RAC WA keeps more than 1.2 million members safe at home and on the road in Western Australia. With support from Fujitsu Data & AI, it created a unified data platform to enable smarter decision-making.
Challenge
RAC WA has a complex data estate, and this complexity and reliance on a few key legacy systems made it challenging to create a unified data and reporting platform.
Solution
Fujitsu Data & AI carried out an assessment by engaging with multiple business and technical stakeholders, reviewing the existing technology and strategy, and producing a roadmap with achievable goals.
Outcomes
- New cloud data platform
- Consolidated data and information strategy provides direction
- Repeatable approach for subsequent phases to accelerate delivery
Fujitsu Data & AI provided experts in the data field to help define, develop, and deploy a cloud-based data solution built on the Microsoft Azure platform.
1 unified data platform
1.2M members served by data-driven decision-making
- Industry: Insurance
- Location: Australia
- People: >1,400
- Customer's website
About the customer
RAC WA was founded in 1905 when more people travelled by horse and cart than by car. Today, it’s become one of the most trusted and recognised organisations in Western Australia, with a membership of more than 1.2 million people. RAC WA is purpose-led and aims to make Western Australia a better place. The services it provides to members include insurance, home services and security, roadside assistance and auto services, finance, and travel.
A trusted organisation
RAC WA is one of the most trusted and recognised organisations in Western Australia, with a membership that exceeds 1.2 million people. RAC began in 1905 when cars were a novelty and most travelled by horse and cart. As a purpose-led organisation without shareholders, RAC is focused on influencing positive change to improve life for all Western Australians.
In addition to making Western Australia a better place, RAC provides a number of services to members including roadside assistance, insurance, travel, tourism, finance, auto services, batteries, tyres, home services, and security.
The need for a unified cloud data platform
RAC WA has a complex data estate, and in recent years multiple projects have been undertaken to deliver a unified data and reporting platform. The complexity and reliance on some key legacy systems have made this challenging.
There is a strong desire at RAC WA to maximise the value of data and unify the information model. The approach to achieve this included a shift to a more member-centred view of the world.
RAC WA recognises the value of data-driven decision-making; a big step towards this outcome is a unified cloud data platform. RAC WA selected Microsoft Azure as its chosen cloud provider. Several small projects have been undertaken using the Microsoft Azure data offerings, but a unified solution was needed.
Working as one team
Fujitsu Data & AI’s engagement with RAC WA began in 2022 with an assessment of its current data landscape to provide recommendations to resolve existing issues and to plan a way forward. This assessment was a short engagement that allowed Fujitsu Data & AI to determine RAC WA’s strengths and weaknesses in the data domain, and define an overall data strategy that focused on both technical and business requirements.
This assessment led to a larger engagement to deliver data architecture and solution implementation services, assisting RAC WA with developing its cloud data platform. A project was kicked off to develop a modern cloud data platform across RAC WA’s group function.
Fujitsu Data & AI provided crucial architectural, technical, and business direction, which led to the successful delivery of the solution. The team helped RAC WA bring forward the solution’s go-live date and laid the groundwork for the continued development of RAC WA’s data estate.
The solution
The scope of the solution included:
-
Data Solution Assessment to determine what worked, what didn’t, and what was missing. This included the technical landscape, business needs, and the overall
approach to data in RAC WA. - Data strategy developed off the back of the assessment helped define an approach and identify the next steps.
- Revisiting and refreshing the previous data platform project; delivery was reshaped to align with the enhanced strategy.
- Fujitsu Data & AI was engaged to assist with technical delivery.
- Agile project delivery methodology was used to manage backlog and outcomes.
Fujitsu Data & AI performed an assessment using its pre-defined approach: by engaging with multiple business and technical stakeholders, reviewing existing technical and strategy documentation, and producing a roadmap with realistic and achievable goals. The assessment identified areas for improvement and provided direction on a way forward.
Fujitsu Data & AI provided experts in the data field to help define, develop, and deploy a cloud-based data solution built on the Microsoft Azure platform. At the heart of the solution is Azure Synapse Analytics, Microsoft’s enterprise analytics service that brings together multiple technologies to support data workloads of all sizes and complexities. As a Microsoft partner, Fujitsu Data & AI was able to bring knowledge and expertise to ensure success.
The outcomes
Following the implementation, RAC WA achieved the following key benefits:
- Consolidated data and information strategy, providing direction for business leaders in RAC WA.
- Successful go-live of initial workloads in the new cloud data platform.
- Accelerated delivery for subsequent phases using the well-defined, ‘how to’ approach.
- A positive view of the data platform that will promote data-driven decisions within the business.
This successful implementation lays the groundwork for the expansion of the solution in the coming months and years. Subsequent phases can follow examples and templates developed in this implementation, allowing accelerated delivery of future data and reporting requirements.
This platform will ultimately help RAC WA better utilise AI and machine learning, while moving the company closer to its aim of developing a member-centred data model.
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