An Executive Cockpit, Live in 30 Days.
Power BI consulting services that turn scattered reports into one mobile-first cockpit leaders open every morning: five KPIs, a line of narrative on each, and row-level security from day one.
- 30days to a live cockpit
- 5KPIs in the first release
- Under3 secmedian load time
- 30 seca day to check the business
Why Executive Dashboards Go Unused.
Most dashboards are built for analysts, then handed to executives who stop opening them.
- 01Too Many MetricsForty charts on a page means nobody knows which number matters.
- 02Too Slow to LoadIf a dashboard takes more than a few seconds, leaders go back to email.
- 03Numbers Nobody TrustsDifferent reports show different totals for the same KPI.
Definition
What Is an Executive Digital Cockpit?
An executive digital cockpit is a single, mobile-first Power BI screen showing the handful of KPIs that run the business, each with a short narrative and one-click drilldown to action. SMI TechSolutions builds cockpits on governed data so leaders check the business in about 30 seconds a day.
What we do
What We Build
Executive Cockpit
From40-page monthly reportToOne screen, five KPIsExecutive dashboard development for enterprise leaders.
Data Control Tower
FromSeparate dashboards per functionToLinked cockpits on one semantic layerFinance, operations, supply chain, and HR on shared definitions.
Performance
FromSlow, timing-out reportsToUnder-3-second loadsComposite models, aggregations, and incremental refresh on large datasets.
Security
FromShared logins and exports by emailToRow-level security, SSO, and audit logsEntra ID or Okta, column masking by role.
Integration
FromCopies of data in ExcelToLive connection to your platformPower BI on Microsoft Fabric, Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, or SQL Server.
Options compared
Report, Dashboard, Cockpit, or Control Tower?
Reports and analyst dashboards answer detailed questions; an executive cockpit shows the five numbers that matter, daily; a control tower connects cockpits across functions. Most organizations start with one cockpit, then grow it into a control tower on the same semantic layer.
| Option | Who uses it | Typical scope | How often it's opened |
|---|---|---|---|
| Static report | Managers, finance | Many pages, fixed format | Monthly |
| Analyst dashboard | Analysts | Dozens of visuals and filters | When a question comes up |
| Executive cockpitUsed daily | CEO, CFO, business leaders | Five KPIs with narrative and drilldown | Daily |
| Data control tower | Leadership team across functions | Linked cockpits on one semantic layer | Daily and in reviews |
How we deliver
The 30-Day MVP Cockpit
- 1
Week 1
Stakeholder interviews, KPI shortlist, source data assessment.
You getSigned-off KPI tree and data sources - 2
Week 2
Semantic model build and security design.
You getStar schema and row-level security live - 3
Week 3
Mobile-first visuals and narrative annotations.
You getTwo design reviews completed - 4
Week 4
User acceptance testing, performance tuning, deployment.
You getCockpit live in production
- Security built in
- Row-level security by org hierarchy
- Column masking by role
- SSO and MFA via Entra ID or Okta
- Audit logs of views, exports, and changes
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
What do Power BI consulting services include?
Power BI consulting services at SMI TechSolutions cover KPI definition, data source assessment, semantic model design, security, visual design, performance tuning, and deployment. The first engagement is a fixed-scope, fixed-fee 30-day MVP that puts a live executive cockpit into production.
What does a good Power BI executive dashboard look like?
A good Power BI executive dashboard fits on one mobile screen, shows about five KPIs against targets, adds one line of narrative per metric, and drills down one level to the action. SMI TechSolutions shows three live examples in a 30-minute call.
Why start with only five KPIs?
Executives stop using cockpits that show too much. SMI TechSolutions starts with five KPIs tied to the decisions leaders make most often, proves daily use, then adds metrics or function-level cockpits once the habit is in place.
How do you make Power BI dashboards faster?
SMI TechSolutions tunes Power BI performance with star-schema semantic models, composite models, aggregations, and incremental refresh, then enforces load-time budgets in CI/CD. The target is a median load under three seconds, even on large enterprise datasets.
How do you secure Power BI dashboards?
SMI TechSolutions applies row-level security aligned to your org hierarchy, masks sensitive columns by role, enforces SSO and MFA through Entra ID or Okta with no standalone passwords, and logs views, exports, and changes for audit.
Should we hire a Power BI developer or a consulting firm?
A single Power BI developer suits small, well-defined report work. A consulting firm suits executive cockpits that need KPI design, data modeling, security, and performance across several sources. SMI TechSolutions provides both: a delivery team for the MVP, then dedicated developers to extend it.
Does Power BI work with Snowflake and Databricks?
Yes. SMI TechSolutions connects Power BI to Microsoft Fabric, Snowflake, Databricks, BigQuery, Synapse, and on-premises SQL Server, choosing DirectQuery, import, or composite models per dataset to balance freshness, speed, and cost.
Do we need Microsoft Fabric for Power BI?
No, but it helps. Microsoft Fabric brings data engineering, warehousing, and Power BI onto one platform with shared storage and governance. SMI TechSolutions offers Microsoft Fabric consulting and recommends it when it lowers cost or simplifies your data stack.
What is business intelligence consulting?
Business intelligence consulting helps organizations decide which metrics matter, build trusted data models, and deliver reports and dashboards people use. SMI TechSolutions focuses business intelligence on executive cockpits and data control towers tied to business decisions.
How much does a Power BI cockpit cost?
SMI TechSolutions prices the first cockpit as a fixed-scope, fixed-fee 30-day MVP, proposed after a 30-minute demo call. Licensing depends on your Power BI tier: Pro, Premium Per User, or Premium or Fabric capacity.
Can a Power BI cockpit show real-time data?
Yes, for KPIs that need it. SMI TechSolutions uses DirectQuery, streaming datasets, or Fabric real-time intelligence for live operational metrics, and scheduled refresh for financial KPIs where daily is enough, to keep costs in check.
Ready to See Your Cockpit?
In 30 minutes, see three live cockpits and leave with a fixed-scope, fixed-fee proposal for your own.
- Nearly two decades of delivery
