Reusable ingestion
ConnectWise and SmileBack data enter Microsoft Fabric through reusable ingestion patterns rather than remaining tied to one dashboard.
- ConnectWise service data
- SmileBack customer feedback
- Future sources
Case study · Blackbird IT
Modernising service delivery reporting for Blackbird IT
A service delivery dashboard became the first use case for a reusable Microsoft Fabric platform, bringing ConnectWise operations and SmileBack feedback into one governed reporting environment.
- Client
- Blackbird IT
- Industry
- Managed IT services
- Engagement
- Fabric implementation · Power BI modernisation
- Platform
- Microsoft Fabric · Power BI
Built withMicrosoft FabricPower BIConnectWise PSASmileBack
Results
Outcomes at a glance
Retired
BrightGauge discontinued after validation
One view
Service operations and customer feedback together
Earlier
Ageing, stale and SLA-risk work surfaced
Controlled
Measures and business logic owned by Blackbird IT
Reusable
Data foundation extends beyond one dashboard
Validated
Microsoft-native approach proven in an MSP environment
The challenge
BrightGauge could not answer the operational questions Blackbird IT needed
Blackbird IT runs its managed services operation in ConnectWise and used BrightGauge for reporting. The standard dashboards and predefined measures could not provide the service delivery view the team wanted.
Leaders needed one live view of open, ageing and stale tickets, work approaching SLA thresholds and customer feedback from SmileBack. The dashboard also needed to work on an office display and remain flexible as reporting requirements changed.
Replacing the dashboard alone would have solved the immediate visibility problem while leaving Blackbird IT with another isolated reporting asset.
The approach
Start with the decisions, then build the reporting around them
DataMust began with the operational questions the dashboard had to answer rather than copying BrightGauge feature for feature.
Ingestion, transformation and visualisation were separated so the data and business rules could be reused. ConnectWise service data and SmileBack feedback were brought into Microsoft Fabric, with reporting logic applied centrally before Power BI presented the operational view.
- Define the service decisions the dashboard must support
- Ingest ConnectWise and SmileBack data into Microsoft Fabric
- Apply ticket ageing, stale-work and SLA-risk logic centrally
- Build a Power BI dashboard for active management and office display
- Validate the reporting before retiring BrightGauge
Microsoft FabricReusable reporting foundation
Connects to
ConnectWise PSA
SmileBack feedback
Power BI dashboard
Future reporting and AI
The solution
A service dashboard built on a reusable data foundation
The implementation reproduced the service delivery reporting Blackbird IT needed while creating a platform that can support additional operational and management use cases.
Shared service logic
Ticket ageing, stale-work and SLA-risk rules are applied centrally, giving Blackbird IT control over the measures its team uses.
- Ageing tickets
- Stale work
- SLA risk
Operational Power BI view
The dashboard supports active service management and a live office display, with customer feedback shown beside operational performance.
- Service delivery
- Customer feedback
- Office display
Once Blackbird IT validated the new reporting, it discontinued BrightGauge and consolidated the use case onto its Microsoft platform.
Strategic impact
The immediate reporting need became a platform Blackbird IT can extend
The new view helps the service team identify active, ageing and stale tickets and work approaching SLA thresholds earlier. ConnectWise operations and SmileBack feedback now sit in one reporting environment rather than being reviewed separately.
Blackbird IT also controls its measures, transformation rules and dashboard design. The same foundation can support further reporting, automation and AI use cases without starting again for each one.
Before“A specialist dashboard product with predefined measures and separate sources.”
After“A Microsoft-native platform with shared logic and one service view.”
Why it matters
Solve the reporting problem without creating another reporting silo
Many managed service providers respond to reporting limitations by adding another dashboard, spreadsheet or specialist tool. That can improve visibility while increasing fragmentation.
Blackbird IT treated the dashboard as the first use case for a broader Microsoft-native data foundation. It solved the immediate service delivery need and retained a platform that can grow with the business.
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