Modernising Scientific Data Visualisation and Charting for Global R&D Leader

Customer

The Customer is a global research and development driven, high-performance polymer solutions provider serving more than 40+geographies worldwide across various strategic markets of automotive, aerospace, energy , electronics and medical. They are listed on the London Stock Exchange with market capitalisation of over £2 billion. As a leader in polymer solutions, they help manufacturers overcome newer product lines, complex design and properties and engineering challenges.

Serving Globaly

Polymer

R & D

Energy

Situation

Being R&D driven organization, the customer has several IPR protected scientific datasets on various properties, combinations of several chemical components from its ongoing research including periodical updates to them.

These data sets are used/reffered by scientists and engineering professionals by generating various types of charts as part of internal business processes. This data is stored in SharePoint 2013 lists, and the charts were originally developed using .NET 2.0. To perform comparisons, users have been relying on a legacy charting application that allows them to select different values and visualize the chemical data accordingly.

Modernisation Objectives

In response to growing business needs and digital landscape, the customer initiated a broader migration of its document management systems and databases to SharePoint Online. As part of this transition, the charting application was also to be modernised to:

Dynamically generate charts based on user-selected input values
Automatically determine the most appropriate chart type (Bar, Line, or Log Line) based on predefined logic
Improve clarity and relevance of visualised data

Modernisation Roadmap

The project aimed to:

Migrate data from SharePoint 2013 to SharePoint Online
Replace SharePoint Designer workflows with Power Automate cloud flows
Rebuild the front-end using PowerApps and Power BI
Deliver a scalable, secure, and responsive interface for data interaction and visualisation

Transition Programme

Artificial Intelligence

Reduce infrastructure cost

Solution

Data Migration: SharePoint 2013 lists and libraries were migrated using PowerShell scripts and Sharegate.
User Interface: The legacy .NET 2.0 interface was replaced with a PowerApps-based UI, designed to be mobile-responsive and user-friendly.
Automation: SharePoint Designer workflows were re-implemented using Power Automate to manage permissions and automate data updates.
Reporting and Visualisation: Power BI dashboards were developed to provide dynamic, filterable views with real-time data refresh. R scripts were used to generate charts based on user input.
Security: Microsoft 365 security groups were used to manage access across PowerApps, Power BI, and SharePoint Online.

EmbArrk workshop

Efficient and faster Data migration

Process Automation

Outcomes

Improved Accessibility: Modern, responsive interfaces accessible across devices
Streamlined Workflows: Simplified data entry and reporting processes
Reduced Maintenance: Elimination of legacy infrastructure and custom code
Scalable Integration: Seamless integration with Microsoft 365 services
Enhanced Reporting: Interactive dashboards supporting timely insight

Conclusion

The modernisation of the charting application using Microsoft Power Platform and SharePoint Online has aligned the solution with the organisation’s cloud-first strategy. The updated system supports more efficient data interaction and reporting, while offering a flexible foundation for future enhancements. The Low code concepts of Power Platform significantly contributed to reduce project schedule and efforts, circa 25%.