Taking Microsoft Fabric from POC to Production: Real World Lessons Learned

Hi everyone,
I wanted to share some practical lessons learned from a real-world Microsoft Fabric implementation where we transitioned from an initial proof-of-concept to a fully operational, production-grade analytics platform supporting reporting and advanced analytics use cases.

Architecture decisions early on made a significant difference. Defining a clear Medallion structure (Bronze, Silver, Gold) upfront helped set expectations around data quality, ownership, and consumption patterns. In practice, we found that being disciplined about what belongs in each layer reduced downstream rework and simplified troubleshooting as data volumes and use cases grew.

Performance optimization was an ongoing process rather than a one-time task. As usage expanded, we had to iteratively tune ingestion patterns, storage layout, and semantic models especially when leveraging Direct Lake for reporting. Understanding query patterns, refresh strategies, and model design trade-offs was critical to maintaining consistent performance at scale.

Governance proved essential for adoption. Implementing access controls, lineage, and certified datasets early helped build trust with business users and avoided the perception of Fabric as “just another data lake.” Clear ownership and metadata standards made it easier for teams to confidently self-serve analytics without compromising data integrity.

Operational readiness often gets underestimated. Beyond building pipelines, we had to focus on monitoring, cost visibility, deployment practices, and support processes to ensure the platform could be sustained in production. Treating Fabric as an enterprise platform rather than a POC environment was a key mindset shift.

I’m interested to hear from others in the community who have taken Microsoft Fabric into production. Have you encountered similar challenges around architecture, performance, governance, or operations? What approaches worked well for you, and what lessons would you share with teams starting their Fabric journey?

Looking forward to learning from the community’s experiences.