
Project Scope and Collaboration
The work involved close coordination between multiple teams. Futurice’s internal data engineering group managed raw data retrieval, cleaning, and ingestion on AWS. Meltlake provided data modelling expertise, while Greenstep focused on financial reporting. Rays of Space’s co-founder, Ksenya Isavnina, contributed across the full lifecycle: analysing business processes, defining KPIs, designing data architecture, and implementing visualisations. The result was a multi-cloud reporting environment that connects AWS-based storage and processing with Azure-hosted Power BI for analysis and presentation.
Key Contributions from Rays of Space
Business Process Analysis and KPI Design
We began by mapping Futurice’s internal processes to identify critical performance areas. Working with management, we translated these into clearly defined KPIs aligned with the company’s objectives. This phase involved extensive workshops, coaching sessions, and decision-making meetings to ensure metrics were both relevant and actionable.
Analytics System Configuration
Using Power BI as the main reporting tool, we set up the analytical structure in collaboration with Meltlake, creating data models, measures, and queries in SQL, M, and DAX. The dashboards were designed to deliver accurate, up-to-date insights tailored to different audiences within Futurice.
Data Architecture and Querying
The initial database backend was PostgreSQL, later replaced with Amazon Athena to reduce costs and improve scalability. Data from AWS S3 was queried directly into Power BI. We also recommended introducing Databricks in the future for storing optimised data snapshots, which would further speed up access and reduce processing overhead.
Data Quality and Documentation
We conducted a gap analysis across departments to identify inconsistencies and missing data points. The results were documented in a roadmap that guides ongoing improvements to data quality and standardisation.
Visualisations and Data Literacy
We developed dashboards covering operational and financial metrics and trained management to become “citizen developers” capable of building their own reports. This helped embed data literacy into day-to-day operations.
Access Control and Security
We presented the trade-offs between embedded Power BI dashboards and Power BI Premium, allowing Futurice to select the right balance between accessibility and security. Role-based permissions and governance practices were introduced to handle access rights in the company’s flat organisational structure.
Technical Design
The solution operates as a multi-cloud system:
AWS S3 and Athena store and query raw and processed data.
Power BI on Azure visualises this data.
A cloud-based data gateway handles scheduled refreshes for current reporting.
Selected sensitive dashboards run on Power BI Premium for enhanced security.
Dashboards are embedded in Futurice’s internal portal so employees can access real-time KPIs without switching tools.
Challenges and Outcomes
The biggest challenge was achieving consistency across disparate data sources managed by different business owners. Addressing this required detailed process mapping and a shift towards a scalable data lakehouse architecture to unify raw data ingestion.
The final system provides Futurice with a flexible, secure, and future-proof reporting framework. It supports growth by giving stakeholders reliable, real-time insights and ensures that KPI monitoring is fully integrated into daily operations.
Outcome: A robust internal reporting environment that improves decision-making, enhances data governance, and enables Futurice to scale its analytics capabilities in step with its business.
