Advantage Investigations Transforms Workforce Efficiency with Real-Time HR Dashboards

Advantage Investigations leverages CData Connect Cloud to integrate real-time HR data from ADP into Power BI, enabling actionable insights and saving thousands of dollars.

Simplified ADP integration

Enabled live data integration from ADP into Power BI, eliminating manual processes.

Cost savings through automation

Saved thousands of dollars and countless hours by automating timecard approvals.

Improved workforce decision-making

Enhanced decision-making with insights into overtime, staffing needs, and payroll accuracy.


The challenge: Irregular employee hours and manual processing hindered payroll accuracy 

As a national private investigations firm, Advantage Investigations faced challenges integrating ADP data into Power BI due to unique timecard datasets. With employees working irregular hours and no set office schedules, their HR team needed insights into critical metrics like timecard errors, turnover rates, and payroll accuracy. The lack of seamless integration required manual effort to process data, creating inefficiencies and leaving room for potential inaccuracies. In addition, this data was changing by the hour as employees worked across the country, so working with real-time data was key.

The solution: Automate connectivity and customize datapoints without hand-coding 

CData Connect Cloud enabled Advantage Investigations to automate the connection between ADP and Power BI, providing a user-friendly interface to pull data without the need for custom coding. Key features of the solution included:

  • Automated data integration—Eliminated the need for manual reporting by pulling real-time data from ADP.
  • Flexible query building—Allowed HR to filter and select specific fields, such as pay scales and timecard details, using SQL or no-code query tools.
  • Real-time updates—Delivered live dashboards with accurate, actionable insights into payroll, workforce behavior, and attrition. 
"Providing real-time insights into payroll accuracy and workforce behavior has saved us time, money, and headaches. The integration is seamless, and the results are transformative."

– Dan Contestable, Data Analytics Manager, Advantage Investigations

The outcome: Accurate processing improves employee satisfaction and exposes errors

CData Connect Cloud has significantly improved Advantage Investigations’ HR processes:

  • Reduced timecard approval time by five times, increasing efficiency and employee satisfaction.
  • Provided real-time insights into workforce trends, helping HR identify and address anomalies like timecard fraud or mismatched pay scales.
  • Enabled Dan Contestable, the firm’s data analytics manager, to automate historical data caching using Power Automate and SharePoint, overcoming API limitations for seamless integration.
  • Saved thousands of dollars annually while improving overall workforce management and decision-making.

The HR team at Advantage Investigations loves the new PowerBI solution, incorporating it into their daily processes and workflow to deliver faster timecard approval and pay employees more accurately while catching errors or discrepancies.

Revolutionize your data-driven decisions with CData

By integrating ADP data into Power BI using CData Connect Cloud, Advantage Investigations has redefined its HR analytics. The firm now leverages real-time insights to enhance decision-making, save time, and ensure payroll accuracy. Whether managing complex data sources or delivering actionable dashboards, CData empowers organizations to unlock the full potential of their data.

Get started with CData today