Data Agents: your proactive eyes on business data in Microsoft Fabric

A Data Agent is an AI-driven assistant within Microsoft Fabric that keeps an eye on your data in the background. As soon as something deviates from expectations, it sends you a notification based on the rules and scenarios you’ve defined.

Unlike a generic alert, a Data Agent is tailored to your needs. It’s configured to match your department, your organization and even your specific role. After all, what matters to an HR manager isn’t the same as what a supply chain planner cares about.

In larger organizations, data access is often role-based or department-specific. Data Agents fully respect those permissions, so you’ll only receive notifications for the data you’re authorized to view.

Once set up, your Data Agent continuously monitors the data. When a rule is triggered:

• You get a notification automatically, for example via Microsoft Teams or Outlook
• Follow-up actions can be suggested
• A predefined task may even be executed right away, such as assigning a task, sharing a report or starting a deeper analysis

What can a Data Agent actually do?

A Data Agent is more than just a trigger. It adds an intelligent, real-time layer on top of your data model, built to take action when something matters. These are its main capabilities:

• Detecting anomalies based on rules you define
• Sending alerts through Microsoft 365 channels like Teams or Outlook
• Suggesting or executing actions, such as assigning tasks, sending emails, or starting deeper analysis
• Collaborating with Copilot, so you can ask follow-up questions or request more context in plain language
• Working across multiple data sources, including Dynamics ERP, CRM systems, HR tools and external databases available within Microsoft Fabric

You interact with a Data Agent using simple instructions. Behind the scenes, AI handles the complexity — detecting patterns, understanding context and recommending the next step, all without requiring you to write advanced logic.

It’s like bringing in an experienced data scientist, just without the extra headcount.

Why this matters to you

Plenty of people in an organization have access to dashboards, but that doesn’t mean they check them regularly. Most are busy with their actual responsibilities, not with scanning data for trends or issues.

Data Agents change that dynamic:

• You no longer have to go looking for insights. They find you.
• You only get notified when something really matters, and you don’t need to be a data expert to take action.
• You’re alerted at the right moment, so you can skip the noise and focus on what’s important.
• You can respond right away, without depending on the BI team for answers.
• You receive the information directly in tools you already use, like Teams, Outlook, or on your phone.
• You only see insights that are relevant to your role, so you’re not overloaded with data that doesn’t apply to you.

In short, Data Agents make data work for you, not the other way around.

How can this impact your day-to-day work?

Let’s look at a few practical examples. Imagine having a Data Agent that’s fully aligned with your role and responsibilities. What kind of value could it bring to your day-to-day tasks?

Finance

• Alert me when monthly marketing spend exceeds forecast by more than 15%
• Flag any supplier invoices over €10,000 that are still unpaid after 30 days

HR

• Notify me when a team exceeds the average number of sick days compared to the company baseline
• Send me a quarterly overview of departments with no recent training activity

Operations / Supply Chain

• Alert me when a production order is delayed and impacts a customer delivery date
• Notify the warehouse team when incoming goods are missing required documentation

Sales

• Let me know if a customer’s average order value drops by more than 25%
• Every Friday, send me a list of stalled opportunities with no updates in the last 10 days

Your dashboard isn't going anywhere, but now it gets backup

Power BI dashboards remain essential. They offer a clear view of trends and historical performance at a glance.

But dashboards depend on you taking the time to open them, apply filters and interpret what you see. That’s where Data Agents come in as a powerful addition.

They alert you when something stands out and bring the right data to your attention, often before you would have thought to check yourself.