Headless CMS and Power BI Dashboards: Turning regional insights into action.
Making data usable and accessible is one of the biggest challenges facing public sector teams, especially when it comes to regional planning, service delivery and community impact. At Hive IT, we recently worked with the Yorkshire and Humber Office for Data Analytics (YHODA) to help solve that challenge. Working with this amazing team highlighted a powerful combination that more organisations should consider:
A headless CMS (Content Management System) and embedded Power BI dashboards.
It’s a flexible, scalable and user-friendly way to bring data to life, and it formed the foundation of the new Yorkshire Engagement Portal.
Here is how the setup worked so well for the team at YHODA
The problem
YHODA had already developed a brilliant resource: The Yorkshire Vitality Index, which is a collection of Power BI dashboards that share key regional data across areas like transport, housing, economy and the environment.
However, the YHODA team faced significant challenges in sharing these dashboards, greatly limiting their effectiveness. There was no central hub for local councils, researchers, or regional authorities to explore the data according to their own needs.
That’s where the Yorkshire Engagement Portal (YEP) came in.
The Yorkshire & Humber Office for Data Analytics (YHODA) at the University of Sheffield sought our assistance to develop a website. Although they possessed the necessary server infrastructure and had the design work in place, we made the strategic decision to set it aside and manage the servers independently for optimal results. The team wanted a website that could embed with Microsoft Power BI dashboards, that allows users to download datasets and reports, includes basic SEO, and enables easy content updates.
Our solution
To create a platform that made both the data and the story behind it accessible, we needed something flexible. We chose a headless CMS setup using PayLoad CMS, a platform that lets you manage content separately from how it’s displayed.
By doing this, it gave us the full creative freedom to:
- Build a fast, responsive frontend with React and Next.js
- Embed YHODA’s Power BI dashboards directly onto the site
- Let the team at YHODA easily update pages and add new dashboards themselves
- Maintain a clean content structure for long-term scalability
Crucially, this meant that we could build a site that wasn’t just technically good but user-first.
Why a Headless CMS and Power BI make sense
We think this setup is a smart option for any organisation that wants to make interactive, data-led experiences for the public or stakeholders.
At Hive IT, working with any client, we are always transparent and honest about the technical solutions that are best for each problem. Making sure we understand stakeholders/clients' problems so we can implement an effective solution which meets their needs.
Here is why we think this works so well:
Better Flexibility - You’re not locked into a traditional CMS layout, and you can structure the frontend exactly how users need it.
Custom Dashboard Blocks - We understood that the web content team wanted flexibility to edit the site and update the website whenever they wanted. We built a custom Power BI block in the CMS. Meaning they could just drop in a link and it displays the dashboard beautifully on the page. No code needed.
Clean separation of content and data - This allows teams like YHODA to update reports, pages, or links without touching design or layout code.
Scalable - The website is entirely modular, with each page constructed from reusable blocks. Its scalability is virtually limitless and only constrained by storage capacity.
What this means for Regional decision-makers
Tools like the Yorkshire Engagement Portal help make it more accessible to regional data. Especially when the tool is:
- Easy to use
- Visually engaging
- Tailored for both policy makers and the public
We’ve already seen how something as simple as embedding dashboards in a structured, user-friendly portal can unlock new ways for people to interact with important information. And as the demand for data transparency, place-based planning, and collaborative policymaking grows, these kinds of platforms will only become more important.
In the end
At Hive IT, we design digital experiences that empower people and support systems change. Our work on the Yorkshire Engagement Portal with the YHODA team is a great example of how the right technology choices, paired with thoughtful design and real collaboration, can help public sector teams do more with the data they already have.
The soft launch of the portal was released last month, and this has been a collaborative and hard-working effort from all involved from the Yorkshire and Humber Office for Data Analytics (YHODA) team based at the University of Sheffield. The team, as we know it, are working hard to engage with stakeholders across the region to improve the portal and explore the possibilities of the Yorkshire Engagement Portal.
We’re so proud to have played a small part in this project that could have such a big impact.
To check out the portal, you can do so here - Yorkshire Engagement Portal
Working to make data more accessible or impactful?
We’d love to hear about it. We’re always up for collaborating on meaningful, public good projects.
You can read more about our project on the Yorkshire Engagement Portal here 👉 YHODA Case study