Grafana for business intelligence: How Grafana Labs uses dashboards for more than observability data

Grafana Labs has leveraged its own open-source visualization tool, Grafana, as a business intelligence solution to optimize its data stack and enhance scalability for its small team. Initially renowned for observability, Grafana has evolved to support business metrics visualization, integrating seamlessly with the modern data stack including tools like BigQuery, dbt, and Prefect. This approach allows Grafana Labs to implement a "single pane of glass" methodology, enabling interactive dashboards that merge business and observability data, while adhering to a "big tent" philosophy that supports diverse data sources. Grafana's integration with BigQuery facilitates data visualization using SQL, maintaining a clear separation between data modeling and visualization roles. The platform's features for data governance, such as user permission management and dashboard tags, further enhance data discovery and collaboration. A demo dashboard utilizing public data on Citi Bike usage in New York City exemplifies Grafana's capabilities, showcasing its interactive features and supporting user engagement through open-source community involvement.