ForgeChat
Frontend chat client and issue reporting tool for Buildly apps and BabbleBeaver AI.
Case Study
Overview
ForgeChat: Frontend Chat Client & Issue Reporting
ForgeChat is a frontend chat client and issue reporting tool for Buildly apps and BabbleBeaver AI. It provides a seamless user interface for conversational AI interactions and built-in issue tracking capabilities.
Core Capabilities
- Real-Time Dashboards: Live updating visualizations for operational metrics
- Self-Service Analytics: SQL editor and visual query builder for ad-hoc analysis
- Scheduled Reports: Automated report generation and distribution
- Embedded Analytics: White-label dashboards in your applications
- Data Modeling: Semantic layer for consistent business metrics
- AI Insights: Anomaly detection and natural language questions
Unified Analytics
Built to work seamlessly with the Buildly ecosystem, Reporting provides out-of-the-box connectors and pre-built dashboards for all Buildly services.
The Problem
Organizations face significant analytics challenges:
- Scattered Data: Metrics spread across multiple tools and systems
- Report Overload: Too many conflicting reports with different numbers
- Technical Barriers: Business users can't access data without IT help
- Stale Insights: Batch processing means decisions based on old data
- Scaling Costs: BI tools with per-user pricing become prohibitive
These issues lead to poor decisions, missed opportunities, and organizational confusion about what metrics actually mean.
The Solution
Reporting provides a unified analytics layer across your organization:
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Single Source of Truth: Semantic data model ensures everyone sees consistent metrics calculated the same way.
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Real-Time + Historical: Streaming data for live dashboards, with full historical analysis capabilities.
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Self-Service Access: Visual builder and SQL editor empower business users to answer their own questions.
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Embedded Everywhere: White-label analytics in customer portals, admin dashboards, and mobile apps.
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Buildly Native: Pre-built connectors and dashboard templates for all Buildly ecosystem services.
Real-World Implementation
Case Study: E-Commerce Company Transforms Data Culture
The Challenge
A fast-growing e-commerce company was drowning in data but starving for insights:
- 14 different reporting tools across departments
- $500K annual spending on BI licenses
- 2-week average time for new report requests
- Conflicting numbers in executive meetings
- Data team spending 80% of time on ad-hoc requests
The Solution
The company consolidated on Buildly Reporting:
Phase 1: Data Foundation (Weeks 1-4)
- Built unified semantic model for all business metrics
- Connected all data sources (Shopify, CRM Service, payment systems)
- Created core KPI dashboard for executive team
Phase 2: Self-Service Enablement (Weeks 5-8)
- Trained business users on visual query builder
- Built department-specific dashboard templates
- Implemented row-level security for sensitive data
Phase 3: Embedded & AI (Weeks 9-12)
- Embedded real-time analytics in customer admin portal
- Deployed anomaly detection for inventory and fraud
- Enabled natural language queries for executives
The Results
After 12 weeks:
| Metric | Before | After | Improvement |
|---|---|---|---|
| BI Tool Costs | $500K/yr | $80K/yr | 84% savings |
| Report Request Time | 2 weeks | 2 hours | 99% faster |
| Self-Service Adoption | 5% | 75% | +70 points |
| Data Team Productivity | 20% strategic | 80% strategic | 4x improvement |
"For the first time, everyone in the company is looking at the same numbers. Arguments are now about strategy, not data accuracy." — CEO, E-Commerce Company
Key Success Factors
- Semantic layer eliminated conflicting metric definitions
- Self-service training reduced dependency on data team
- Embedded analytics increased customer portal engagement
- AI anomaly detection caught $200K in fraud in first month
Key Benefits
Use Cases
Real-time KPI dashboard with drill-down capabilities for strategic decision making.
enterpriseWhite-labeled analytics embedded in your product for customer self-service reporting.
b2b-saasLive dashboards for warehouse, fulfillment, and customer service operations.
e-commerceAutomated financial reports with audit trails and compliance documentation.
financial-servicesTarget Industries
Company Sizes
Buildly Ecosystem Integrations
User permissions and organization-based data access
Pre-built sales and customer success dashboards
Workflow execution metrics and process analytics
Communication analytics and team performance
AI-Powered Workflows
Automatic identification of unusual patterns in metrics
Ask questions in plain English and get visualizations
Forecast trends and predict outcomes
AI-determined alerting thresholds that adapt to your data
Business Workflows
Automated report generation and email distribution
Trigger Logic Service workflows when metrics cross thresholds
Coordinate ETL jobs and data pipeline scheduling
Auto-export reports to S3, SFTP, or email
Technology Stack
Support Options
- GitHub Issues
- Community Slack
- Documentation
- Email support
- 48-hour SLA
- Dashboard reviews
- Priority support
- 12-hour SLA
- Data modeling help
- 24/7 support
- 4-hour SLA
- Dedicated analyst
- Custom training
Hosting Options
Deploy on your infrastructure for full data sovereignty
Included in licenseManaged hosting with automatic scaling
Starting at $250/monthData on-prem with cloud visualization layer
Starting at $600/monthManaged Services
Full setup, data modeling, and initial dashboard creation
Starting at $20,000Build custom chart types and interactive dashboards
Starting at $8,000ETL development for your data sources
Starting at $12,000Getting Started
Getting Started with Reporting
Quick Start with Docker
# Clone repository
git clone https://github.com/buildlyio/reporting.git
cd reporting
# Start services
docker-compose up -d
# Access Reporting UI
open http://localhost:8088
Connect Your First Data Source
- Navigate to Data > Databases
- Click + Database
- Select your database type
- Enter connection details
PostgreSQL Example
Host: your-postgres-host
Port: 5432
Database: your_database
Username: reporting_user
Create Your First Dashboard
- Go to Dashboards > + Dashboard
- Click + to add charts
- Select data source and metrics
- Choose visualization type
- Configure filters and save
Connect Buildly Ecosystem
Pre-built connectors available for: - CRM Service: Sales pipelines, customer metrics - Logic Service: Workflow execution stats - Babblebeaver: Communication analytics
# In config.yaml
buildly:
crm_service_url: https://crm.your-buildly.com
logic_service_url: https://logic.your-buildly.com
babblebeaver_url: https://comms.your-buildly.com
Natural Language Queries
Enable AI-powered questions:
# Set environment variable
export OPENAI_API_KEY=your-key
# In UI, use the "Ask a Question" feature
# Example: "Show me revenue by region for last 30 days"
Documentation: https://docs.buildly.io/reporting
Repository
🆓 Free Access Available
Purchase includes license + support
⚖️ Licensing & Support
Fair Hybrid License Model
🛠️ What's Included with Your Purchase
🌟 Open Source Community
What's Included:
- Complete source code access
- Commercial hosting license
- 30-day LabsChat support
- SLA: <1 day response
- Deployment configuration files
- Installation documentation
- Multiple deployment guides (Docker, K8s, GitHub Pages, Buildly Core)
- Community support access
Free for personal use • Commercial hosting requires license • Converts to Apache 2.0 after 24 months