Multinational Medical Products Supplier Turned Around Their Legacy System with Azure Databricks

We worked with one of the leading companies that manufacture protective industrial and medical gloves to implement data platform and Business Intelligence solution that would measure retail, sales, market share, and productive share for partnering firms.

The transition from a legacy on-premises system running on Informatica to a modern data platform leveraging Azure Data Services represents a significant advancement for the client. The client’s internal team and the project sponsors were quite familiar with cutting edge capabilities of Azure Data Services; this allowed us to collaboratively design and build a progressive solution to handle their Data Engineering and Artificial Intelligence use cases. The solution template allows the company to ramp its new clients very quickly on the application by simply filling out some data source metadata and pushing some buttons. The organization can now get its new clients up and running in a couple days, plugging each one into amazing insights on their retail data.

Modern Data Platform Architecture Overview:

Scalable Data Engineering:The architecture utilizes Azure Databricks, which allows for powerful data processing capabilities with the flexibility to scale as needed. This is particularly beneficial for handling large volumes of retail data.

Event-Driven Processing:The solution supports event-driven architectures, enabling real-time data processing and analytics. This feature allows the client to respond quickly to changes in data, enhancing decision-making capabilities.

Multi-Language Support:Azure Databricks supports multiple programming languages (Python, R, Scala, SQL), allowing the client’s data engineers and data scientists to work in their preferred languages. This flexibility encourages innovation and efficiency in developing data solutions.

Integration with Azure Data Lake Storage:The architecture incorporates Azure Data Lake Store for cost-effective and scalable storage solutions. This allows for the storage of vast amounts of unstructured and structured data, facilitating advanced analytics.

Streamlined Client Onboarding:The solution template designed for onboarding new clients enables quick ramp-up times. By simply filling out data source metadata and executing a few steps, new clients can be integrated into the system in just a couple of days, accessing valuable insights into their retail data.

Noteworthy Benefits Experienced by the Client:

• High Scalability and Elasticity: The new architecture allows for easy scaling of resources to meet varying workloads, ensuring that performance remains optimal even during peak usage times.
• Cost Efficiency: By utilizing Azure Data Lake Store and a pay-as-you-go model, the client can reduce storage costs while efficiently managing large datasets. This cost-effective storage solution enables them to allocate resources where they are needed most.
• Improved Processing Speed: The combination of Azure Databricks and event-driven processing significantly improves the speed of data processing, allowing the client to gain insights faster and make timely decisions.
• Advanced Analytics Capabilities: The modern data platform supports advanced analytics and machine learning use cases, enabling the client to leverage artificial intelligence to gain deeper insights and drive business innovation.
• Enhanced Collaboration: The familiarity of the internal team with Azure Data Services facilitates seamless collaboration during the design and implementation phases, leading to a tailored solution that meets specific business needs.
• Reduction of Technical Debt: By moving away from the legacy Informatica system, the client reduces technical debt and the associated maintenance overhead, allowing their team to focus on innovation rather than upkeep.
• Faster Time to Market: With a robust and flexible architecture, the client can quickly adapt to new business requirements and market changes, enabling faster deployment of solutions and services.

The shift to a modern data platform leveraging Azure Databricks has provided the client with a scalable, efficient, and powerful solution to handle their data engineering and artificial intelligence use cases. This transformation not only enhances operational efficiency but also positions the client for growth and innovation in the competitive retail landscape. If you need more information or have specific questions about the architecture or technologies used, feel free to ask!