Case Study - Power BI Dashboard Development for Airport Facility Operations
Ranae Peterson • September 3, 2025
Introduction: Limited Visibility, Delayed Decisions
Tulsa International Airport operates around the clock to ensure smooth, safe, and efficient travel for thousands of passengers each day. However, behind the scenes, their facility operations team faced significant challenges in accessing and interpreting critical operational data in real time.
Despite having invested in systems like Cityworks for asset and facility management, they lacked the analytical tools to translate raw data into actionable insights. This gap created an environment where issues were often addressed reactively rather than proactively, leading to delays, inefficiencies, and an inability to confidently monitor performance across teams and systems.
Key Operational Pain Points Included:
- Limited access to real-time operational data, creating blind spots for leadership and delaying response time.
- No centralized platform to track service KPIs such as open work orders, service request status, or technician assignments.
- Manual, disjointed reporting processes that reduced efficiency and increased risk of data inaccuracy.
- Lack of transparency across departments, leading to resource misallocation and missed opportunities for optimization.
Without a robust, real-time operational dashboard, Tulsa International Airport risked falling behind on facility responsiveness, operational efficiency, and customer experience, all critical elements for an airport’s success and reputation.
The Solution: Integrated, Scalable, Real-Time Operational Intelligence
To close this visibility gap, Tulsa International Airport partnered with Brewster Consulting Group to design and deploy a scalable analytics solution using Microsoft Power BI, integrated directly with their existing Cityworks asset management platform.
A Custom-Built Analytics Environment
Brewster’s approach was rooted in solving for both technical complexity and long-term usability. We worked closely with operations and IT teams to understand system dependencies, daily workflow needs, and desired outcomes.
Our solution included:
-Seamless API integration
with Cityworks, enabling near real-time data extraction from work order, asset, and maintenance systems.
-Interactive Power BI dashboards,
purpose-built to surface live KPIs such as open service requests, overdue work orders, and departmental workload distribution.
-Automated data transformation and synchronization,
eliminating the need for manual updates or static spreadsheets.
-Data validation and quality checks,
ensuring the dashboards delivered reliable and consistent insights day after day.
Throughout the engagement, our team overcame challenges related to API rate limits, inconsistent data structures, and the need for low-latency updates. We designed the system not only to meet current needs but to scale with the airport’s evolving operational goals.
Results: From Reactive Response to Proactive Control
With the Power BI dashboards fully deployed, Tulsa International Airport experienced a transformative shift in how its facility operations were managed. The team gained real-time visibility
into service requests and work order statuses, allowing staff to actively monitor open tasks, track aging tickets, and prioritize issues as they arose.
Management was also able to leverage historical trend analysis
to evaluate long-term performance, such as average completion times and recurring issues tied to specific assets or locations; insights that had previously been difficult to surface. Resource allocation improved significantly,
as live operational data enabled supervisors to assign technicians more efficiently, balance workloads across departments, and rapidly respond to emerging service needs.
The dashboard’s intuitive design, complete with drill-down capabilities, empowered leadership to investigate anomalies or performance breakdowns without needing to rely on static reports or manual data gathering.
Ultimately, this solution eliminated many of the operational blind spots
that had hindered agility in the past, resulting in fewer delays, clearer interdepartmental communication, and measurable improvements in the airport’s responsiveness and overall efficiency.
Conclusion: Building an Airport Operations Command Center
By integrating real-time Cityworks data into a custom Power BI environment, Brewster Consulting Group helped Tulsa International Airport shift from fragmented, static reporting to a dynamic operations command center.
This transformation empowers the airport to be proactive rather than reactive, ensuring they are equipped to manage facility operations with the speed, clarity, and confidence required in a high-stakes environment.
With their new analytics infrastructure in place, Tulsa International Airport is better positioned to optimize performance, minimize disruption, and continuously improve the passenger experience, all while gaining control over the KPIs that matter most.
At Brewster Consulting Group, we recognize that managing data can be a daunting task for small and mid-sized enterprises. Allow us to assist you in harnessing the potential of operational intelligence! Reach out to one of our specialists today to refine your data strategy, optimize your processes, and establish solid governance. Ready to cultivate data analysis and propel scalable growth? Your journey begins right here!
Many small businesses are laser-focused on growth, sales, and staying afloat. In that constant hustle, one of the most valuable assets, data , often gets overlooked. Even when businesses “look at the numbers,” that doesn’t always mean they’re collecting the right data, tracking the right KPIs, or translating those insights into actionable strategies. Fractional analytics bridges that gap. It allows small businesses to access experienced data analysts or analytics teams on a part-time or project basis, essentially bringing enterprise-level data expertise without the full-time cost. Think of it as analytics-as-a-service for small business owners who need clarity and insight but can’t justify a full analytics department. The Reality: Why Data Gets Overlooked While most business leaders know data is “important,” it can be hard to see its impact until it’s visualized through dashboards, real-time reporting, or guided by a professional who knows how to turn information into action. Without these tools and expertise, business decisions often rely on gut instinct instead of insight, leading to inefficiencies, missed opportunities, and in some cases, failure. Statistics show that: About 20% of small businesses don’t survive their first year. Nearly 50% fail within five years. Around 65% close within ten years. While the reasons vary, from financial mismanagement to poor planning, many of these challenges stem from a lack of data visibility or poor data management . In other words, the root cause often isn’t just financial; it’s analytical . Real World Analogy Imagine running a restaurant without ever checking what inventory levels, most frequent orders, or best margin products. You might think you’re doing well because the restaurant is busy, but when you do the books, you’re not actually making any money. Now, imagine having a fractional analytics consultant helping you organize and visualize your data. They don’t need to be in the kitchen every day, but when they are, they bring order to chaos, tracking inventory and margin by menu item, predicting staffing needs, and saving costs by cutting waste. That’s what fractional analytics does for your business data. It helps you understand what’s really happening across operations, finance, and customer service so you can make smarter, faster decisions. Common Operational Challenges Solved by Fractional Analytics Here are a few common pain points small businesses face that fractional analytics services can address: Inefficient reporting and manual data entry. Lack of clear KPIs or performance tracking. Inconsistent financial forecasting. Missed revenue opportunities due to incomplete data. Poor inventory or resource management. Lack of clarity around customer behavior and profitability. Benefits of Fractional Analytics for Small Businesses Engaging a fractional analytics provider offers far more than just numbers and dashboards. It’s about empowering smarter decisions without breaking the bank. Cost efficiency: Avoid the high salary and benefits of full-time analytics hire. Speed to impact: Gain immediate access to expertise, no lengthy onboarding or training required. Scalability: Bring in analytics support when you need it and scale it up as you grow. Better decision-making: Replace guesswork with data-driven insights and actionable KPIs. Time savings: Spend less time in spreadsheets and more time growing your business. Long-term cost reduction: Identify duplicate payments, missed invoices, and inefficiencies that quietly drain profit. Fractional analytics also enhances cash flow management and enables business leaders to spot opportunities for optimization, often resulting in measurable growth and sustainability. Why It’s a Make-or-Break Decision Choosing whether to work with a fractional analytics consultant could be the difference between surviving and thriving. Many business owners don’t realize that outsourced analytics is even an option, one that offers flexibility, affordability, and strategic insight without high overhead. The truth is, small business leaders don’t have to do it all alone, nor do they need to rush into hiring a full-time team. Fractional analytics gives them the best of both worlds: the expertise of a senior data strategist and the flexibility of a part-time engagement. Final Thoughts In today’s competitive market, data-driven decision making isn’t optional; it’s essential. Small businesses that embrace fractional analytics gain clarity, confidence, and control over their operations. By investing in the right insights today, they set up the foundation for sustainable growth tomorrow. If your business is ready to move from guessing to growing, now’s the time to explore what fractional analytics services can do for you.
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