Practical Data Centralisation
We are a rapidly growing business and we need access to our data NOW!
We need to EMPOWER our staff with the data they need to work effectively
We need an AFFORDABLE solution we can manage OURSELVES
Sound familiar?
One of our clients (let’s call them Client X) was a medium sized company, experiencing rapid growth and the organisational challenges that come along with that.
One of Client X’s major challenges was the lack of availability of internal data; data which was critical for allowing staff to make informed decisions independently of key members of the business. Managers and C-level people were forced to micro-manage decision making, since the necessary information was not available to people they delegated to. Scaleability of the business was limited.
The historical knowledge that their data contained, creates an competitive advantage….. .TODO
Much of the data they required was stored in segregated software systems, spreadsheets, and in brains of key stakeholders in the business. The organisation acknowledge this as an issue and sought to resolve these challenges by integrating systems and centralising their data.
Cloud Data Storage using Azure SQL Server
Being a medium sized business, with rapid growth, Client X were constrained by budget and need a solution “now”. Nutava worked with Client X to discover a practical and affordable solution using Microsoft technologies.
Our solution focused on the following principles:
- Use simple Cloud Data Storage to minimise IT complexity and overheads
- Allowing data to be accessed and utilised in common workplace tools such as Microsoft Excel
- Developing a “low-code” application for data management in Microsoft Power Apps, that the client could self manage, without needing to depend on software developers into the future
Microsoft Power Apps
Microsoft Power Apps is a “no-code” enterprise solution to building responsive applications. The applications are hosted in the cloud, and can be easily integrated with various data sources and services.
TO DO.
The images below demonstrate the application we built for managing data using Microsoft Power Apps.
Conclusion
Data Centralisation allowed our client to make critical data available to everyone in the organisation, to support them in quantitative decision making. The technology choice (using Azure SQL Server, Microsoft PowerApps, Microsoft Excel etc.) achieved an affordable, yet modern solution, with simple I.T. requirements, that the client was able to self-maintain into future, without needing to depend on software developers or an expensive IT budget.
