Migrating to a cloud-based architecture

Travel company migrates incrementally from cumbersome legacy system to integrated, scalable cloud services.

At a glance

A travel company had outgrown their cumbersome, home-grown system for managing contacts, reservations, and trip information. They wanted a solution that would let them transition to cloud-based services incrementally to minimize impact on business operations. That’s why they contacted us.

Customer challenge

Our client had grown significantly since building and implementing their own in-house application for managing contacts (leads, guests, employees, travel agencies), reservations, and travel data. They wanted to leverage the flexibility and scalability of cloud-based services but needed a solution that enabled a gradual transition of functions to avoid disrupting their business.

Their old system had a number of limitations and challenges, including:

• Limited error-logging capabilities that only captured information on the most recent error
• Tedious, manual approach to re-processing failed syncs following outages or other disruptions
• Outdated technology handling transactions directly through the database
• Lack of tracking, monitoring, and auditing of transactions involving interactions with external systems
• Limited, non-user-friendly interface on key business functions with outdated systems
• Lack of flexibility in customizations to expand enhanced business use cases and to support agility

Why they chose us

Our client’s CIO had encountered us in a previous position and was impressed with the depth of our expertise in cloud-based data integrations. When it became clear that his team needed help resolving this issue, he knew we were the right choice to help them achieve their goals.

Our results: “The Wins”

We designed and implemented an integration architecture using Informatica’s cloud solutions to synchronize data and automate processes between a new Salesforce.com instance, the client’s legacy system, and Softrip’s travel management software. We also added data and process monitoring, tracking, and logging capabilities.

Now the business user gets complete information on transactions, including the process itself and the metadata, in an intuitive format. We also enhanced error-handling capabilities to enable error capture on multiple levels in a single window.

Business and IT users no longer have to jump back and forth between systems to dig out information on failing processes. Instead, we built in notifications so the relevant group is notified in real time. Moreover, failed processes are automatically re-processed following occurrences such as outages and defined business exceptions. The solution improves our client’s business processes by fully automating and leveraging the latest-and-greatest features of cloud technologies. It enables the cloud and on-premise integration to execute with no disruption to business functions.

The architecture allows our client to transition incrementally to the cloud by gradually migrating core functions and phasing out the legacy system with minimal business impact. They have the foundation they need to eventually retire the legacy system and fully leverage cloud-based services.