Migrating Power BI to Fabric Lakehouse with Medallion Architecture

The challenges facing Mount Anvil were layered and strategic in nature. At the operational level, the business was constrained by the limitations of its existing systems. The data they were collecting could not easily be combined or interrogated across the organisation, which meant reporting was fragmented and incomplete. Leadership wanted the ability to conduct historic trend analysis and track performance over time, yet the tools available to them only allowed a static “as-is” view. 

At a more strategic level, Mount Anvil was looking ahead. They knew that the property development sector was moving toward advanced analytics, AI, and machine learning to optimise decision-making. However, without a modern data environment in place, those ambitions remained out of reach. As Mike put it: “We wanted to enable ourselves to have a more connected data state, so we could report across more of the business together. We also wanted to do historic trend analysis, and we saw this project as a building block for eventually having an AI or machine learning initiative once our data was in a more modern state.” 

Synapx approached the project with a clear commitment to transparency, collaboration, and long-term value. From the outset, their team worked closely with Mount Anvil to ensure that the solution would not only resolve immediate reporting challenges but also provide a platform for future growth. 

The engagement began with discovery sessions, during which Synapx’s consultants and architects invested significant time to understand the nuances of Mount Anvil’s systems, objectives, and constraints. This led to the design of a tailored solution built on Microsoft Fabric, which offered the scalability and integration required. Data was migrated into the cloud, eliminating the previous constraints of third-party providers and enabling a single, connected data state through master data management. Daily data snapshotting was introduced to allow trend analysis and richer reporting, ensuring the business could move from static views of data to dynamic insights over time. 

A hybrid delivery model was also critical to success. Synapx leveraged both its UK-based consultants and offshore delivery teams, creating a seamless collaboration that optimised quality while managing costs. Mike highlighted the effectiveness of this approach: “The Indian team have been brilliant. Hemanth has been methodical, knowledgeable, and a great communicator. It’s opened our eyes to the offshore model for technical project delivery and is something we will consider using more in the future.” 

A major differentiator in Synapx’s solution was its use of Xscale, a cost-saving optimisation tool embedded within Microsoft Fabric. By leveraging Xscale, Synapx was able to minimise Fabric’s ongoing consumption costs for Mount Anvil, ensuring the solution was not only powerful but also financially sustainable. “Throughout the project,” Mike explained, “we managed to optimise costs with Synapx’s help. Fabric comes in at a high cost compared to what we had before, but Xscale made that much more manageable. It was a real benefit of working with Synapx.” 

Synapx also implemented Microsoft Activator, a tool for proactive alerting and exception reporting. While this was not part of the original scope, it became a powerful, unexpected benefit. “One of the surprising advantages of working with Synapx,” Mike noted, “was that we ended up with an alerting tool we didn’t have before. It will enable us to be more proactive in identifying issues, and over time, it will strengthen our exception reporting as a business.” 

The impact of the Synapx solution was significant, even if not immediately visible to end users. On the surface, employees continued to access their familiar Power BI dashboards. But beneath that familiar interface, the entire data landscape had been transformed. Reporting now draws from a connected, cloud-based data environment, enabling insights that were previously impossible. 

The introduction of master data management brought governance and consistency, ensuring that the organisation could trust the accuracy of its data. Daily snapshotting allowed Mount Anvil to build historic trend analysis into its reporting, providing new visibility into performance over time. These foundational improvements have already begun to unlock operational efficiencies, with data becoming available more quickly and consistently across the business. 

Perhaps most importantly, the new Fabric environment provides a platform for future growth. Mount Anvil now has the infrastructure in place to explore AI and machine learning, which will be critical to driving the next phase of digital transformation. 

Alongside these core benefits, the project delivered unexpected value. With Synapx’s guidance, Mount Anvil optimised its Fabric licensing and costs through Xscale, improved its Power BI licence approach, and gained exposure to the latest capabilities within the Microsoft ecosystem. “This project has given us much greater visibility into the modern Power Apps world, what’s relevant to Mount Anvil and what’s not. And with Xscale, we’ve been able to keep costs under control while still gaining the benefits of Fabric.” 

For Mount Anvil, the technical solution was only half the story. What set Synapx apart was its partnership approach. They embedded themselves as an extension of the internal team, showing a willingness at every stage to go beyond scope, roll up their sleeves, and ensure success. 

“Synapx have felt like part of our team,” Mike said. “From junior consultants to senior stakeholders, there was a determination that this project would succeed, no matter what it took. They’ve consistently gone the extra mile, and they’ve done it with honesty, integrity, and an absence of politics that we found truly refreshing. That’s rare, and it’s why I’ve already recommended Synapx to other businesses.”