Case study - Modernization and outsourcing of the corporate data center: Preparation of the application database
A leading German chemical company successfully prepared the outsourcing of its corporate data centre by improving the data quality of its application database in preparation of the upcoming transition. By categorizing data, addressing areas needing improvement, and identifying unknown applications, the project ensured the database was prepared for a smooth transition to the new provider-managed environment.
- Industry
- Chemical Industry
- Roles
- Project Manager for improving the data quality of the application database, T&T Manager, Data Quality Manager
- Services
- Project management, data analysis, communication, team leadership, problem-solving
Objective
The company planned a comprehensive modernization of its data centre, to be achieved by moving to a provider data centre and simultaneously outsourcing infrastructure management to the provider. Successful transition required identifying all applications running on existing systems and gradually transferring them to the new environment. This required thorough identification of all applications, their components, and the responsible individuals.
Challenges
Initial data collection revealed a significant need for improvement. The data quality was found to be subpar and had to reach an acceptable level by the time the transition began.
Execution
The initial analysis categorized the data quality into three groups:
- Sufficient: No action required.
- Needs Improvement: Required identifying responsible individuals, setting actions, and tracking results.
- Unknown Applications: Needed further investigation to identify and document these applications in the database. After reaching an adequate data quality, a structured handover of application data to the provider was carried out to support the transition.
Outcome
The result of this project was the improvement of data quality in the application database to a sufficient level to begin the transition and the smooth start of the transition of the infrastructure data centre. This enabled efficient modernization and outsourcing of the corporate data centre.