With plans to replace two core systems, this client seized the opportunity to modernize their data platform. Expansive, redundant assets made reporting difficult, inefficient, and costly. Trility recommended a Microsoft Fabric Lakehouse architecture to streamline data modeling, simplify reporting, and drive transformation.
This client had aggressive growth goals that required more efficient and usable data. As they planned to replace two core operational systems, they saw an opportunity to modernize an aging data and analytics platform. The existing setup relied heavily on SQL Server Reporting Services (SSRS) with limited use of PowerBI, resulting in an expansive number of reports. This led to redundant reporting assets, making the process of updating existing reports or creating new ones both time-consuming and inefficient. The system’s limitation of updating report data hampered access to timely information.
The client also struggled with key processes in these areas: change requests and version control, centralized permissions management, single-source-of-truth principles, and reusable design standards. The current infrastructure lacked the flexibility to enable end-user autonomy, efficient pipeline management, and AI readiness.
The client needed a modern data warehouse architecture for a simplified reporting framework to address these challenges and prepare for future capabilities.
Trility conducted an Independent analysis of the current state architecture, culminating in a detailed list of observations and an architectural visualization of the major analytical sources. Trility collaborated with the client’s stakeholders to identify the top 15 reports that best represented the system’s complexity based on usage and business criticality. They then analyzed these reports by reviewing source queries, identifying key metrics, and examining the source tables.
Other areas analyzed included the underlying data structures of 13 data sources by viewing table definitions, key relationships, data types, and relationship to the source system; the SSRS and Power BI Reporting environments by running reports, viewing datasets, and exploring the reporting portals; and an analysis revealed lengthy refresh rates from a number of data sources.
The team conducted on-site discussions, formal findings and recommendation reviews, and daily stand-ups. They also met with the implementation teams replacing the two core operational systems to understand upstream activities and identify any potential impacts on the overall timeline.
Trility analyzed the current state, discussed their desired state, and designed a roadmap to modernize the client’s reporting framework, laying the foundation for an efficient, scalable data platform. The final report gave the client a clear understanding of the previously undocumented existing environment and provided options and recommendations that compared tools, complexity, scalability, costs, and customization, including the pros and cons of each. This documentation helped the client visualize their challenges and prioritize a path forward.
Trility provided a detailed implementation plan, holistic change management strategies, and guidance on operationalizing the platform from a business perspective. This project led the client to continue their partnership with Trility to lead the implementation of a Microsoft Fabric data platform to reduce data origins, normalize data, simplify queries, standardize administration, and enhance security.
