Antdata

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.