Assessing an innovative data warehouse technology for EFL

The challenge

Business Need

Knowing the importance of a flawless data architecture in the finance industry, EFL was considering multiple options to upgrade their data warehouse. This system lies at the centre of their operations and plays a crucial role in allowing them to provide the highest quality services to their numerous customers. One of the possibilities they were investigating was a full migration to an innovative data warehouse solution — Snowflake.  

EFL has a large and complex data warehouse, with multiple company departments requiring access to parts of it. The client wanted to check how effectively Snowflake’s tools can help manage this situation. In general, EFL wanted to validate whether this platform meets their needs in terms of functionality, performance and cost-efficiency.  

It was crucial for them to get an independent expert opinion and not rely purely on the data and materials provided by the vendor. Objectivity was selected as a result of successful collaboration between the two organisations on multiple occasions in the past.  

The solution

Project Details

Objectivity built a proof of concept of the Snowflake data warehouse solution and conducted an extensive testing process using a portion of EFL’s actual data. This was to emulate the real-life scenarios as accurately as possible and get the most relevant results. The client received a direct comparison of Snowflake and their current data warehouse solution. Moreover, the team tested multiple data loading methods to gain the most exhaustive insight into the platform’s capabilities. 

A Snowflake-based data warehouse can utilise multiple servers for a single client. This allowed Objectivity to set up a separate server for every EFL’s department that requires access to the data warehouse. Thanks to that, the company can more accurately track needs and expenses of every department and manage permissions easily. 

In addition to testing the solution’s performance, this proof of concept enabled EFL to estimate the total costs of moving and maintaining their data warehouse in Snowflake. Objectivity remained impartial in the process and provided the client with detailed results of the audit. The team delivered the proof of concept in just three weeks. All the crucial areas have been tested and EFL is now able to make an informed decision regarding their future data warehouse solution. 

 

The results

Business Benefits

Data warehouse is a critical part of EFL’s operations and they needed to make sure that they choose the optimal approach. The proof of concept built by Objectivity showcased that Snowflake is capable of fulfilling EFL’s requirements. The data warehouse had all the required functionalities and performed well. At the same time, the estimated maintenance and exploitation costs of such solution turned out to be well within the range desired by the client.  

EFL received a working proof of concept and a precise, complex report of how Snowflake performs on their own organisational data in just three weeks. The client was impressed with the capabilities of cloud and the SaaS model, especially in terms of the project’s speed. It was also key for them that the PoC was prepared by a trusted, independent organisation, as it gave EFL the confidence they needed in the decision-making process.