When all companies are expected to be engaged in the digital transformation processes, moving from old systems to new, cloud technologies has become a must. Companies have started to understand that using inefficient, outdated systems is counterproductive to their operations and their ability to utilize new technologies such as artificial intelligence or machine learning. The move to the cloud is not just a question of technology improvement itself; it is rather unlocking new possibilities that assist the organizations to succeed in the competitive and the fast changing world of today which is highly oriented to data.
Syed Zia Ashraf’s big quest in this endeavor, however, is development and modernization of ever present AS/400 Legacy Systems, an infrastructure that has withstood the test of time but is now begging for a rethink on its applicability in today’s big data governance. The AS/400 era, spanning from database ownership to contemporary cloud-platform systems, along with AWS and Google Cloud, showcases fruits of extensive and sophisticated strategies and transformations.
The migration was such as an upheaval that it entailed re-engineering every component of the legacy data pipeline beginning with a careful evaluation of the existing architecture. “The old system had done its job over the years but as the organization grew, it became pronounced”, remarks Zia. The antiquated structure could not keep up with the modern times, specifically the need for data processing and analytics in real-time for decision making. There was a call not merely to migrate but to restructure the whole system in order to match the new operational demands, which could also allow for the use of AI to delve into the very solutions. This implied, in the first place, causing the least possible effect on the ongoing processes, improving the efficiency of the data handling, and constructing a cloud-native solution that would make sense in this organization at its next stage.
The creation of the historical, which at that time, was impossible to imagine real-time analytics, became noteworthy. In the Google Cloud environment by implementing BigQuery and Airflow, he designed new data pipelines for real-time insights thus allowing much more rapid access to data, and improved the performance of the queries. These improvements allowed provision of real-time analytics to the stakeholders which helped the departments to make quick decisions based on analytics. The deployment of automated workflows helped cut down operational costs even more by streamlining processes and redirecting human resources towards productive efforts instead of regular data processes.
With this project, Data Security and Governance had a big share of focus. These aspects are very important to cloud migration especially if sensitive information is involved. The use of governance structures in the process of migration helped the institution to comply with the requirements set by the laws and to safeguard the information. In the course of transition, compliance and security enhanced measures helped to maintain the data integrity and confidentiality respectively, hence no regulatory issues or security issues were experienced. The holistic approach to data governance put in place not only improved the facilities available but also enhanced the users’ and clients’ confidence, which is key in such an environment as this highly regulated one.
However, the favorable outcomes of the renovation were not limited to that particular undertaking. There was a Veteran Health Affairs (VHA) Business Intelligence (BI) project that constructed Business Intelligence with the predominant aim of financial reporting and BI enhancement. Here, it was automation that revolutionized the entire process of handling financial information. In the past, especially when producing reports like Budget Briefing and Allocation & Obligation Reports, compiling those numbers and drafting them into reports took a lot of time and was subject to a lot of mistakes. The organization managed to decrease inappropriate manual work while increasing the accuracy of the report by simply making the data flows automated. Such timely and reliable reports were important as they enabled the leadership to make better and more accurate resource allocation decisions. There was also an advantage in data management since all the financial data from different places were brought together to one house making it easier for analysts to get the information they require without the hassle of going through different systems.
In the same vein, the travel industry has also witnessed a similar transformation as regards data-driven development. Addressing the problem of Master Data Management (MDM), the project focused on enhancing the efficiency of data management in Global Distribution Systems (GDS) that are central to the travel industry. Because travel organizations use current and reliable data for every operation they perform, including availability and reservations of imprints; this approach of eliminating and improving data quality was very important. The need for more agile and efficient booking solutions was met with the deployment of a single data system. The MDM project has enabled great improvements in customer service by eliminating booking inaccuracies which are crucial in the travel industry where reservations must be done at the right time and at the right information thanks to the inventory system across channels.
In addressing archaic measures against fraudulent activities, the issuance of Fraud Client Integration Services (FRCIS) accentuated the need to implement dynamic and dependable measures against fraud. With its own inefficiencies causing intermittent operational shutdowns, the FRCIS initiative was also about the enhancement of the existing systems of fraud management as well as the integration of SRE to ensure reliability on services provided. This included setting up a clear plan on how to approach shutting down existing systems without causing wastage, and also how the changed states would fit in with the overall mission of the organization in the course of the operations. By emphasizing continuity and effective filling of the primary task pike, the completion of this project aimed at enhancing the measures against fraud, while the activities of the organization continued to function without any interruption, which is of paramount importance in the current situation when the attitudes towards punishment of any infractions are becoming more sophisticated.
In the case of financial services, an automated data flow system has facilitated the generation of financial reports. It is worth noting that producing these reports before would take a lot of time and more often than not it would extend to days or weeks in the making. The implementation of an end-to-end data pipeline in the project reduced report creation time from weeks to hours. The ability to garner such information in real time came in handy especially in a sector where competition is fierce and even a minute can alter the course of growth.
Likewise, developments made in the Sabre IX application focused on the GDS sphere offered critical advancements in the travel sector. The Sabre system witnessed a reduced rate of booking errors and efficiency of processing all operations due to the addition of AI and improvement of real-time data capabilities. Such VCO development was important for travel management companies as it enabled them to remain efficient and agile to the needs of their clients.
Syed Zia Ashraf exemplifies the power of cloud-based solutions in unlocking new operational efficiencies and scaling data processing capabilities. The results achieved that he achieved were through improved data governance, reduced reporting times, or optimized fraud detection. They illustrate how comprehensive, well-planned digital transformations can propel organizations into a new era of data-driven insights and growth.
