Case Study: Alcoa achieves evergreen IT and streamlined Windows updates with Microsoft Power BI

Alcoa streamlines Windows updates across globally distributed network environment

Alcoa, a global leader in bauxite, alumina, and aluminum products, faced the challenge of managing roughly 15,000 Windows devices across more than 10 countries and needed a consistent, simplified, cost‑efficient path to keep systems current while moving to Windows 10 Enterprise. To support an “evergreen” IT model and improve visibility into deployments and security posture, Alcoa implemented Microsoft Power BI dashboards alongside Microsoft Endpoint Configuration Manager and Windows as a service.

Microsoft Power BI dashboards provided centralized reporting and stakeholder visibility that complemented a four‑ring, phased Waas deployment and Configuration Manager automation. The program standardized a ~190‑day update cadence, reduced end‑user disruption and training costs, saw more than 75% of devices update before mandatory deadlines, and drove large reductions in application‑compatibility risk (Always‑retest apps fell ~70% from 1703→1803, then ~40% to 1809 and ~13% to 1909). Microsoft Power BI’s analytics helped Alcoa shift from costly “big bang” migrations to a lower‑cost, evergreen update model.

Alcoa

Travis Morse

Chief Information Architect