Across every sector in Australia, leaders are asking the same question: how can we make better decisions, faster?
Despite having more data than ever before, many teams still struggle with disconnected systems, duplicated reports, and slow access to accurate insights.
Together, they give businesses the ability to unify data, introduce trusted automation, and bring decision-making closer to the people who need it most.
In this article, we cover:
What Microsoft Fabric is and how it creates a trusted foundation for data.
What Copilot adds as an intelligent assistant inside Fabric.
How the two work together in daily business use.
Real examples from Australian organisations including Melbourne Airport and Aurizon.
Key risks and how to manage them.
A practical rollout plan for success.
What is coming next as Microsoft expands these capabilities.
Our goal is to help Australian businesses understand not just the technology but how to apply it to deliver measurable value.
What is Microsoft Fabric?
Before AI can deliver meaningful results, businesses need a clean and governed data environment. That is where Microsoft Fabric comes in.
Fabric brings data integration, storage, analytics, and reporting together in one unified platform. At its heart is OneLake, a central data lake where business information from every system is stored securely and consistently.
With OneLake, everyone in your organisation can work from the same source of truth. There is no need for multiple systems, manual exports, or uncertainty about which report is correct.
This single, governed environment means:
Data duplication is reduced.
Teams collaborate more effectively.
Security and compliance are easier to maintain.
Fabric also includes the OneLake data catalog, which makes it easier for teams to find approved datasets, track ownership, and understand how information flows through the business.
For Australian businesses working under strict privacy and data retention standards, Fabric creates a foundation that supports both agility and control.
What does Copilot add?
Once the foundation is in place, Microsoft Copilot becomes the intelligence layer that brings it to life.
Copilot in Fabric allows people to work with data using natural language. Instead of writing complex SQL or DAX queries, users can simply ask questions such as “Show me our top-selling regions this quarter” or “Create a report comparing sales by product category.”
Copilot understands the intent of the question, identifies the right dataset within Fabric, and generates results in seconds.
It can also:
Draft Power BI dashboards and summaries.
Write or explain code in SQL, Python, or DAX.
Suggest data cleaning or transformation operations.
Generate narrative insights that explain trends.
For analysts, this means faster report creation and fewer manual tasks. For business users, it means they can access insights directly without waiting for technical help. Because Copilot uses Fabric’s governed data, the answers are consistent and secure.
How Fabric and Copilot work together day to day
Understanding how Fabric and Copilot integrate is key to unlocking real business value. Fabric provides the structure. Copilot brings accessibility. Together, they bridge the gap between technical specialists and decision-makers.
Ask questions and get answers
Instead of waiting days for a report, users can query live data in plain English and get visual or numerical answers instantly. This speeds up meetings, planning cycles, and daily decisions.
Build draft reports automatically
Copilot can generate an initial Power BI report based on a simple request, pulling the right visuals and metrics together. Analysts can then fine-tune and publish the final version.
Streamline data preparation
For technical teams, Copilot helps automate repetitive data wrangling. It can detect duplicates, suggest joins, and write transformation code directly within the Fabric environment.
Keep context and controls
Because Fabric’s governance applies across the entire platform, the same permission models and data classifications carry through to Copilot. This allows for self-service analytics without losing compliance or control.
These features help organisations reduce bottlenecks, shorten reporting cycles, and make better use of existing data investments.
Results we are seeing in Australia
Many of the organisations we work with are already realising measurable benefits from Microsoft Fabric and Copilot.
Melbourne Airport
At Melbourne Airport, the adoption of Microsoft Fabric led to a 30 percent increase in performance efficiency across data operations. Teams that once waited for monthly reports can now access operational data in near real time, improving responsiveness and service delivery.
Aurizon
For Aurizon, Australia’s largest rail freight operator, integrating Fabric with Power BI created both commercial and technical advantages. Consolidating multiple analytics tools into a single platform reduced costs and enabled predictive insights that now inform maintenance schedules and route planning.
Across both examples, and in many of our client projects, the message is clear. When data is unified and AI is built responsibly on top of it, decision-making becomes faster, cheaper, and more accurate.
Risks to plan for and how to manage them
Like any major technology rollout, success with Fabric and Copilot depends on managing risk. We help clients address the following early in their journey.
Data permissions and oversharing
Copilot respects data access rules, but if permissions are too broad, sensitive data could appear in user queries. A governance review before rollout helps prevent exposure.
Prompt quality and response review
AI-generated outputs can vary. We recommend treating Copilot’s responses as draft insights that are verified before business-critical use.
Data quality and structure
Copilot’s effectiveness depends on the accuracy of your data. We start with data cleansing and certification so that Copilot only references high-quality, approved information.
Cost control
Copilot usage is measured in tokens. Using Fabric’s capacity metrics app helps monitor consumption and forecast future usage. This keeps budgets on track and supports responsible scaling.
When these considerations are planned for early, Copilot can operate safely within an organisation’s governance framework without introducing unnecessary risk.
Our recommended rollout plan
Through our work with clients across government, education, transport, and enterprise, we have identified a clear path for success.
1. Prepare your data
Audit existing data sources, remove duplication, fix permissions, and consolidate trusted datasets in OneLake.
2. Strengthen governance
Define who can use Copilot, which datasets are approved, and how outputs will be validated. Establish workspace-level access controls before enabling Copilot.
3. Start small
Select one business area, such as finance or operations, for a pilot. Focus on a few high-value use cases and track improvements in time saved or reporting accuracy.
4. Train teams by role
Business users need to learn prompt writing. Analysts need to refine Copilot-generated reports. Engineers should understand how to review Copilot’s code. Microsoft’s free Copilot in Fabric learning path is an excellent starting point.
5. Monitor and optimise
Use Fabric’s admin centre to track adoption and costs. Collect feedback from pilot users and refine governance policies before expanding organisation-wide.
By following these steps, businesses can adopt Copilot responsibly and see measurable improvements from day one.
What is coming next
Microsoft continues to expand Fabric’s AI capabilities, including the introduction of data agents that can automatically interpret data models, enforce governance, and interact through Copilot Studio.
This development allows businesses to move beyond analysis into automation by triggering actions, alerts, or workflows directly from insights.
For Australian businesses, this means the combination of Fabric and Copilot is not just about analytics. It is about building the foundation for AI-driven business processes that scale securely and deliver long-term value.
Carlos Garcia is the Founder and Managing Director of CG TECH, where he leads enterprise digital transformation projects across Australia.
With extensive experience in business process automation, Microsoft 365, and AI-powered workplace solutions, Carlos has helped organisations in government, healthcare, and enterprise sectors streamline workflows and improve efficiency.
He holds Microsoft certifications in Power Platform and Azure and regularly shares practical guidance on how businesses can use Microsoft 365 Copilot, Power BI, and low-code tools to modernise operations.
Across every sector in Australia, leaders are asking the same question: how can we make better decisions, faster?
Despite having more data than ever before, many teams still struggle with disconnected systems, duplicated reports, and slow access to accurate insights.
At CG TECH, we have seen how Microsoft Fabric and Copilot are changing that reality.
Together, they give businesses the ability to unify data, introduce trusted automation, and bring decision-making closer to the people who need it most.
In this article, we cover:
Our goal is to help Australian businesses understand not just the technology but how to apply it to deliver measurable value.
What is Microsoft Fabric?
Before AI can deliver meaningful results, businesses need a clean and governed data environment. That is where Microsoft Fabric comes in.
Fabric brings data integration, storage, analytics, and reporting together in one unified platform. At its heart is OneLake, a central data lake where business information from every system is stored securely and consistently.
With OneLake, everyone in your organisation can work from the same source of truth. There is no need for multiple systems, manual exports, or uncertainty about which report is correct.
This single, governed environment means:
Fabric also includes the OneLake data catalog, which makes it easier for teams to find approved datasets, track ownership, and understand how information flows through the business.
For Australian businesses working under strict privacy and data retention standards, Fabric creates a foundation that supports both agility and control.
What does Copilot add?
Once the foundation is in place, Microsoft Copilot becomes the intelligence layer that brings it to life.
Copilot in Fabric allows people to work with data using natural language. Instead of writing complex SQL or DAX queries, users can simply ask questions such as “Show me our top-selling regions this quarter” or “Create a report comparing sales by product category.”
Copilot understands the intent of the question, identifies the right dataset within Fabric, and generates results in seconds.
It can also:
For analysts, this means faster report creation and fewer manual tasks. For business users, it means they can access insights directly without waiting for technical help. Because Copilot uses Fabric’s governed data, the answers are consistent and secure.
How Fabric and Copilot work together day to day
Understanding how Fabric and Copilot integrate is key to unlocking real business value. Fabric provides the structure. Copilot brings accessibility. Together, they bridge the gap between technical specialists and decision-makers.
Ask questions and get answers
Instead of waiting days for a report, users can query live data in plain English and get visual or numerical answers instantly. This speeds up meetings, planning cycles, and daily decisions.
Build draft reports automatically
Copilot can generate an initial Power BI report based on a simple request, pulling the right visuals and metrics together. Analysts can then fine-tune and publish the final version.
Streamline data preparation
For technical teams, Copilot helps automate repetitive data wrangling. It can detect duplicates, suggest joins, and write transformation code directly within the Fabric environment.
Keep context and controls
Because Fabric’s governance applies across the entire platform, the same permission models and data classifications carry through to Copilot. This allows for self-service analytics without losing compliance or control.
These features help organisations reduce bottlenecks, shorten reporting cycles, and make better use of existing data investments.
Results we are seeing in Australia
Many of the organisations we work with are already realising measurable benefits from Microsoft Fabric and Copilot.
Melbourne Airport
At Melbourne Airport, the adoption of Microsoft Fabric led to a 30 percent increase in performance efficiency across data operations. Teams that once waited for monthly reports can now access operational data in near real time, improving responsiveness and service delivery.
Aurizon
For Aurizon, Australia’s largest rail freight operator, integrating Fabric with Power BI created both commercial and technical advantages. Consolidating multiple analytics tools into a single platform reduced costs and enabled predictive insights that now inform maintenance schedules and route planning.
Across both examples, and in many of our client projects, the message is clear. When data is unified and AI is built responsibly on top of it, decision-making becomes faster, cheaper, and more accurate.
Risks to plan for and how to manage them
Like any major technology rollout, success with Fabric and Copilot depends on managing risk. We help clients address the following early in their journey.
Data permissions and oversharing
Copilot respects data access rules, but if permissions are too broad, sensitive data could appear in user queries. A governance review before rollout helps prevent exposure.
Prompt quality and response review
AI-generated outputs can vary. We recommend treating Copilot’s responses as draft insights that are verified before business-critical use.
Data quality and structure
Copilot’s effectiveness depends on the accuracy of your data. We start with data cleansing and certification so that Copilot only references high-quality, approved information.
Cost control
Copilot usage is measured in tokens. Using Fabric’s capacity metrics app helps monitor consumption and forecast future usage. This keeps budgets on track and supports responsible scaling.
When these considerations are planned for early, Copilot can operate safely within an organisation’s governance framework without introducing unnecessary risk.
Our recommended rollout plan
Through our work with clients across government, education, transport, and enterprise, we have identified a clear path for success.
1. Prepare your data
Audit existing data sources, remove duplication, fix permissions, and consolidate trusted datasets in OneLake.
2. Strengthen governance
Define who can use Copilot, which datasets are approved, and how outputs will be validated. Establish workspace-level access controls before enabling Copilot.
3. Start small
Select one business area, such as finance or operations, for a pilot. Focus on a few high-value use cases and track improvements in time saved or reporting accuracy.
4. Train teams by role
Business users need to learn prompt writing. Analysts need to refine Copilot-generated reports. Engineers should understand how to review Copilot’s code. Microsoft’s free Copilot in Fabric learning path is an excellent starting point.
5. Monitor and optimise
Use Fabric’s admin centre to track adoption and costs. Collect feedback from pilot users and refine governance policies before expanding organisation-wide.
By following these steps, businesses can adopt Copilot responsibly and see measurable improvements from day one.
What is coming next
Microsoft continues to expand Fabric’s AI capabilities, including the introduction of data agents that can automatically interpret data models, enforce governance, and interact through Copilot Studio.
This development allows businesses to move beyond analysis into automation by triggering actions, alerts, or workflows directly from insights.
For Australian businesses, this means the combination of Fabric and Copilot is not just about analytics. It is about building the foundation for AI-driven business processes that scale securely and deliver long-term value.
Sources
About the Author
Carlos Garcia is the Founder and Managing Director of CG TECH, where he leads enterprise digital transformation projects across Australia.
With extensive experience in business process automation, Microsoft 365, and AI-powered workplace solutions, Carlos has helped organisations in government, healthcare, and enterprise sectors streamline workflows and improve efficiency.
He holds Microsoft certifications in Power Platform and Azure and regularly shares practical guidance on how businesses can use Microsoft 365 Copilot, Power BI, and low-code tools to modernise operations.
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