Antdata

BACKGROUND

I am the Senior Manager, Business Analytics of FTI Consulting Services, LLP

FTI Consulting is a global business advisory firm that provides specialized expertise to organizations facing complex business challenges. Its services span corporate finance and restructuring, forensic and litigation consulting, economic consulting, technology, and strategic communications, helping clients manage risk, resolve disputes, improve performance, and navigate critical business events. Its headquarters is based in Bowie Maryland (USA) and employes roughly 10K employees worldwide

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

• Pilot and deploy a Business Analytics Modernization based on Microsoft technologies
• Simplify IT support by implementing a centralized lakehouse and semantic model for many reports
• Implement an adaptive security model for a variety of reporting and analytics purposes
• Train and support the IT staff for ongoing maintenance
• Implement a robust platform utilization monitoring and alert system

SOLUTION

Referral

• High ratings
• Good value for cost
• Company values aligned

6-10 Employees

Antdata supported FTI Consulting in establishing and expanding Microsoft Fabric as an enterprise data and analytics platform, including solution architecture, governed Lakehouse structures, data migration and transformation, security, and production deployment. Antdata developed a centrally governed financial semantic model that standardized business logic and enabled secure self-service Power BI reporting, while modernizing existing reports to leverage Direct Lake and the shared semantic model. The engagement also included expanding the platform with additional data products such as Salesforce, optimizing storage to reduce costs, and providing ongoing operational support, maintenance, monitoring, enhancements, and release management across Power BI, Power Apps, and Power Automate.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

The project delivered measurable improvements in cost efficiency, performance, governance, and scalability. Antdata reduced storage costs by approximately USD 900 per month by eliminating unnecessary Delta files and reduced Fabric compute utilization by nearly an order of magnitude through a “refresh once, reuse across many reports” approach. A centralized security model was established and subsequently adopted by other reporting solutions across the organization, while migrating existing Power BI reports to a shared global semantic model using Direct Lake reduced duplicated models, saved storage, and improved reporting consistency. The engagement also produced a reusable data-product implementation blueprint, applied to the Salesforce Lakehouse and subsequent initiatives, and enabled citizen developers to build their own Power BI reports using governed access to centralized financial data and business logic.

Antdata’s team demonstrated an exceptional level of commitment to the success of the project. Throughout the implementation, we encountered numerous complex technology decisions while simultaneously addressing a broad range of evolving business requirements. Antdata managed these challenges extremely effectively, combining strong technical expertise with excellent project management and a clear focus on business outcomes. Their use of agile development practices and daily stand-ups provided transparency, maintained momentum, and ensured the project remained on track. Whenever challenges or issues arose, the team responded quickly, professionally, and with a strong sense of ownership. Throughout the engagement, Antdata felt less like an external consulting partner and more like an integral extension of our own team, bringing complementary expertise and capabilities that significantly strengthened our ability to deliver the project successfully.

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What impressed me/us most about Antdata was their commitment, technical expertise, and strong sense of ownership. They navigated complex technical and business requirements effectively, responded quickly to challenges, and maintained excellent project discipline. Most importantly, they operated as a true extension of our team rather than simply an external consulting partner. They also didn't nickle and dime us for everything they did - their focus was on the long term partnership for which I'm eternaly grateful.

Difficult to say. We were very pleased with their progress and navigating so many challenges. They demonstrated a passion for technology, wanting to learn more as capabilities were being introduced and they were very collaborative. In our following projects we have asked to provide better status reporting - but all these pale by comparison to the overall value they delivered.

BACKGROUND

Introduce your business and what you do there.

I’m a product owner at a global agricultural supply chain manager and processor. We provide food, nutrition, and bio-based solutions for humans and animals while advancing sustainability and innovation across the food and agriculture industries.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you have for this project?

We needed to enhance our Power BI knowledge and skills to enable our employees to create, maintain, and analyze reports more effectively. We also wanted to improve our overall data visualization and reporting capabilities within the organization.

SOLUTION

What was the scope of their involvement?

Antdata delivered a two-day, instructor-led Power BI training for a group of employees. The training was conducted on-site and covered key Power BI functionalities, including data modeling, report creation, dashboard development, and data visualization best practices.
The main deliverables included:

• Two days of on-site classroom training led by an experienced instructor
• Training materials and supporting documentation provided to participants
• Practical exercises and hands-on learning sessions
• A one-month post-training support period, during which participants could ask questions and receive additional guidance related to the training topics

What is the team composition?

We worked with one teammate from Antdata

How did you come to work with Antdata?

We found them through a referral. We chose them over other options because they had high ratings, their pricing fit our budget, and they offered good value for the cost.

What is the status of this engagement?

We worked together in November 2022.

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What evidence can you share that demonstrates the impact of the engagement?

The primary measure of success was the successful completion of the training by the participants and the improvement of their Power BI knowledge and practical skills. Following the training, employees were able to apply the concepts learned to their daily reporting and data analysis activities.

We didn’t establish formal pre- and post-training assessments; however, we observed a noticeable increase in participants’ confidence and ability to use Power BI independently after the training.

After the training, employees enhanced existing reports and dashboards by implementing Power BI features that they hadn’t previously been aware of or confident using. One specific example was the adoption of Time Intelligence functions, which enabled more advanced trend analysis and period-over-period comparisons within reports.

Additionally, we had strong participant engagement during the training and received positive feedback on the course content and delivery.

How did Antdata perform from a project management standpoint?

Antdata’s project management was excellent throughout the engagement. We primarily communicated in person and through emails and messaging apps.

What did you find most impressive about them?

We particularly appreciated Antdata's practical approach. Throughout the two-day session, we worked on a complete Power BI report for a sample company, gradually adding more advanced functionalities and learning how to apply them in practice.

The report scenario was closely aligned with our day-to-day reporting and analytical activities, which made the training highly relevant and easy to relate to. This approach helped participants understand not only how specific Power BI features work but also how to apply them to real business cases. As a result, employees were able to quickly transfer the knowledge gained during the training to their own reports and dashboards, making the learning experience both engaging and immediately useful.

Are there any areas they could improve?

No, there weren’t any significant areas for improvement. We were very satisfied with the overall delivery and collaboration.

BACKGROUND

Please describe your company and position.

 I am the Data to Insight Manager of a plant-based food company.

Describe what your company does in a single sentence.

A global company that produces and sells plant-based food products, including spreads, margarines, and dairy alternatives, focusing on healthier and more sustainable options.

OPPORTUNITY / CHALLENGE

What specific goals or objectives did you hire Antdata to accomplish?

• Design and implement an enterprise-grade Azure Synapse Analytics architecture, integrating data from ERP systems, internal databases, and multiple external APIs.
• Build and maintain a centralized Microsoft Power BI reporting ecosystem covering all business areas (Finance, Marketing, Sales, Supply Chain, Manufacturing, ESG, etc.).
• Develop and maintain custom business applications using Microsoft Power Apps and Power Automate to streamline operational processes.
• Create and deploy machine learning models supporting business cases such as demand forecasting, price elasticity, and marketing ROI analysis.
• Implement IoT sensor systems on production lines and deliver real-time Power BI dashboards for production performance and efficiency tracking.

SOLUTION

How did you find Antdata?

Referral

Why did you select Antdata over others?

• Close to my geographic location
• Pricing fit our budget

How many teammates from Antdata were assigned to this project?

25

Describe the scope of work in detail. Please include a summary of key deliverables.

Our collaboration with Antdata began in 2021 and has continuously evolved into a strategic partnership covering the full data and analytics landscape. The scope included the design, implementation, and continuous enhancement of our end-to-end Business Intelligence 
ecosystem — from data integration and storage to advanced analytics, reporting, and automation. Antdata has been responsible for developing and maintaining our cloud data infrastructure, primarily on Azure Synapse Analytics and now Microsoft Fabric. They integrated multiple data sources — including ERP, CRM, marketing, production, and ESG systems — into a unified and governed data platform. This environment now supports both business reporting and machine learning use cases across global markets.
On top of the data foundation, Antdata built a company-wide reporting suite in Microsoft Power BI, providing interactive dashboards for Finance, Demand Planning, Marketing, Supply Chain, and ESG. They also delivered numerous automation and workflow applications using Power Apps and Power Automate, streamlining processes across operations, sales, and compliance teams.
Beyond reporting, Antdata has implemented predictive analytics and machine learning solutions — such as demand forecasting, price elasticity modeling, and marketing ROI analysis — and helped industrial sites adopt IoT-based data collection and real-time OEE monitoring

RESULTS & FEEDBACK

What were the measurable outcomes from the project that demonstrate progress or success?

Business impact and adoption
• The BI and data platform developed by Antdata became a central, company-wide source of truth for reporting and analytics.
• Adoption significantly increased — hundreds of users across functions (Finance, Supply Chain, Marketing, ESG, etc.) actively use Power BI dashboards and self-service tools.
• Business users gained faster and easier access to insights, reducing manual Excel work and ad-hoc data requests.
Efficiency and automation gains
• Automated data pipelines replaced dozens of manual reporting processes.
• Reduced data refresh times and infrastructure costs.
• Machine learning models improved forecast accuracy and reduced planning 
effort.
• Power Apps automated operational workflows, shortening approval or reporting 
cycles from days to hours.
Data quality and governance improvements
• Unified data structures and standardized KPIs across all regions/functions.
• Enhanced reliability through automated validation and metadata frameworks.
• Clear ownership and version control introduced across the data environment.
Innovation and scalability
• Enabling a modern, scalable architecture.
• Introduction of IoT data collection provided near real-time production insights 
and performance tracking.
• Established a solid foundation for advanced analytics and AI-based decision-making going forward

Describe their project management. Did they deliver items on time? How did they respond to your needs?

Collaboration and communication
• Antdata has been working with us in an ongoing partnership since 2021, managing multiple projects in parallel across data engineering, reporting, machine learning, and app development.
• Communication has always been clear and proactive — we have regular checkins, sprint reviews, and ad-hoc sessions when priorities shift.
• The team is flexible and easy to reach, using Microsoft Teams, Jira, and SharePoint for task tracking and documentation.
Project management and delivery
• Antdata consistently delivers work on time and according to the agreed scope.
• They manage complex dependencies between data, analytics, and business teams efficiently.
• When priorities or business requirements change (which happens often in longterm programs like this), they quickly adjust timelines and provide transparent impact assessments.
• Their approach combines agile delivery with proper documentation and release control (e.g., CI/CD pipelines, versioning, testing frameworks).
Responsiveness and support
• The team is highly responsive — issues or questions are usually addressed within hours, not days.
• They actively support end users, provide training, and help business teams adopt new tools and reports effectively.
• Their commitment and reliability make collaboration smooth and productive throughout all project stages.

What was your primary form of communication with Antdata?

• In-Person Meeting
• Virtual Meeting
• Email or Messaging App

What did you find most impressive or unique about this company?

Efficiency and agility
• Antdata stands out for their ability to deliver results quickly and efficiently.
• Compared to larger vendors, their decision-making process is very agile — they can adapt plans and implement changes within days rather than weeks or months.
• This flexibility has been particularly valuable in dynamic projects where priorities often shift or new technologies are introduced.
Team quality and mindset
• The team is young, motivated, and highly capable of learning and adopting new tools or frameworks.
• They combine strong technical expertise with a practical understanding of business needs, which helps turn ideas into working solutions fast.
• Their proactive, “let’s make it happen” attitude makes collaboration smooth and productive.
Partnership approach
• Antdata operates as a true partner rather than a typical external supplier.
• They take ownership of outcomes, not just deliverables, and actively suggest improvements or optimizations beyond the original scope.
• Their openness, energy, and responsiveness make working with them both effective and enjoyable

Are there any areas for improvement or something Antdata could have done differently?

Overall performance
• Overall, we’ve been satisfied with Antdata’s work and the level of professionalism they bring to every project.
• They consistently deliver high-quality results and adapt quickly to new requirements, which makes it difficult to point out any significant areas for improvement.
Minor observations
• In large, fast-moving projects, timelines can sometimes be very ambitious — but the team always manages to stay on track and communicate transparently when priorities shift.
• As the partnership grows, we continue to refine internal coordination and release planning together to keep things even smoother.
Summary
• In general, Antdata’s flexibility, technical depth, and responsiveness have set a very high standard.
• There are no major issues to highlight — just the natural fine-tuning that comes with long-term collaboration and continuous growth.