Embedded Analytics

Embedded analytics is the practice of putting interactive reports, dashboards, and data visualizations directly inside the applications people already use, rather than sending them to a separate BI tool. Instead of exporting data or switching to a standalone portal, users see charts, KPIs, and filters in the context of their own workflow: a customer portal, an internal line-of-business app, or a commercial SaaS product. On the Microsoft platform, this is delivered primarily through Power BI Embedded.

The shift toward embedded analytics reflects how people actually work. Insights are far more valuable at the point of decision than in a tool someone has to remember to open. For software companies, embedded analytics is also a product differentiator and revenue driver, customers increasingly expect rich, in-app reporting. Whether you are enriching an internal application or building analytics into a product you sell, embedded analytics turns data from a separate destination into a native part of the experience. ARC designs and builds secure, branded, performant embedded analytics on Power BI Embedded.

Power BI Embedded supports a full range of in-app analytics scenarios:

• App-owns-data embedding. Embed analytics for external users and customers without requiring them to have Power BI licenses, ideal for customer portals and SaaS products.
• User-owns-data embedding. Embed for internal users who authenticate with their own Microsoft identities and permissions.
• Branding and theming. Match the look and feel of your application so analytics feel native, not bolted on.
• Row-level security. Ensure each user sees only the data they are entitled to, essential for multi-tenant and customer-facing scenarios.
• Custom visuals and interactivity. Tailored visuals, filters, and drill-through that fit your specific workflows.
• Capacity planning and APIs. Right-sized embedded capacity and API integration for automation, provisioning, and lifecycle management.

Common use cases include in-app dashboards for SaaS products, customer and partner portals, internal line-of-business applications, and white-label analytics offered as a premium feature.

ARC delivers embedded analytics as a development engagement that spans data, security, and application integration:

Discovery and architecture. We clarify who the users are (internal, external, or multi-tenant), what they need to see, and which embedding model, app-owns-data or user-owns-data, fits, then design the architecture and capacity accordingly.

Data and model foundation. We make sure the underlying datasets and model are clean, performant, and governed, because embedded analytics is only as good as the data behind it.

Embedding and integration. We integrate Power BI Embedded into your application, handling authentication, tokens, and the embedding APIs so the experience is seamless and secure.

Security and multi-tenancy. We implement row-level security and tenant isolation so every user sees exactly the data they should, and nothing more.

Branding and UX. We theme and tailor the visuals so analytics feel like a native part of your product or portal.

Capacity, performance, and support. We size and tune embedded capacity for cost and performance, and support the solution as usage scales.

Embedded analytics succeeds when security, performance, and experience are designed together. ARC builds these practices in:

• Choose the right embedding model. Match app-owns-data versus user-owns-data to your audience and licensing from the start.
• Enforce row-level security. Make data isolation a first-class design concern, especially for customer-facing and multi-tenant apps.
• Optimize the data model. Tune datasets and queries so embedded visuals stay fast as data and users grow.
• Right-size capacity. Plan embedded capacity to balance performance and cost, and monitor it as usage scales.
• Make it feel native. Apply your branding and integrate analytics into the workflow rather than presenting it as a separate tool.
• Govern the lifecycle. Use APIs and clear processes for provisioning, updates, and monitoring as the solution evolves.

ARC is a 3x Microsoft Solutions Partner with deep Power BI, data engineering, and application development expertise, the combination embedded analytics requires. With 13+ years of experience, 300+ engagements, and 100% client retention, we build secure, branded, performant embedded analytics for both internal applications and commercial SaaS products. Recognized on the Inc. 5000 (#749) and Inc. Regionals (#57) with 557% growth, ARC delivers AI-powered Microsoft solutions from our Chicago (Bolingbrook, IL) and Karachi offices, with responsive support across time zones.