Modernizing Reporting with Power BI: A Case Study in Childcare Services

September 9, 2025

Client Overview

A leading North American childcare provider operating hundreds of centers wanted to streamline its financial and operational reporting. While scaling operations, they became reliant on Excel and manual data collection across multiple platforms, leading to inefficiencies and a lack of actionable insights.

The Challenge

1. Disconnected Data Ecosystem
  Key operational and financial metrics—staffing, enrollment, P&L—were fragmented across systems like Daycare Works, ADP, NetSuite, and HubSpot. There was no central location to view or analyze this information.
2. Time-Consuming Manual Processes
  Reporting involved manual Excel exports and inconsistent spreadsheet practices. This created significant time overhead and left room for data errors and misalignment.
3. Inflexible Access & Visibility
  Different stakeholder groups (executives, area managers, center directors) had unique reporting needs, but the current process couldn’t deliver tailored or secure access to relevant data.
4. Underused Microsoft 365 Tools
  Despite owning SharePoint and Power BI, the organization had not implemented these platforms for automated or self-serve reporting.
5. Lack of Standardized KPIs
  With no unified framework, teams lacked consistency when comparing performance across locations, time periods, or functions.

Our Approach: Segue Power BI Assessment

Segue Systems led a Power BI Assessment to evaluate the client’s existing reporting infrastructure and build a foundation for a simpler, scalable reporting system.

Discovery & Environment Review

Assessed reporting requirements across Finance, HR, and Operations
Evaluated licensing, data sources, and Microsoft 365 readiness
Analyzed current workflows and reporting pain points

Strategic Recommendations

Designed a unified Power BI semantic model to centralize reporting
Proposed use of SharePoint for structured data management
Mapped out API-based integrations with ADP, NetSuite, Daycare Works, and HubSpot
Established a role-based access model tailored for different user types
Identified cost-effective sharing/licensing options (e.g., PDF automation, shared reports)

Proof-of-Concept (POC) Development

Built live Power BI dashboards using client data
Showcased visualizations for KPIs such as FTEs, hours worked, and center-level performance
Included drilldowns by region, center, and age group
Demonstrated advanced filtering, role-based views, and multi-page navigation

Future Roadmap

Transition from Excel exports to automated API connections
Automate reporting delivery through Power Automate
Create a lightweight Power App for manual data entry (e.g., budgets, salaries, occupancy)

Impact & Outcomes

Delivered a live demo that clearly illustrated the power of centralized reporting using the client’s own data
Outlined a practical roadmap to streamline operations and improve reporting accuracy
Built internal alignment on key metrics and reporting priorities
Enabled the client to fully leverage their Microsoft 365 investment, creating a scalable foundation for long-term growth