Challenge
One of the largest construction companies faced several major challenges with its existing on-premise infrastructure and systems, which led to the decision to move to a cloud-based solution. The move was part of a wider plan to modernise and decouple from its parent company. The on-premise solution no longer suited the company due to an outdated infrastructure that was difficult to maintain and lacked scalability, relying on outdated technology without sufficient support. At the same time, the company’s data processing requirements were growing. The database server was already without warranty support for both hardware and software, significantly increasing the risk of data loss. The company was also struggling with reporting issues, where only static reports could be generated with the existing solution. There was no catalogue of reports or visibility of their owners, number or usage.
Solution
After a detailed analysis, a plan was created and implemented to move the on-premise data warehouse to MS Azure, including the creation of the necessary cloud environment. Unsupported systems and applications were replaced with modern cloud services. The Power BI Service integration enabled dynamic reporting, improved data visibility and reporting processes, consolidated fragmented processes and strengthened overall data analysis capabilities. The Ness team’s work also included training and hands-on workshops to help users transition from Excel reporting to effective use of Power BI.
Results
The transition of the data warehouse to the cloud went smoothly, without failures and on the promised date. The client now operates a modern data platform on a supported cloud infrastructure. Data warehouse performance has increased significantly, with data ingestion from source systems accelerated by 40%, allowing users to access data faster. Data is now computed and processed before the start of business hours, making work more efficient overall. The Power BI Service integration has simplified the use of reports, improved their management and ensured consistency across the organisation. The client has also started to use graphical interpretation of the data. The move to the cloud created a robust and flexible data infrastructure, improving the reliability and scalability of data management and reporting. The new system also provided better visibility into resource usage and operational costs.
Interested in more information? Contact us at nesscz@ness.com