Scaling Information Delivery Planning (IDP) across a major construction portfolio with Morta, Azure, Databricks and Power BI

Overview

A leading tier 1 contractor in the UK wanted to improve how it managed, tracked and reported on design deliverables across its project portfolio. What began as an initial solution for a major custodial project evolved into a scalable data and reporting platform capable of supporting around 100 live projects at any one time.

Acumine designed and delivered a portfolio-wide solution built on Morta, Azure, Databricks and Power BI. Using a medallion architecture, we created a robust, scalable and secure reporting capability that centralised project data, improved visibility, reduced manual effort and enabled more consistent decision-making across the business.

The result was a repeatable model for project controls and reporting, moving the client away from fragmented project-by-project reporting towards a modern data platform that could be applied across the wider portfolio.

The Client

Our client is a leading tier 1 contractor in the UK, delivering complex construction projects across a diverse portfolio. With around 100 live projects active at any one time, the business needed a more scalable and standardised way to manage information delivery, monitor performance and support project controls.

The Challenge

The original requirement emerged from a custodial project, where the contractor needed better visibility of Information Delivery Plan performance, design submissions and reporting quality. As the work progressed, it became clear that these issues were not isolated to one project. Similar challenges were being experienced across the wider portfolio.

The client needed a solution that could do more than solve a single reporting problem. It needed a scalable approach that could bring together data from multiple systems, support consistent reporting across projects and maintain appropriate access controls for different users and teams.

Key challenges included:

• Fragmented data across multiple systems: Project and design information was held across Morta, Viewpoint and other operational systems, making it difficult to create a trusted and consistent view of delivery performance. Teams often had to reconcile data manually, which introduced inefficiency and increased the risk of error.
• Limited visibility at both project and portfolio level: Reporting processes did not provide a clear, timely view of planned versus actual deliverables, overdue tasks or emerging risks. This made it harder for project teams to intervene early, and harder for leadership to monitor trends across the wider portfolio.
• Manual reporting and inconsistent processes: Reporting was heavily reliant on spreadsheets and manual effort. This was time-consuming, difficult to scale and often resulted in information being out of date by the time it was shared.
• Lack of a scalable delivery model: The initial project requirement highlighted the need for something broader than a one-off dashboard. The client needed a reusable data and reporting framework that could be applied across around 100 live projects without recreating the same logic each time.
• Secure access to project data: Because reporting needed to serve different users across multiple projects, access control was critical. The client required a robust row-level security approach to ensure users could only see the data for the projects and information they were authorised to access.

The Solution

Acumine designed and delivered a scalable project controls and reporting solution using Morta, Azure, Databricks and Power BI.

Rather than creating a standalone reporting layer for one project, we built a broader data platform capable of supporting portfolio-wide reporting and analytics.

Medallion architecture for scalable integration

We implemented a medallion-style data architecture to structure and manage data as it moved from source systems into reporting. This created a clear and scalable foundation for ingestion, transformation and consumption.

Using Azure and Databricks, we built integration pipelines that:

• extracted and consolidated data from Morta and other project systems
• improved data quality and consistency through structured transformation layers
• created reusable reporting datasets for project and portfolio reporting
• supported a scalable model that could be rolled out across the wider business

This approach allowed the client to move away from isolated reporting solutions and towards a more controlled and extensible data platform.

Power BI reporting for project and portfolio insight

On top of this architecture, we developed Power BI reporting that gave users visibility of key delivery and controls information across both individual projects and the wider portfolio.

The outputs included interactive views of:

• planned versus actual deliverables
• overdue submissions and delivery risk
• project status and reporting performance
• trends and exceptions across the portfolio
• drill-down views for teams, disciplines and individual projects

While the exact screenshots cannot be used, the solution provided clear visual reporting outputs and portfolio-level dashboards that enabled users to move from high-level oversight into project-level detail.

Robust row-level security

A key part of the delivery was the design and implementation of row-level security within the reporting solution. This ensured users could only access the projects and data they had permission to view.

This was critical in making the solution viable at portfolio scale. It enabled a single reporting environment to serve multiple teams, projects and stakeholders while maintaining appropriate governance and data segregation.

Repeatable rollout across the portfolio

Because the platform was built with scale in mind, the client was able to extend the approach beyond the initial custodial project. The solution became a repeatable model for reporting across around 100 live projects, providing a more consistent and sustainable foundation for project intelligence.

How We Delivered It

We delivered the solution in phased stages, beginning with the initial custodial project and then expanding the model to support wider portfolio adoption.

1. Initial project phase

We first addressed the immediate reporting and controls needs of the custodial project, focusing on Information Delivery Plan visibility, design submissions and reporting clarity.

2. Data platform design and integration

Building on that first phase, we designed a scalable integration architecture using Azure and Databricks, with a medallion approach to data ingestion, transformation and modelling.

3. Reporting and security layer

We developed Power BI reporting outputs supported by a robust security model, including row-level security to control access by user, role and project.

4. Portfolio rollout and optimisation

The solution was then extended across the wider portfolio, allowing the client to apply a consistent reporting model across around 100 live projects while continuing to refine outputs based on user needs.

The Outcome

Scalable reporting across the portfolio

What started as a response to a single project requirement became a scalable reporting platform supporting around 100 live projects. This gave the client a more consistent and repeatable way to monitor delivery performance across the business.

Reduced manual effort

Automated integrations and standardised reporting reduced the reliance on spreadsheets and manual data preparation, saving time and improving reporting efficiency.

Better visibility and decision-making

Project teams and leadership gained access to more timely, reliable and actionable information. This improved the ability to spot issues early, manage risk proactively and make more informed decisions.

Stronger governance and secure access

The row-level security model ensured that users could only see the data relevant to their authorised projects. This strengthened governance and gave the client confidence that the platform could be used safely at scale.

A modern data foundation

By combining Morta, Azure, Databricks and Power BI in a structured architecture, the client gained more than a reporting solution. It established a stronger foundation for future analytics, portfolio controls and digital delivery.

Conclusion

For this leading tier 1 contractor in the UK, Acumine transformed an initial project-specific reporting requirement into a scalable data and reporting platform for the wider business.

By building on Morta with Azure, Databricks and Power BI, and by implementing a secure medallion-based architecture with robust row-level security, we helped the client create a more modern, consistent and scalable approach to project controls across a portfolio of around 100 live projects.

That meant better visibility, less manual effort, stronger governance and a platform that could continue to support growth across the portfolio.