Transforming a Global Finance Data Platform for Greater Speed, Simplicity & Scalability

Background

A leading global asset management firm sought to unify and analyze financial data across its many affiliates through a centralized Finance Data Platform. While the foundational system was already in place, the firm needed ongoing development support and strategic guidance to streamline performance, modernize architecture, and extend the platform’s capabilities. Osprey Software was brought in as a partner to support and evolve this critical system over the course of a multi-phase engagement.

Challenge

While the platform served its original purpose, several issues emerged:

• The existing Redshift data model had grown overly complex, creating delays in development and data processing.
• Power BI Datamarts, which underpinned reporting capabilities, were scheduled for deprecation by Microsoft, forcing a strategic shift in architecture.
• The firm wanted to expand the platform’s scope to include budgeting and forecasting data alongside actuals, requiring seamless integration into existing reports.

These challenges called for both technical innovation and disciplined reengineering.

Solutions

Osprey Software responded with a comprehensive transformation:

• Database Redesign: We implemented a clean, performant star schema to replace the tangled data model, vastly improving data accessibility and BI compatibility.
• Codebase Refactoring: We overhauled the existing infrastructure, including:
  • A React-based web application that surfaces platform metadata
  • AWS Lambda functions managing data ingestion workflows
  • Redesigned Power BI reports aligned to the new schema
• New Capabilities: We integrated budget and forecast data into the platform, enabling detailed comparison views against actuals – all within the same reporting environment.
• Forward Compatibility: In response to the end-of-life announcement for Power BI Datamarts, we began prototyping solutions using Microsoft Fabric as a long-term alternative.

Results

The reimagined platform delivered significant performance and usability gains:

• 5–10 minute ingest times were reduced to just 1–2 minutes
• Bug resolution cycles shrank dramatically, with most issues resolved within a day
• Business users now have access to forecast vs. actual comparisons across the same reporting environment
• The new architecture is simpler, faster, and easier to maintain, enabling more agile development

Key Challenge

While designing the new data model was relatively straightforward, the real complexity lay in the widespread refactoring needed to support it. Every downstream system – from ingestion pipelines to dashboards – had to be reengineered, tested, and deployed without disrupting business operations. The tight coupling of components made this a meticulous and time-sensitive process.

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