Manual Reporting
Managers spent time reviewing records instead of interpreting operational performance.
Synthetic Portfolio Case Study
Mining Laboratory Operations Intelligence Platform
A complete business intelligence workflow for a production-support mining laboratory: kickoff documentation, data preparation, star schema modeling, Power BI KPI development, weekly project reporting, and executive findings.
Business Problem
Manual reporting limited operational visibility.
The laboratory relied on manually reviewed sample records, spreadsheet-based reporting, and informal operational visibility. As sample volume increased, leadership had limited ability to identify turnaround issues, monitor SLA compliance, track re-runs, or understand whether delays were concentrated by department, instrument, sample type, technician, or area.
Limited KPI Visibility
SLA compliance, turnaround time, and re-run activity were difficult to monitor consistently.
Hidden Bottlenecks
Operational delays were hard to isolate by instrument, department, area, or sample type.
What Strantell Built
A complete BI workflow from raw data to executive findings.
This case study demonstrates the full delivery path of an operations analytics engagement: clean the data, model it properly, build the dashboard, and translate the findings into management action.
Data Preparation
Cleaned laboratory sample records, timestamps, SLA rules, priorities, statuses, and categories.
Analytical Model
Built a star schema with fact and dimension tables for reliable Power BI reporting.
Executive Dashboard
Created KPI cards, filters, trend views, SLA visuals, and bottleneck analysis views.
Management Reporting
Prepared kickoff, weekly progress, and executive findings documents for a realistic engagement.
Dashboard
Executive Summary View
The dashboard gives leadership a single view of sample volume, turnaround time, SLA performance, re-run activity, late samples, lab health, and lateness severity. Filters allow users to review performance by date, area, department, sample type, status, and technician.
916
Total Samples
3.19
Avg TAT Hours
86.35%
SLA Compliance
125
Late Samples
Dashboard
SLA Compliance and Trend Analysis
Additional dashboard views allow leadership to evaluate SLA performance trends, compare current-year performance against prior-year results, and identify whether operational performance is improving or deteriorating over time.
Key Findings
The operational story behind the dashboard.
1. Volume was normal, but performance weakened.
May received 916 samples against a normalized YTD expectation of 908.04, meaning workload was essentially flat. Despite that, average turnaround increased 8.88%, SLA compliance declined 1.01 percentage points, and late samples increased 8.98%.
2. The issue was not rush demand or rework.
Rush samples and re-run samples were effectively flat against normalized YTD expectations, making demand mix an unlikely explanation.
3. XRF-supported workflows were the strongest bottleneck signal.
XRF-1 and XRF-2 handled approximately 62% of May volume and both experienced double-digit increases in average turnaround.
4. Smelter concentration amplified the impact.
The Smelter department handled nearly 58% of May volume and degraded across turnaround, SLA compliance, and late sample count.
Deliverables
Project Documents
These documents demonstrate the full engagement lifecycle: kickoff, progress communication, and executive findings.
PDF Document
Client Kickoff Document
Defines the problem, objectives, scope, deliverables, risks, assumptions, schedule, responsibilities, and communication plan.
PDF Document
Weekly Progress Report
Shows completed work, project status, blockers, decisions needed, planned next work, and hours.
PDF Document
Executive Findings Report
Summarizes KPI movement, bottleneck signals, operational risks, root cause hypotheses, and recommended actions.
Process
A repeatable engagement model.
- Discovery and kickoff
- Data cleanup and validation
- Star schema modeling
- KPI definition
- Dashboard development
- Findings synthesis
- Executive reporting and handoff
Demonstrated Value
From raw records to management-ready visibility.
This case study demonstrates how an operations-heavy business can move from scattered sample records to a structured management reporting system. The final deliverables provide leadership with visibility into workload, turnaround performance, SLA compliance, re-runs, late samples, bottleneck signals, and follow-up actions.