Cloud Data Management
Consultancy / Development
Belltree are a global software provider with a supporting consultancy business within the Upstream Oil and Gas Industry. Their bMark application utilises research data to allow users to predict the reserves potential of energy portfolios through reservoir and production analytics and technical insight.
Business Challenge
Belltree faced significant challenges with their data management processes. They relied heavily on Excel for data storage and manipulation, which led to inefficiencies and complexities in pushing data to their production server in Azure. The primary goal was to streamline data processing and reduce the time taken to move data from Excel to the production environment.
The Solution
Migrating data to Dataverse and leveraging the Power Platform to enhance functionality & user experience
Power Platform/ Power Apps/ Azure/ Dataverse
To address these challenges, we collaborated closely with Belltree’s analysts to understand their global data set and workflows. The solution involved migrating their data to Dataverse and leveraging the Power Platform to enhance functionality and user experience. Key components of the solution included:
Data Migration: We used dataflows to extract data from Excel and import it into Dataverse. Custom macros were developed to export comments from Excel cells, ensuring all relevant information was captured during the migration.
Custom Functionality: To maintain the functionality of existing Excel macros, we converted many columns into calculated columns (later moved to formula columns). More complex functions were implemented using JavaScript, which triggered on save, ensuring seamless integration with Dataverse forms.
Data Processing: A process was established to send records from Dataverse to Belltree’s SQL server for live publication. This involved creating a JavaScript function on the form/grid ribbon to generate new records in a table, which then triggered an approval flow to send the data to SQL.
Auditing: One of the key reasons for moving to Dataverse was to enhance auditing capabilities. This allowed Belltree to track calculations and user updates before publishing records live, ensuring data integrity and accountability.
The Result
The project successfully addressed Belltree’s business challenges, resulting in a more efficient, secure, and scalable data management solution
The transition to Dataverse and the Power Platform yielded significant improvements for Belltree. Migrating data from Excel to Dataverse streamlined data processing and reduced the time required to move data to the production server in Azure. Custom macros and JavaScript functions ensured that the functionality of existing Excel processes was preserved and enhanced within Dataverse. Enhanced auditing capabilities allowed Belltree to track calculations and user updates, ensuring data integrity before publishing records live. Implementing daily flows for backups ensured data security and prevented issues related to Excel’s row limits.
Additionally, adding new tables and security roles improved data organisation and access management. Training sessions empowered Belltree’s users with knowledge on security, collaboration, and productivity benefits, leading to increased efficiency and adoption of the new system. Overall, the project successfully addressed Belltree’s business challenges, resulting in a more efficient, secure, and scalable data management solution.
“From the initial system build, to the ongoing development, Ben and the Flyte team have been fully engaged, proactive, and quick to respond to issues. Migrating our system to Dataverse and the Power Platform has significantly improved the efficiency of our internal process. It has also allowed us to build additional functionality into workflows multiplying the benefits of the system. Alongside this project we have worked with multiple other teams and functions across the business, all of whom have been professional and knowledgeable.”
Andrew Berrow, bMark Development Manager
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