Changing applications

Are you struggling with a continuously changing application landscape? Do you want to ensure the stability of information during long transformation projects?

Situation: Complexity of your data landscape

Digitisation and innovation have had an enormous impact on the application landscape. Where an organisations application architecture used to be relatively simple, nowadays organisations are dealing with an increasing complexity in their IT landscape: the number of IT systems, the amount of data, the processes, products, upgrades, migrations etc. have grown exponentially over the years and are continuously changing.

Challenge: The impact of changes in source systems on data insights can be costly

While it is increasingly difficult to keep track of all changes in the application landscape, these changes can have a significant impact on the reports that use the data. Providing stability by streamlining data, in such a way that changes in applications no longer lead to changes in data and reports, is key. Because data is only useful when it is accurate. And even a small error can make a substantial difference, impacting your decisions. Overcoming the problems after they have occurred will cost valuable time and money.

Solution: A data platform that will bring stability, even when systems change

With the right architecture for your data platform, based on Sparkle’s Reference Architecture, you can provide stability. By introducing a layered architecture, you can minimize the impact of changes in the application landscape on your reporting and application integration.

Because the access layer (containing your reports, dashboards, API’s) are accessing the presentation layer, keeping the presentation layer stable provides stability in reporting.

If the foundation layer is built according to the DataVault methodology, all history is kept from the application that’s being replaced. If modelled properly, the impact of changing applications will be very limited. The data from applications that are changed will remain in the foundation layer, and data from the new applications are integrated.

This means that if an application is replaced by another application:

The foundation layer will keep the data from the previous application and the data from the new application is integrated. If Data Vault is used, this often means that at least new satellites will be added to existing hubs.
The presentation layer will be adapted to also include the data from the new applications.
The access layer will have minimal impact and both reporting and application integrations will be stable – offering stability in insights.

A modern data platform can fulfill the current and future (+/- 5 years) data needs. It is often cloud native, integrates data from multiple systems, and is cost efficient to setup and maintain.

Sparkle commits itself to guide its customers as best as possible in their data approach. Please contact our experts to discuss how we can help you solve your data challenges.

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With the help of Sparkle it became more clear what aspects of data we had to focus on and how to build it. Sparkle also helped our health tech startup with finding already existing API’s and methodologies which saved us a lot of time.