How a Cloud-First Organization Built Real-Time Integration Across AWS and Azure

The client, a well-established enterprise with a sophisticated AWS footprint, had long optimized their systems for performance, scalability, and security in a single-cloud environment. Their teams were deeply fluent in AWS tools, processes, and governance models.

However, the business required a new ERP system—Microsoft Dynamics 365—which would live in Microsoft Azure. This presented multiple challenges:

Establishing a secure and scalable Azure environment from scratch

Integrating Dynamics 365 into the existing AWS ecosystem

Transitioning from batch-based data transfers to real-time synchronization

The implementation would require more than just infrastructure—it demanded orchestration across multiple systems, stakeholders, and architectural paradigms. .

Problem:

While the internal architecture team could lay the initial groundwork in Azure, leadership quickly realized the complexity of integration extended beyond their in-house expertise.

The stakes were high:

Dynamics 365 would become the system of record for critical operational data

Downstream systems in AWS relied on that data for near real-time decision-making

Batch processes were no longer sufficient—the business needed low-latency, event-driven data pipelines

With timelines tight and performance expectations high, the client sought a partner who could deliver under pressure, adjust in real time, and uphold enterprise-grade standards

How Kenway Helped:

Kenway entered the engagement as a hands-on partner—collaborative, flexible, and focused on results. With deep technical expertise in Azure, cloud integration, and data architecture and a client-first mindset, Kenway didn’t just implement; we co-navigated complexity alongside the client.

Key Contributions:

Designed and executed real-time data integration architecture across AWS and Azure

Established secure, compliant Azure infrastructure tailored to ERP needs

Delivered adaptive implementation in response to evolving requirements and unforeseen challenges

Worked shoulder-to-shoulder with internal teams to build trust, resilience, and internal capability

Key Principles That Drove Success

Throughout the engagement, Kenway modeled the behaviors that separate successful transformations from failed ones:

Adaptability Over Rigidity
We pivoted quickly when initial designs met unexpected roadblocks—prioritizing outcomes over ego.

Client-Centered Focus
Every decision was aligned with client goals, not just technical feasibility.

Professionalism Under Pressure
We maintained focus and composure even as project complexity intensified.

Commitment to Long-Term Quality
Shortcuts were avoided in favor of sustainable, scalable solutions.

The Outcome: A Foundation for Future Growth

The result was a fully integrated, multi-cloud architecture that supported real-time data flow from Dynamics 365 in Azure to subscribing systems in AWS. With this transformation:

The client gained operational agility that batch processes could never support

Modern infrastructure enabled business-critical performance across applications

Internal teams gained confidence in managing and expanding a multi-cloud environment

The organization future-proofed their IT foundation for upcoming modernization efforts

Kenway Consulting Announces New Partnership with Databricks

CHICAGO, Thursday, March 20, 2025 – Kenway Consulting today announced a new partnership with Databricks, the data and AI company, that will help deliver cutting-edge data engineering, machine learning (ML), and real-time analytics solutions to clients.

As a Registered Databricks Partner, Kenway will leverage Databricks’ Data Intelligence Platform to optimize data ecosystems – from strategy and architecture, to engineering and modeling – allowing clients to unlock deeper insights and maximize the value of their data.

“Our partnership with Databricks enhances our ability to help organizations optimize their data to align with their business goals and strategy,” said Byron Leonsins, Data and Analytics Practice Co-Lead, Kenway Consulting. “Databricks’ best-in-class approach to unifying data, AI, and analytics allows us to more effectively help clients eliminate silos, optimize governance, and accelerate digital transformation.”

The Databricks Data Intelligence Platform democratizes access to analytics and intelligent applications by marrying customers’ data with powerful AI models tuned to their business's unique characteristics. The platform is built on a lakehouse foundation of open data formats and open governance to ensure that all data is completely within the customers’ control.

Kenway's Data and Analytics practice offers comprehensive services to navigate the entire data lifecycle. The company designs optimal data strategies, implements effective architectures and data engineering patterns, and ensures quality and governance to deliver business value through data products like dashboards, reports, integrations, and ML models.

To learn more about Kenway’s Data & Analytics practice,
visit https://www.kenwayconsulting.com/data-and-analytics

Kenway Consulting Announces New Partnership with Databricks

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About Kenway Consulting

Kenway Consulting is a management and technology consulting firm whose entire reason for existence is to help companies and its employees. Founded in 2004 on the principles of being good and being truthful, Kenway’s set of Guiding Principles steers each employee’s decision-making process and centers on integrity, quality, value and respect. The company focuses on the means and not the outcomes, always in line with these Guiding Principles, and always with integrity as its cornerstone. Kenway strives to provide all clients with unmatched quality and service, and specializes in customized business solutions using its Application Development, Artificial Intelligence, Contact Center Solutions, Data and Analytics, Data Compliance and Privacy, Program and Product Management, and Salesforce practices.

ERP Modernization in Private Equity: A Value Creation Framework

For lower middle market (LMM) private equity firms, technology modernization is more than an IT upgrade—it’s a direct path to operational efficiency, EBITDA growth, and higher exit valuations. Yet, many portfolio companies still rely on outdated ERP systems, fragmented data environments, and manual workflows that limit scalability, slow operations, and introduce avoidable risk.

Despite its importance, technology due diligence in LMM deals often lacks rigor—focusing on surface-level IT assessments while overlooking how legacy systems and inefficient processes impact portfolio performance and resilience. This oversight can delay integration synergies, increase working capital inefficiencies, and create unforeseen risks that erode value post-acquisition.

For PE firms that take a proactive approach, closing this technology gap represents an untapped opportunity to enhance portfolio performance, improve visibility into operations, and mitigate risks that could otherwise disrupt value creation plans.

Recent research highlights the measurable impact of ERP modernization in driving operational efficiencies across PE-backed companies. According to KPMG’s 2023 CEO Survey, of PE-backed companies that implemented modern ERP systems:

95% reported tangible operational improvements

40% achieved reductions in IT costs

38% decreased their inventory levels

35% shortened their cycle times

At Kenway Consulting, we've developed a first principles framework for ERP modernization and digital transformation, designed to help PE firms systematically unlock value from technology investments.

The Problem: Technical Debt and Its Hidden Costs

When evaluating acquisitions or portfolio performance, private equity firms frequently uncover technology environments plagued by inefficiencies, including:

Disparate systems managing core business functions, leading to data inconsistencies and reporting gaps.

Reliance on tribal knowledge and manual workflows, increasing business continuity risk.

Legacy, on-premise ERP systems requiring specialized maintenance and costly workarounds that limit agility.

Excel-dependent processes for financial reporting, inventory management, and production planning—hindering scalability and automation.

Limited real-time visibility into operations, making it difficult to support data-driven decision-making.

Insufficient change management and user adoption programs, leading to resistance that undermines technology investments.

These technical inefficiencies directly erode EBITDA and enterprise value by:

Driving up labor costs and slowing revenue realization due to operational inefficiencies.

Creating business continuity vulnerabilities through reliance on outdated or unsupported systems.

Restricting scalability—companies with fragmented ERP and data environments struggle to integrate acquisitions, optimize supply chains, and expand into new markets.

These inefficiencies are often symptoms of accumulated technical debt—a silent killer of technology modernization efforts. According to McKinsey, technical debt accounts for 40% of the average IT balance sheet, absorbing capital that could otherwise fuel innovation and growth. Companies spend an additional 10% to 20% on top of project costs just to manage existing tech debt, further diverting resources from strategic priorities. Organizations with high levels of technical debt are also 40% more likely to experience failed or incomplete IT modernization initiatives, directly impacting scalability and competitiveness.

Without addressing these barriers, PE firms risk leaving value on the table. Poorly integrated legacy systems and inefficient processes reduce portfolio attractiveness at exit, hinder synergy realization, and slow down post-acquisition value creation.

A First Principles Framework for Technology Modernization

Rather than treating ERP modernization as a software implementation exercise, LMM private equity firms should approach it from first principles—breaking down the business’s core objectives, processes, and inefficiencies before making technology decisions.

At Kenway Consulting, we guide PE-backed companies through a structured framework that ensures ERP modernization drives measurable business impact.

1. Define Clear Business Objectives Before Selecting Technology

Before evaluating ERP vendors or automation tools, companies must first articulate their business goals and value drivers:

Revenue growth targets—How can technology support a higher transaction volume or improved pricing strategy?

Operational efficiency benchmarks—What are the KPIs for reducing manual processes and overhead costs?

Customer satisfaction and service metrics—How can technology enable a seamless customer experience?

Scalability objectives—What capabilities are needed to integrate acquisitions or expand into new markets?

2. Strip Away Non-Essential Complexity Before ERP Upgrades

Many legacy ERP environments have accumulated unnecessary complexity over time, resulting in bloated processes and inefficiencies. Before modernizing, simplify:

Eliminate redundant approval workflows that slow down decision-making.

Automate financial reconciliation processes to reduce errors and manual labor.

Remove legacy procedures that exist only due to system limitations from outdated ERPs.

Establish clear data ownership by identifying who is responsible for cleaning and qualifying data—critical for successful ERP migration.

3. Simplify Before Automating: A Common Pitfall in ERP Modernization

One of the biggest mistakes PE-backed companies make is automating broken processes instead of fixing them first. ERP systems should not just digitize inefficiencies—they should optimize and streamline business operations before automation is applied. Our approach emphasizes:

Map current workflows to identify bottlenecks, redundancies, and inefficiencies before ERP implementation.

Redesign processes for scalability and efficiency—removing unnecessary manual interventions before introducing automation.

Ensure data integrity and governance to prevent garbage-in, garbage-out scenarios, where automation only exacerbates poor data quality.

Create an execution roadmap—defining the sequence of process improvements before ERP implementation ensures smooth adoption and better ROI.

Beyond process simplification, LMM PE firms often face budget constraints and operational disruption concerns. We develop tailored implementation strategies that can identify high-impact, lower-cost improvements while minimizing business disruption risks based on each portfolio company's specific situation.

4. Implement Right-Sized Solutions for PE Investment Horizons

Not every portfolio company needs a full ERP replacement. Some benefit more from incremental improvements, such as custom application development to modernize key workflows, while others require a complete system overhaul. The right approach depends on:

Scenario	Recommendation	Project Duration	Value Creation Focus
Performance-Constrained Legacy ERP	Targeted upgrades & optimizations	6-12 months	Target high-impact operational bottlenecks Address critical revenue leakage points Prioritize quick-win automation opportunities
Highly Customized, High-Risk Legacy System	Full ERP modernization with cloud-based solution	12-24 months	Build scalable platform for growth Enable seamless add-on integration Enhance data visibility and reporting Reduce operational risk exposure
Multiple Disparate Systems with Poor Integration	System consolidation & process standardization	3-9 months	Streamline system landscape Standardize core processes Improve operational visibility Create foundation for future growth

By aligning ERP modernization strategies with the firm’s investment timeline, PE firms can maximize returns without over-investing in unnecessary complexity.

Case Study: Technology Modernization in Action

A mid-market e-commerce wholesaler specializing in specialty products faced significant growth limitations due to antiquated technology and fragmented IT infrastructure. Kenway Consulting conducted a comprehensive IT Platform Assessment to identify modernization opportunities aligned with business objectives.

Our solution included transitioning from single-resource IT partners to implementing a scalable cloud infrastructure centered around Dynamics 365 and Azure services. This transformation reduced dependency on specialized IT resources while establishing a scalable, extensible foundation for growth. The modernization delivered actionable operational insights that directly impacted margin optimization and topline growth—transforming technology from a back-office function into a strategic value driver.
Read the full case study here.

Next Steps: Unlocking Value Through ERP Modernization

While ERP modernization is complex, PE firms can take immediate action:

Conduct a Portfolio-Wide ERP Health Assessment – Identify which companies have scalable technology and which are at risk due to outdated systems.

Look for Quick Wins in Process Optimization – Identify high-impact improvements that can enhance efficiency without major system overhauls.

Prioritize Modernization Efforts Based on EBITDA Impact – Focus on high-ROI initiatives that improve margins, scalability, and operational resilience.

Beyond ERP: A Structured Approach to PE Value Creation
ERP modernization is just one lever for maximizing ROI in private equity. A structured technology strategy across the full investment lifecycle—from pre-acquisition due diligence to post-acquisition modernization—can further enhance EBITDA and portfolio-wide synergies. Learn more about optimizing technology strategies for PE investments here.

Why Partner with Kenway?

At Kenway Consulting, we work alongside private equity firms and their portfolio companies to transform ERP modernization from a challenge into a strategic advantage. Here's what sets our approach apart:

Vendor-Neutral Technology Expertise: Unlike software vendors that lead with product sales, Kenway provides unbiased guidance—recommending only what your portfolio companies truly need, whether that's a full ERP replacement or targeted enhancements to existing systems.

Cross-Practice Approach: Our integrated teams combine ERP implementation expertise with data strategy specialists who ensure proper data governance and migration—critical elements that often determine project success or failure.

Validated Selection Methodology: Our structured evaluation framework helps PE firms select technology solutions that align with both operational needs and investment timelines, avoiding costly over-implementation.

Proven Track Record in LMM: We understand the unique constraints and opportunities within lower middle market portfolio companies, having successfully guided numerous PE-backed businesses through technology transformations aligned with value creation timelines.

If your firm is navigating ERP challenges or modernization roadblocks, let's connect. Our team can assess your portfolio's ERP landscape and develop a pragmatic roadmap tailored to your investment strategy.

Contact us at in**@**************ng.com to start the conversation.

Digitization, Digitalization, & Digital Transformation: What's the Difference?

Digitization (dig-i-ti-za-tion) and digitalization (dig-i-tal-i-za-tion) may sound similar and are often used interchangeably, but the reality is they are two separate concepts that accomplish unique goals.

Digital aspects have become interwoven into the steady rhythm of our lives, so much so that we often don’t even realize it anymore. We can go for hours with only our smartphones and limited human interaction without batting an eye.

Imagine a typical afternoon of running errands:

You swing by a fast-food restaurant for lunch and order on the touchscreen
You hop on the highway, and your digital wallet is charged by the tollway
You order groceries on your phone app and stop by the store, having them placed in your trunk for you

These scenarios all encompass digital transformation across numerous areas of business and various verticals.

Each digital touchpoint has a business behind it that is working to incorporate numerous digital aspects that contribute to transforming a process to be more ‘seamless’ to the end-user, whether through digitization or digitalization. Understanding these different versions of digital can quickly lead to confusing tongue-twisters.

In this blog, we’ll break it all down and discuss ways digital transformation can help optimize your business processes and benefit the future of your enterprise as a whole.

What is Digitization?

According to Gartner, digitization is defined as “the process of changing from analog to digital form, also known as digital enablement. Said another way, digitization takes an analog process and changes it to a digital form without any different-in-kind changes to the process itself.”

Digitizing is when data is converted to a digital format but the data itself does not change. Digitization can have notes of nostalgia since many of the examples hearken back to past decades. Digitization could involve taking a photograph from an old-school album and scanning it to create a digital file, or converting your home movies from clunky VHS to MP4 video files.

The process of digitizing has changed the game in business environments, especially with the strategies required for companies to stay competitive in the current economic climate.

According to the McKinsey Global Survey of executives, participant companies have accelerated the digitization of their customer and supply-chain interactions, and even their internal operations by three to four years. This includes areas such as back-office, production, and R&D processes.

Here are two examples of digitization of business processes in action:

Fast-food chains: So, you want a burger with extra cheese, no ketchup, and extra onions? You can have just that when ordering at a drive-through lane speaker.

More and more fast-food and fast-casual restaurants are making the leap from analog person-to-person ordering to giving customers the digital tools to customize their orders and eliminate miscommunication opportunities. In-restaurant kiosks let customers easily place their specific orders, log in to access their favorite items for faster ordering, or input their rewards numbers to pay with points.

Customer service: Interactive Voice Response (IVR) is an automated business phone system feature that adapts to callers' real-time responses. The system recognizes a caller’s intent and performs actions based on how the caller responds through either the telephone keypad or with their voice. Evidence of digitizing in contact centers is that companies have removed all traces of paper. Agents take call notes within their CRM, and notes are searchable for future interactions and shareable with other agents via chats or wikis.

What is Digitalization?

Now it’s time to understand digitization vs digitalization. One of the main differences between digitization and digitalization is that while digitization is about the transfer of data, digitalization is about optimizing the processes for data. Per the Gartner glossary, digitalization is “the use of digital technologies to change a business model and provide new revenue and value-producing opportunities; it is the process of moving to a digital business.”

As the prevalence of digital transformation grows, examples of digitalization become more and more widespread.

Digitalization has sped up the development of new digital technologies such as cloud computing, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. Perhaps we are seeing the incorporation of digitalization the most in light of the shift to remote and hybrid work. According to a McKinsey survey of business executives, 85% of respondents said their businesses have somewhat or greatly accelerated the implementation of technologies that digitally enable employee interaction and collaboration, such as video conferencing and file sharing.

Offices now leverage programs such as Zoom for virtual meetings, Slack for chatting, and Asana for productivity. At Kenway, we use Microsoft Teams to manage operations like storing files in the cloud or hosting client meetings. Microsoft Teams usage has seen rapid growth in recent years, steadily progressing from 150 million active monthly users in 2020 to 320 million active monthly users in 2023.

Digitalization did not go away with the pandemic. A Gartner poll showed that 48% of employees will likely work remotely at least part of the time after COVID-19 versus 30% before the pandemic. This means that many companies will continue relying on digitalization to make their processes more efficient, simplify business decision-making, and improve business outcomes.

What Is Digital Transformation?

Digital transformation is the process of leveraging technology, organizational processes, and people to develop or enhance existing business models and revenue streams. Digitization and digitalization are essentially digital transformation’s supporting players.

In fact, several different platforms are implemented across enterprises to perfect and accelerate the adoption of a more digital-forward workforce. Salesforce is the ultimate example of a tool companies leverage to help them enable enterprise-level digital transformations. Salesforce comprises a suite of cloud-based applications that unify customer data into a single, shared view, turning information into insight.

As a Salesforce Partner, Kenway partnered with a leading financial services company to help them comply with new regulatory requirements by using Salesforce to implement firm-wide process automation.

The era of automation is here to stay, especially after benefits were realized when organizations were forced to shift to a digital environment in 2020.

Below are some stats that could help put this migration into a digital-forward world into perspective:

91% of organizations say they need solutions that automate processes so they can do more with less
77% of workers say automation has provided them with the time to deepen relationships with customers and stakeholders.

Digitization vs Digitalization vs Digital Transformation

It’s crucial to understand the nuances between digitization, digitalization, and digital transformation.

Here are simple definitions of these terms for quick reference:

Digitization involves the conversion of analog data into digital form, streamlining accessibility and management.
Digitalization builds upon this foundation, leveraging digital tools to optimize processes and create value.
Digital transformation represents a more profound shift, encompassing strategic restructuring across organizational culture, business models, and customer experiences.

In summary, digitization and digitalization lay the groundwork for technological integration and operational efficiency, while digital transformation drives fundamental change, reshaping businesses for sustained relevance and competitiveness in the digital era.

How Digitalization Translates into the Real World

Kenway recently worked with an industry-leading healthcare solutions provider to define and implement data transformation to support an improved future state. The client faced a worst-case scenario when it learned that the strategic partner it had leveraged to help collect and aggregate data was not only terminating its agreement but also becoming a direct competitor in just 12 months.

The client’s most significant obstacle was getting all the data from the existing solution provider and migrating that data to the new solution provider. Further complicating the situation, the existing data set had quality issues that needed to be addressed prior to the migration. Kenway delivered this digitally transformative solution:

Migrate and transform: Developed a Python-based data migration process to improve the data quality prior to loading the data files. Data quality reports were used to detect issues so any needed remediation could be applied.
Audit, balance, and control: Best practices were applied through automated procedures and daily reports to ensure data integrity.
Process transparency: There was full visibility into the status of the digital transformation with daily progress updates, allowing the client to pivot business resources and priorities as needed.

How to Benefit From Digital Transformation

A thorough understanding of these three terms is essential for their potential benefit to your company. Whether you need help with digitization, digitalization, digital transformation, or some intersection of all three, Kenway is here to ensure your organization navigates the digital landscape with expertise and optimal execution.

We address your digital transformation requirements by identifying the capabilities and services required to solve your business challenges–it’s never a one-size-fits-all approach.

Are you ready to accelerate your business processes? Connect with us to learn how we can help with your digital transformation needs.

FAQs

Why is digital transformation important for businesses?

Digital transformation is crucial for businesses to adapt and remain competitive in the ever-changing digital landscape of modern business. Whether pursuing simple digitization or complex digitalization, using the digital tools at your fingertips will push your organization to greater heights.

How does digitalization affect customer experiences?

Digitalization can aid in customer experiences by simplifying processes for employees, therefore creating more space for employees to develop relationships and serve customers with their full attention.

What industries are most impacted by digital transformation?

In the world of modern business, digital transformation impacts every sector. A few to pay particular attention to are healthcare, banking, and IT.

Transforming Transaction Throughput: FinTech App Development

How Kenway Consulting’s innovative approach and deep technical expertise allowed a FinTech start-up to overcome significant performance barriers and scale their payment processing application by 450% in just 30 days.

Client Profile:

Industry: Financial Services
Client: FinTech Start-Up
Solution: Application Development

Background:

Kenway partnered with a start-up company specializing in FinTech application development that offers a suite of payment processing solutions that help people and organizations securely send money worldwide. Their payment products are used by organizations of all sizes, including Fortune 500, and have allowed them to securely send billions of dollars each year. Kenway was brought on for their application development and Azure expertise to help improve the performance of one of their new payment processing applications.

The Problem:

One of the client’s products, an application to process and validate transactions, was in late-stage development, and was functionally ready to be brought to customers. While the client was unaware of the volume required by customers, in terms of transactions per second, early load testing suggested that the original application could only support about 60 transactions per second. The initial architecture (see below) involved app services directly inserting records into a transactional database, leading to concerns around bottlenecking, and potential loss of records during API outages or periods of high volume.

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During contract negotiations, the client felt that their current performance (60 transactions/second) may not be sufficient to satisfy the volume demand from clients for their FinTech application. Further, this requirement to improve transaction throughput coming late in the development cycle, left only a month to find a solution that would provide a significant improvement for the product. While the database itself was likely the restricting factor, the short timeline dictated the need for a cost-effective, innovative, efficient solution that would provide the needed throughput quickly.

The Solution:

Because the client had already scaled the existing database as big as possible within cost constraints, Kenway embarked on envisioning a new process. By only subtly modifying the existing architecture and configurations, Kenway was able to provide a cost-effective and very fast-to-implement solution that could support the required throughput.

Kenway reviewed the existing code and executed baseline and load tests against the architecture to understand the current capacity and find potential inefficiencies causing latency or errors in transmission. After making minor improvements to remove inefficiencies causing latency, Kenway configured staging resources in between the original app services and the existing database.

By segmenting the existing code base and introducing a staging area that could effectively throttle the number of entries being sent to the existing database, Kenway was able to reuse the architecture and avoid modifying the database itself. After re-platforming the original app services to function with a http trigger, Kenway introduced a storage queue to ensure that zero records would be lost during high volume transmission. To complement, the process was designed with a storage trigger using blob storage to hold the full transaction payloads, before it is sent to the final database.

On the other side of the storage queue, Kenway implemented function apps to directly pull messages from the blob storage and write entries to the database, a solution that is both elastic and able to be scaled horizontally. Because customer requirements dictated the need to scale based on number of transactions, new app configurations allowed for event-driven scaling to both increase and decrease capacity of the applications based on current transaction volume or even potential API outage. The pairing of these Azure functions together allows for the designed app services to continue to work at their full potential, while eliminating the bottle necks and realized risks that stemmed from the direct connection between API and database.

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The Result:

Cost Effective and Fast Delivery

Faced with an extremely short timeline of one month to increase transaction throughput as much as possible, Kenway stepped in with expertise in FinTech application development, applied existing knowledge and experienced resources, and provided an innovative, fast, and comparatively, cheap solution. Kenway’s deep experience with Azure, partnered with a mindset of determination and creative thinking, allowed Kenway and the client to experiment confidently towards an unknown goal.

Volume

During the rapid redesign phase along with continued contract negotiations, the client’s customer’s needs became defined, a peak requirement of 180 transactions per second.

By introducing this staging area, backed by the Azure cloud, the client was able to push their current architecture to comfortably process 250 number of transactions per second, all without major changes to the codebase or existing logic.

Security and Guaranteed Delivery

Equally as important as volume, the introduction of a storage queue combined with function apps guarantees that all transaction records will be stored securely short-term before being successfully delivered to the master database, a necessary function for this custom application.

Scalability and Long-Term Solution

The inclusion of both a storage queue and function apps provided an elastic solution that can, and will, scale with the introduction of new databases as customer requirements continue to change and demand more volume. The new scalable architecture will support a potentially very high throughput and successful delivery to the database with very minimal changes in the future. While the goal was met, Kenway additionally made other recommendations on long-term code improvements and other inefficiencies still existing with original app services and database.

CONCLUSION

By leveraging Azure cloud solutions and designing a scalable, cost-effective scalable architecture, Kenway not only met the client’s immediate needs but also provided a sustainable framework for future growth. Kenway’s ability to swiftly diagnose bottlenecks and implement cutting-edge solutions demonstrates our commitment to delivering high-impact results on aggressive timelines. If you are facing similar challenges or are interested in exploring how Kenway can help optimize your operations, please don’t hesitate to contact us to start the conversation.

The Comprehensive Guide to Multi-Cloud Architecture

The presence of multi-cloud architecture is representative of the complexity of our digital age. The multi-cloud approach to data management is already the industry standard although it is relatively new, and while it can greatly increase productivity and help companies progress in their data storage capabilities, it also presents challenges in terms of security, cost, and streamlined management.

This article will provide an overview of multi-cloud architecture, from its advent and evolution to current use cases and projected future growth.

If your organization wants to stay ahead of the curve in multi-cloud computing, keep reading.

Evolution of Cloud Computing

Like most things in the world of technology, cloud computing has had strong roots in the world of IT for decades, but only in the last 10 years has multi-cloud computing taken the front and center stage as the best practice for organizational data management.

From single-cloud to hybrid to multi-cloud strategies

When cloud computing came onto the scene, the focus was solely on using an individual cloud to store data. The single-cloud model gave companies and individuals the ability to store data online rather than burdening their physical servers.

As data centers and organizational needs increased, a hybrid-cloud model was developed. This method of cloud computing combined physical data storage with cloud computing for a more diversified, secure, and flexible cloud storage option.

We are now in the age of multi-cloud computing, which has only been commonly used for a handful of years but is now the standard for any enterprise with data storage needs.

Flexibility and innovation in cloud infrastructure

Cloud computing has cycled through three versions of itself in just a couple of decades. While this fast-tracked growth can be overwhelming for business owners and IT departments working to keep up, it is the best and perhaps only way for cloud infrastructure to progress. The modern world of technology moves at lightning speed, and if cloud computing is going to do what it promises — provide security, flexibility, and agility for data storage — it needs to move as quickly as the rest of the IT world.

What is Multi-Cloud Architecture?

Multi-cloud architecture is the use of two or more cloud services to store, manage, and deliver data for a variety of purposes. Muli-cloud architecture is closely related to hybrid cloud, which is the use of a private, on-premises cloud in tandem with a public cloud.

Multi-cloud architecture for diverse organizational needs

Every cloud iteration has proven better than the last, and hybrid multi-cloud architecture continues to demonstrate this by supporting diverse organizational needs. When an organization is working across multiple departments, serving various types of clients, and dealing with large amounts of data, a “just okay” solution to data storage isn’t going to cut it.

Instead, enterprises need what a multi-cloud system provides: flexibility, security, high performance, and low downtime. An additional perk of multi-cloud computing is the variety of cloud providers on the market. Rather than choosing just one provider, organizations can make a la carte cloud choices based on budget, particular storage needs, and available integrations.

Multi-cloud architecture truly allows organizations to custom-tailor their storage solutions, which helps them see success everywhere else in their business.

The Strategic Importance of Multi-Cloud Architecture

The customization mentioned above means that even competitors in the same field can set themselves apart from one another in the way they deliver services and handle customer data. Multi-cloud architecture creates a world of possibilities for business owners to craft their governance and management strategies in unique ways, rather than being beholden to predetermined cloud computing requirements. This also means that as your business grows and changes, your cloud strategy can grow with you.

Benefits of Multi-Cloud Architecture

Enhanced reliability through redundancy:

Redundancy implemented with multi-cloud network architecture provides security and peace of mind for your organization. Redundancy means you can store a data set in one location, on one platform, and have it duplicated and backed up on a completely different provider’s service. If an outage or cyberattack impacts your primary cloud, your backups will be secure.

Optimized performance:

Different cloud providers have different specialties. Some are valued for their cost-effectiveness or security, while others are useful for automation, customer service, or performance monitoring. Capitalize on the potential of these providers by crafting a multi-cloud plan that will play to the strengths of each provider you choose, so you can get the highest benefit every time.

Improved disaster recovery capabilities and geographic reach:

Similar to reliability through redundancy, multi-cloud architecture removes the risk of losing valuable data in the event of a natural disaster or outage. Storing data in clouds across geographic locations means that if one location becomes inaccessible, your data will still be secure.

Multi-Cloud Challenges and Considerations:

While multi-cloud architecture is a top recommendation from IT professionals and adds many benefits to enterprise data storage, some challenges accompany multi-cloud network architecture as well:

Complexity in management and integration:

The biggest benefit of multi-cloud computing can also be its biggest downfall. Piecemealing together a multi-cloud strategy based on specific offerings from different providers is a great way to tailor your storage needs to your cloud solution, but it can be a headache for governance and management. Data contracts and thoughtful governance plans should be implemented early in the process of adopting a multi-cloud solution to avoid confusion across your enterprise.

Security concerns with data spread across multiple platforms:

The security that comes from redundancy across platforms is also a double-edged sword. Coordination and alignment across your organization are necessary to ensure security measures are implemented correctly between every department and cloud provider.

Vendor lock-in risks:

Make sure you fully understand the requirements and contractual obligations of each cloud provider you use before implementing their cloud for your data. The last thing you want is to try to implement a multi-cloud strategy, only to end up locked in with one provider and forced to abandon the rest of your multi-cloud plan.

Planning and Implementing a Multi-Cloud Strategy

There is no one-size-fits-all approach to planning your multi-cloud strategy. The needs of your organization, your existing data systems, and your IT budget are just a few factors to consider when planning a multi-cloud approach.

Designing a Multi-Cloud Environment

The elements of a multi-cloud environment will vary, but there are multiple design patterns to choose from and services to use for successful design implementation.

Assessing business needs and technical requirements:

Don’t make multi-cloud strategy decisions in a vacuum. This stage of the process is a great time to pull in stakeholders from across your enterprise to ensure a well-rounded view of your data storage needs is obtained. Interview these stakeholders, find common pain points and growth goals, and begin making decisions about your multi-cloud environment from there. Some business needs to be on the lookout for are scalability, security, user interface, and customer support.

Selecting the right mix of cloud providers and services:

Choosing your cloud providers takes a great deal of intention and research – ensure the compatibility of your existing cloud services by weighing your choice cloud providers up against your analytics services, such as Microsoft Fabric or Tableau.

Integration Techniques

Once your cloud providers are chosen and your multi-cloud strategy is laid out, integration is the next step. Strategy is a great start, but implementing multiple cloud providers at once with your pre-existing systems is a significant task. Cloud integration is when the strength of your multi-cloud system will truly begin to shine.

Seamless connectivity solutions
There are many options and platforms to choose from when integrating your existing cloud services with your new multi-cloud strategy. If you have on-premises cloud storage, focus on creating a hybrid-cloud bridge between your existing private cloud and new public clouds. The most important aspect of integrating your cloud platforms is a seamless integration experience — focus on a system that will be efficient and secure, with limited down time.

Another method for seamless cloud integration and development is containerization through tools like Kubernetes. These containerization tools allow your organization to develop cloud-native apps, adjust workloads, and grow in flexibility across cloud providers.
Pro tip: While considering your integration tools and methods, it’s also a good time to evaluate whether your data is being housed in the most efficient way. A data lakehouse is the most flexible, cost-efficient, and secure form of housing and organizing structured and unstructured data.

Security and Compliance

One consideration of hybrid multi-cloud architecture is ensuring security and compliance measures are stringently followed across every cloud platform.

Internal, company-wide measures can be taken to educate your team on data security, set up guardrails for data access, and establish expectations for best practices – because although security platforms and data restriction can go far for your company’s privacy and security, individual users are interacting with this data every day, and they ultimately have responsibility for the handling of important data.

One highly effective way to establish governance and compliance across your company is to implement particular contracts, policies, and governance norms that can be agreed upon by every team member.

Operationalizing Multi-Cloud Architecture

Now that your multi-cloud strategy has been established, your integration tools have been chosen, and governance policies have been laid out for your organization, it's time to use your cloud strategy in real time.

A multi-cloud management tool can significantly reduce your workload in managing multi-cloud architecture, and there are multiple options to choose from.

To discern which multi-cloud management tool is best suited for your organization, weigh your priorities and greatest needs. Are you most concerned with cost savings, Kubernetes management, governance and security, or hybrid to multi-cloud integration?

Make a priority list and discover which tool may be right for your organization. Multi-cloud management tools to explore include:

Cost Management and Optimization

Multi-cloud architecture integration and management tools are important for the growth and success of your business, but the cost of these premium providers can add up. A few ways to mitigate excessive spending on cloud tools is to ensure there is no idle spending on certain platforms through constant monitoring and reallocation of resources based on current needs.

Remember that the benefit of multi-cloud architecture is the inherent customization, so take advantage of that and adjust your cloud provider allocations based on your business growth and current needs.

Some cost-monitoring and management tools include Azure Cost Management, Amazon CloudWatch, and CloudHealth.

Case Studies and Real-World Applications

Kenway successfully aids enterprises in their hybrid to multi-cloud deployment, from organizations at the national level to small businesses. These companies are seeking assistance in everything from growing in their understanding of their buyer's needs through Salesforce to establishing cloud redundancy and increasing organizational security.

The possibilities of success that can come from your organization’s investment in multi-cloud architecture cannot be overstated. See for yourself how one of our own clients scaled their operations through technology modernization and a multi-cloud solution.

Future Trends in Multi-Cloud Architecture

Multi-cloud architecture has made large strides toward further data integration and sophisticated data storage and use, but if we know anything about the world of IT, it's that things move more quickly than most anyone can predict or expect.

AI and machine learning

AI is a game changer for the entire digital world, and the cloud is by no means excluded from its impact. AI and machine learning can fill in the gaps for organizations without team members being proficient in every cloud or management platform, as well as aiding in optimization and analysis.

Edge computing

Edge computing is a form of physical storage that places data storage as close to the data source as possible, cutting out the centralized cloud approach for a decentralized approach that can be more efficient and secure in certain scenarios.

With so many types of data and organizational needs, edge computing and cloud computing should be able to coexist with no issue — in short, there is plenty of demand for both.

Summarizing Multi-Cloud Benefits

Now that we have walked through the history, benefits, challenges, integration, security, cost roadblocks, and management tools that go along with multi-cloud orchestration, you should have a comprehensive understanding of what platforms and providers will best set your organization up for success as you transition to a multi-cloud system.

While the initial setup and implementation is a large lift, remember that multi-cloud is the way of the future for digital enterprises. The sooner you begin implementing your multi-cloud architecture, the more of a competitive edge you will have in the fast-paced digital environment.

For organizations just starting with multi-cloud implementation, Kenway recommends laying out your cloud strategy priorities and gathering insight from stakeholders across the company. Have a plan in place for every provider that will be needed to make your company’s cloud integration a success, from providers to internal governance.

Lastly, remember that multi-cloud architecture is far from one-size-fits-all. The unique needs of your particular business should dictate the choices made for implementing this new structure – be attentive to what those inside of your organization are saying, and stay cognizant of advice received from multi-cloud experts.

If expert advice is an area where your enterprise needs support, Kenway would love to supplement those needs with our team of consultants. Kenway is proud to offer tailored multi-cloud strategies based on your enterprise's current needs, growth plans, and security requirements.

Multi-Cloud Architecture FAQs

What are the benefits and risks of multi-cloud architecture?

Multi-cloud architecture benefits include increased disaster recovery capabilities, security through redundancy, and data flexibility. On the other hand, risks of multi-cloud architecture can arise when governance is not taken seriously by an organization and its team members, and when cost-savings are not taken into account from the start of implementing a multi-cloud strategy.

How does multi-cloud architecture enhance security and compliance?

Multi-cloud architecture requires a high level of intentional security and compliance because of the various cloud providers being used at once. The elevated security risk can actually be a benefit because of the level of intention and coordination required to ensure a consistent security plan across the board.

What strategies should organizations adopt for effective multi-cloud integration?

Use a containerization or organizational tool like Kubernetes for effective multi-cloud integration, as well as planning well beforehand and focusing on preparation for reduced downtown during integration efforts.

Application Optimization: Maximize Your Enterprise Applications

Maximize the value of your investment in enterprise applications by developing lightweight custom integrations that can be delivered in weeks.

In today's dynamic business environment, enterprise applications are crucial for streamlining operations, enhancing productivity, and driving growth. However, the cost of licenses for enterprise applications often leads to either overspending on licenses that are not fully leveraged or underutilization due to limited access, resulting in inefficiencies and significant financial burdens. By implementing lightweight custom integrations, organizations can extend core functionalities to a wider user base without the burden of additional license fees, ensuring both cost-efficiency and broader access to critical tools and data. This approach not only bridges the gap between enterprise application capabilities and user needs but also maximizes the overall value of your investment.

A Custom Solution for Cost-Efficiency and Value Maximization

These custom applications provide a cost-effective solution for application optimization that enhances functionality and extends access without the need for additional expensive licenses.

Here’s how this approach benefits organizations:

Tailored Functionality for Specific Needs: By analyzing the specific requirements of different user groups within the organization, custom application optimizations can be designed to provide only the necessary functionalities. This targeted approach ensures that users have access to the tools they need to perform their tasks efficiently without the overhead of unused features. For example, a custom application might allow lower-permissioned users to log data, view reports, or manage simple workflows, aligning costs with actual usage.
Extended Access and Increased Data Insights: Providing access to custom applications for users without licenses allows them to both contribute and view valuable data. For instance, a field technician could use a lightweight custom app to log maintenance activities directly into the enterprise system and access relevant data, such as maintenance schedules and equipment history. This enriched data pool enhances operational insights, and the ability for users to view data supports better decision-making and a more comprehensive understanding of the organization's operations.
Cost Savings and ROI: Custom applications significantly reduce the need for additional full licenses, leading to substantial cost savings. The ongoing maintenance and technology costs associated with these applications are typically much lower than the costs of additional licenses. This reduction in expenditure improves the return on investment (ROI) for the enterprise application, making it a more financially viable asset.
Scalability and Flexibility: Custom applications can be scaled and modified as the organization’s needs evolve. This flexibility ensures that the solution remains relevant and effective over time, adapting to changes in business processes and user requirements. It also allows for the integration of new features or the expansion of existing functionalities without the need for major overhauls or additional licensing costs.

Leveraging AI for Rapid MVP Development

Having developed these lightweight applications through application optimization, one of the key advantages Kenway offers is the ability to deliver an MVP (Minimum Viable Product) very quickly using AI-enabled development. By doing so, we can rapidly generate the foundational code base, allowing us to deliver the core set of functionalities to users in a very short time frame.

This AI-driven approach accelerates the development process significantly, enabling us to:

Quickly Validate Concepts: With AI-enabled development, we can quickly prototype and validate concepts. This rapid iteration allows stakeholders to see and interact with the core functionalities early in the process, providing valuable feedback that can be incorporated into the final product. This iterative approach ensures that the end solution is closely aligned with user needs and expectations.
Reduce Development Time and Costs: The efficiency of AI in generating code and automating repetitive tasks reduces the overall development time and associated costs. This cost efficiency is particularly beneficial for custom applications, where budget constraints are often a concern. By minimizing development time, we can deliver high-quality solutions without compromising on functionality or performance.
Enhance Collaboration and Innovation: AI-enabled development tools facilitate better collaboration between development teams and stakeholders. The ability to quickly produce working prototypes encourages more frequent and meaningful interactions, fostering a culture of innovation and continuous improvement. This collaborative environment helps in identifying and addressing potential issues early, ensuring a smoother development process.

Considerations for Successful Implementation

While the benefits of these custom integrations are clear, there are several considerations to keep in mind to ensure they are implemented most effectively:

API Limits and Contracts: When designing these custom applications, it is essential to be mindful of API limits and contractual obligations with enterprise application providers. Overuse of APIs can lead to additional costs or service disruptions. Therefore, careful planning and monitoring of API usage are crucial to maintain a balance between functionality and cost-efficiency.
Security and Compliance: Ensuring that custom applications adhere to the organization’s security policies and compliance requirements is vital. This involves implementing robust authentication mechanisms, data encryption, and regular security audits to protect sensitive information and maintain regulatory compliance.
Performance and Reliability: Custom applications must be designed for performance and reliability to ensure they can handle the expected load and provide consistent service. Regular performance testing and monitoring can help identify and address potential issues before they impact users.

Conclusion

In an era where application optimization, cost-efficiency and value maximization are paramount, lightweight custom integrations offer a compelling solution for organizations looking to optimize their use of enterprise applications. By addressing the challenges of high licensing costs and limited user access, these custom solutions enable companies to fully leverage their technological investments, enhance data collection and decision-making, and achieve a higher ROI. This value can be realized quickly and iterated upon by leveraging AI-enabled development and introducing an MVP in aon a short time frame.

The goal of these lightweight applications is to help organizations navigate these challenges and unlock the full potential of their enterprise applications through innovative and cost-effective custom solutions. By focusing on tailored functionality, extended access, and careful consideration of API limits and security, you can create a more efficient and productive business environment that drives growth and success.

Get In Contact With Us

Kenway is excited to partner with you to create the technology landscape that will realize the most value out of your enterprise applications, optimizing your licensing costs and expanding your user bases. We would like to offer a complimentary recommended solution along with a ROI analysis to quantify the benefit of pursuing this approach. Contact us today to get started.

Best Multi-Cloud Management Tools for 2024

Companies prioritize multi-cloud data management strategies because of the security and cost savings they provide, which are both highly important in 2024. An effective multi-cloud strategy needs to be managed well across all platforms, and that’s where multi-cloud management tools are useful.To understand the best multi-cloud management tools, let’s take a look at what multi-cloud management is and why it's important.

Multi-Cloud Computing and Management Definitions

What is multi-cloud computing? This is the use of 2 or more cloud providers for flexible and cost-effective application use, data storage, and infrastructure development.

What is multi-cloud management? Multi-cloud management aids multi-cloud computing approaches by unifying metadata across clouds, keeping cloud applications secure and compliant, and maintaining seamless operations for every user.

Before a multi-cloud approach, the most common way to store data and support applications was through a hybrid-cloud approach, which combines on-premises infrastructure with public cloud services. Organizations generally advised (or mandated) their development teams to use their preferred cloud partner. That strategy is now being broadened as competition and innovation unlock the potential for a more federated and decentralized model.

Multi-cloud strategies are now front and center for companies looking to save costs and use the best storage, application components, and models available.

What Are the Benefits of a Multi-Cloud Strategy?

Multi-cloud orchestration allows your business to be more agile and create a competitive edge. Benefits include:

Flexibility

Every cloud provider has one offering or service that stands out above their competition, and other offerings that don’t perform quite to that same standard. Multi-cloud computing allows your organization to consider all of these strengths and weaknesses across the range of cloud providers, and choose the best services from different providers all at once.

Cost Savings

While performance is a high priority, so is cost-effectiveness. Rather than spending top dollar on every component, your organization can pick and choose how much to spend on different cloud applications. Base these decisions on your company’s needs and optimize spending by selecting the most cost-effective options.

Performance

While a multi-cloud strategy is internally useful for cost savings, flexibility, and security, it also optimizes user experience by providing the best-performing services in every area.

Overall, we highly recommend a multi-cloud approach. However, multi-cloud computing also comes with additional responsibilities across platforms.

Multi-Cloud Strategy Challenges

If you’re implementing a multi-cloud strategy, it can complicate your efforts to incorporate data in your sales activities. Here are some challenges to be aware of:

Security

Every cloud provider has its own approach to implementing security measures, but your organization needs consistent security policies across different clouds. This requires intentional, technical coordination.

Cost Management

Cost savings are a huge benefit of multi-cloud computing, but it also requires closely tracking changes in offerings across providers to ensure your costs remain optimized.

Integration

Using various cloud systems increases the possibility of data being siloed off between different parts of your company. Ensuring different systems work well together is a crucial element of creating a multi-cloud plan.

Skill Requirements

You need people in your company who can navigate each platform in use. These experts also need to be able to transfer data between systems and keep them in conversation with one another when needed.

Criteria to Consider for Multi-Cloud Management Tools

The varied factors for multi-cloud orchestration can make the cost outweigh the benefits in some scenarios. That’s where multi-cloud management tools come in. Rather than trying to manage every cloud with your business’ internal capabilities, tools are available to do some of that heavy lifting for you. A few things to consider when shopping for multi-cloud management tools are:

Compatibility

Does this tool support all of the cloud platforms you use and integrate well with your existing systems?

Features

Does the tool offer cost management, security, automation, and performance monitoring? If not, are you willing to compromise in any of these areas?

User Interface

How user-friendly is this tool? Is it easy to use and navigate?

Scalability

Can this tool grow with your business?

Support

What kind of customer support is provided? Is the support reliable, and do they provide comprehensive documentation?

What Are the Top Multi-Cloud Management Tools in 2024?

There are several multi-cloud management tool options available for your company in 2024. Consider your company’s data storage needs and computing priorities as you consider which tool might be the right fit.

VMware CloudHealth:

Benefits: Manages cloud costs, governance, and security across multiple platforms.

Microsoft Azure Arc:

Benefits: Extends Azure management to on-premises and multi-cloud environments.

IBM Multicloud Manager:

Benefits: Manages Kubernetes clusters across multiple clouds.

Google Anthos:

Benefits: Manages applications in hybrid and multi-cloud environments.

HashiCorp Terraform:

Benefits: Infrastructure as a code tool for provisioning across various cloud platforms.

The Future of Multi-Cloud Management Tools

The cloud governance landscape is always evolving as it becomes more sophisticated and user-friendly. Here’s what to expect from your multi-cloud management tool in the future:

Increased Automation

More and more tasks will become automated, from deployment to scaling. This will make management easier and reduce manual work.

Better Integration

Integration is already a high priority, but you can expect the continued growth of seamless integration with various cloud services. It will only become easier to manage multiple platforms as if they were one.

Enhanced Security

Security features are becoming stronger and more intuitive, with better compliance tracking and threat detection.

AI and Machine Learning

AI can predict issues before they happen and optimize performance and costs dynamically. Foundational models have broken down the huge hurdle of translating data between toolkits so that cloud-to-cloud transitions are more accessible, even if you don’t have developers proficient in each platform.

Unified Dashboards

Even when you are using multiple clouds, a multi-cloud tool creates a single pane of glass for managing all your clouds, providing access to real-time insights and straightforward data control.

User Experience

Tools are increasing in user-friendliness, with simpler interfaces and more accessible features for non-experts.

In short, multi-cloud management tools will become smarter, more integrated, and easier to use, so businesses can fully benefit from their multi-cloud investments.

How Does Kenway Aid in Multi-Cloud Management?

Kenway can help by providing expert advice and solutions tailored to your multi-cloud needs. Developing a multi-cloud strategy and choosing your management tool is a complex endeavor. We ensure seamless integration, robust security, and cost optimization. We also offer ongoing support and training to keep your team up-to-date.

Do you have questions about creating a multi-cloud management strategy? Kenway’s consultants are glad to bring you up to speed on the best tools for your particular company’s needs. Connect with a consultant today to learn how a multi-cloud tool could streamline your data organization and storage.

FAQs:

What are multi-cloud management tools?

These are tools designed to manage and synchronize a company’s data across two or more public clouds.

How do cloud management platforms enhance multi-cloud orchestration?

The manual burden of translating information between clouds is significant, and cloud management platforms ease that burden to create a seamless multi-cloud strategy.

Which tools are best for managing multiple cloud environments effectively in 2024?

Seamless Data Flow: A MuleSoft Data Integration Showcase

In any business environment, the ability to seamlessly integrate applications and databases is paramount. It not only enhances efficiency but also ensures the integrity of data across platforms. In this case study, we delve into two critical integration scenarios: synchronizing Salesforce with NetSuite in a one-way data flow and replicating data from NetSuite into a SQL Server database.

MuleSoft: Empowering Your Data Integration Solution

Before diving into the specifics of our case study, let's explore what MuleSoft is and how it serves as a powerful tool for data integration.

What is MuleSoft?

MuleSoft is an integration platform that enables organizations to connect disparate systems, applications, and data sources. It acts as a bridge between various software applications, databases, and cloud services, facilitating seamless communication and data flow. MuleSoft's Anypoint Platform offers a comprehensive set of tools and services for designing, building, and managing integrations, making it an ideal choice for tackling complex data integration challenges.

How MuleSoft Facilitates Data Integration

MuleSoft simplifies data integration through a combination of key features and capabilities:

Connectivity: MuleSoft provides a wide range of connectors and APIs that allow you to connect to diverse systems and data sources, including cloud-based applications, on-premises databases, and legacy systems.
Orchestration: With MuleSoft, you can design integration workflows, known as Mule flows, that define how data is routed, transformed, and processed between systems. This orchestration ensures that data moves smoothly from source to destination.
Transformation: MuleSoft offers powerful data transformation capabilities, allowing you to convert data formats, enrich information, and ensure compatibility between systems.
Monitoring and Management: MuleSoft provides tools for monitoring the health and performance of integrations in real-time. It also offers management features for version control, security, and governance.

Data Integration Patterns

Next, let's understand the data integration patterns at play. These patterns serve as our blueprint for creating robust connections between Salesforce and other platforms:

Migration: This pattern involves moving data from one system to another, often during system upgrades or migrations.
Broadcast: The broadcast pattern disseminates data from a single source to one or multiple recipients, ensuring real-time information distribution.
Aggregation: Aggregation integrates data from multiple sources into a unified view, providing a comprehensive understanding of information spread across various systems.
Bidirectional Synchronization: This pattern enables data to flow in both directions, allowing systems to share and update information bidirectionally.
Correlation: Correlation patterns match data from multiple sources based on defined criteria, facilitating the creation of meaningful relationships between disparate data sets.

These patterns guide our efforts to establish seamless connections between applications, ensuring data consistency and reliability throughout the integration process. In this case, we’ll focus on a broadcast integration pattern, from Salesforce to NetSuite.

Salesforce to NetSuite

Our journey begins with the intricate task of synchronizing Salesforce and NetSuite. We identified four key objects to sync, each forming part of a hierarchical structure. When one object is updated in Salesforce, we aim to sync all related objects in NetSuite. Additionally, when records are created in NetSuite, we want to write the corresponding NetSuite ID back to the Salesforce records for future reference.

The integration design relies on MuleSoft's Salesforce Connector, allowing us to set up listeners for Salesforce objects efficiently. To toggle between production and development environments, we utilize workflow parameters, streamlining configuration during testing and deployment. A crucial optimization step involves setting variables based on the payload object, facilitating shared sub flows for all record types.

Our integration efforts encompass Salesforce objects like accounts, opportunity services, and contracts. To execute seamless data transfer, we employ MuleSoft's NetSuite connector, ensuring data consistency and reliability. The configuration of environment credentials for both Salesforce and NetSuite guarantees secure and authenticated access.

Thorough testing, including unit and user acceptance tests, was essential to validate the integration's functionality. The final stage involved exporting the application to the organization's MuleSoft Anypoint Exchange, from where it was deployed to MuleSoft's CloudHub server.

The outcome was transformative. Data is now automatically kept in sync between NetSuite and Salesforce, eradicating the need for manual data entry. The integration not only improves efficiency but also eliminates the potential for user errors associated with manual data input.

NetSuite to SQL Server Database

Moving forward, we shift our focus to the task of extracting data from NetSuite and replicating it in SQL Server database tables. This process, scheduled to run nightly, ensures that insights are readily available to decision-makers.

The integration design begins with a MuleSoft scheduler element, enabling us to execute the application at specified intervals or on a set time schedule. Subsequently, we employ the MuleSoft NetSuite connector to perform data searches, retrieving the necessary information from the NetSuite instance. The results are stored in the application payload, with field mappings ensuring compatibility with the target database columns.

Before inserting data, we truncate the target database table, ensuring that we start with a clean slate. The data insertion itself is accomplished using the MuleSoft database connector's bulk insert functionality, which streamlines the process and enhances performance.

The testing and deployment phase was relatively smooth, with most objects integrating seamlessly. However, for a few objects with substantial data volumes, resource constraints necessitated adjustments. To address this, we updated the MuleSoft application to perform bulk inserts within a for-each loop, reducing data size per insertion and optimizing resource utilization.

The ultimate outcome was highly rewarding. Data from NetSuite is now efficiently exported to the SQL Server database, where Azure Data Factory runs stored procedures to facilitate seamless data loading into Power BI. This transformation has empowered the organization with valuable insights from NetSuite data, which drive strategic decisions and actions.

In conclusion, this case study showcases the power of MuleSoft data integration in bridging the gap between Salesforce and NetSuite, eliminating manual data entry, and ensuring data accuracy. Additionally, the replication of NetSuite data into a SQL Server database has enabled the organization to harness data-driven insights for making strategic decisions. These integrations have not only enhanced operational efficiency but have also positioned the organization for data-driven success in a competitive landscape.

Intrigued by the transformative potential of MuleSoft integration for your organization? Connect with us at in**@**************ng.com for further insights and discussions on how these solutions can be tailored to your unique needs.

Navigating Digital Transformation: The Ultimate Guide

There’s no doubt about it: From healthcare to finance, the age of digital transformation is upon us. Across industries, new technologies are enhancing the way organizations manage everything from customer experience to internal processes.

But despite what you’ve read in the news, this agile approach to digitization isn’t just a buzzword—it’s an ever-evolving reality for many businesses, especially in a post-pandemic world. While most business owners acknowledge the significance of digital transformation, not all understand what it takes to implement a strategy at scale. And that’s okay because the truth is—it takes a lot. From IT strategy and design to decisions around architecture, custom development vs. vended solution, and beyond, there are many pieces to the digital transformation puzzle that bear consideration.

That’s where Kenway comes in. One of our key objectives is to guide and support organizations on their journeys of technology transformation. As part of this objective, we’ve created a comprehensive guide to digital transformation: what it is, what it does, and why businesses need to embrace it—or risk getting left behind.

What is Digital Transformation?
Benefits & Challenges of Digital Transformation
Adapting Your Business with Digital Transformation
Digital Transformation FAQs
Digital Transformation with Kenway Consulting

What is Digital Transformation?

To most, Digital Transformation is the implementation of technology to streamline operations; and that's a component of it; however, from Kenway's perspective, Digital Transformation can be summed up as the journey an enterprise will embark on in an effort to strategically realign their people, processes, and technology to satisfy their current and future customers' ever-changing expectations. It begins with leaders empowering their teams with new methods to create highly responsive strategies and foster a dedicated culture of innovation within an organization.

Today’s business landscape, much like a rushing river, is fast paced, constantly changing, and at times, rather turbulent. To stay afloat, organizations have had to engage in digital transformation strategies to help them become more agile and able to respond to emerging changes.

Consider the business implications the healthcare industry faced during the Covid-19 pandemic. To respond to new market demands and standards, and adequately serve their communities, healthcare providers like Southcoast Health had to quickly expand their telehealth offerings and find ways to manage testing data, accelerating their digital transformation needs and efforts dramatically.

While the pandemic undoubtedly accelerated digital transformation for many organizations, the fact remains that the world was already headed in an increasingly digital direction.

THE FOUR PRIMARY PILLARS OF INVESTMENT IN DIGITAL TRANSFORMATION

Although you’re now armed with the cursory knowledge required to describe what digital transformation means to the common person, how does it impact you and your organization? Where do you start? What’s the first investment? Whether your company is small or large, SaaS or Retail, local presence, or global enterprise – where you begin your transformational journey will depend entirely on your unique organizational context and existing digital maturity. However, HBR has distilled the transformation journey down to four main pillars of investment that you should consider:

IT Modernization: This includes upgrading and modernizing the IT infrastructure.
Operations Digitization: This involves optimizing existing processes and protocols to reduce cost and increase efficiency.
Marketing Digitization: This involves the implementation of digital tools for customer acquisition, such as Salesforce. For more on Kenway’s Salesforce services, click here.
Business Digitization: This includes new ventures, products, and growth opportunities geared toward accessing new markets.

No transformation is the same. Typically an enterprise will take the first step on its transformation with a strategic investment into modernizing its tech stack, then moving down the line from there. However, a more mature technology-centric organization may consider its first investment into digitizing its marketing capability. Viewing your journey through this simplified lens can help inform your first step.

Digitization, Digitalization, and Digital Transformation: What’s the Difference?

As ever-evolving market conditions continue to demand enterprises digitally transform their businesses to remain competitive, the lexicon around digital business transformation is fragmented, expanded, and in need of further definition.

While digitization, digitalization, and digital transformation are related parts of a whole and may appear to be interchangeable, they are in fact distinct terms. Their meanings and contextual applications are crucial for businesspeople to understand before making digital transformation strategy decisions.

Digitization

Gartner’s IT Glossary defines digitization as the process of changing from analog to digital form. When businesses take analog data and information they have collected and enter it into computer software or database for storage, processing, or transmission they are engaged in the process of digitization.

There are several examples of digitization that are already commonplace in most businesses. Taking handwritten text, such as your signature, and converting it to an electronic format for signing digital documents or use in email is one. Another is scanning “hard copy” paper documents to create duplicate versions in digital formats (such as PDF) that can be edited and stored on hard drives or in the cloud, reducing the need for physical document storage.

While extremely useful for organizing and retaining large amounts of physical information, digitization accounts only for the change in the state of the information, not the business processes that often generate the information. For that, we must look further into digitalization.

Digitalization

Although it is often associated with and imprecisely used as a synonym for digitization, digitalization is not as clearly or neatly defined. Understanding this term relies heavily on the context in which it is applied and the authority from which the definition is sourced.

Within a broader business context, once again, Gartner’s glossary provides some insight. It describes digitalization as “the use of digital technologies to change a business model and provide new revenue and value-producing opportunities; it is the process of moving to a digital business.”

Digital Transformation

Digital transformation goes beyond the tactical details and implementation of digitization and digitalization—instead, it encompasses the high-level strategy for the requisite changes that can be implemented across departments, rather than in silos.

Digital transformation is all about accelerating the growth of the business by leveraging technology, organizational processes, and people to develop or enhance existing business models and revenue streams. Because digital transformation requires buy-in from organizational leaders across departments, implementing such a strategy is often daunting. That’s where corporate technology consultants, like Kenway, come into play. We can help create the roadmap, provide customized solutions, drive organizational adoption, and leverage a company’s data to drive revenue-making decisions.

How Data Drives Digital Transformation

Data plays an integral part in how an organization sets benchmarks and goals. Therefore, its role in digital transformation is a significant one. But not all data is created equal, and to utilize it successfully, there are a few things to consider:

1. Data Quality

Bad data won’t do you any good. In fact, it could even do harm—especially if your organization is making those important decisions based on low-quality data. That’s why data quality is imperative when embarking on your digital transformation journey.

Issues with data quality can occur for any number of reasons. Human error, formatting inconsistencies, and poor organization can add up over time. However, the digital transformation process presents a prime opportunity to clean, organize, and establish better frameworks for data going forward.

Learn more about the importance of data quality and the ‘why’ behind data process transformations here >>

2. Data Governance

As defined in our data governance whitepaper, data governance is “The collection of clearly defined policies, procedures, standards, processes, roles, and responsibilities that ensure the effective and efficient use of data in enabling an organization to achieve its goals.”

Data governance defines who can take a specific action, with specific data, in specific situations, and with specific methods. As part of a digital transformation strategy, a data governance program should align with an organization’s overarching goals and objectives.

3. Data Security

Considering that cybercriminals can penetrate 93% of company networks, it goes without saying that data protection and security are of the utmost importance. As part of a digital transformation, organizations would benefit from re-examining their data security practices.

Some practices to review might include how your organization uses and updates passwords, data encryption, and compliance within your tech stack.

Now that we’ve briefly examined the role of data in digital transformation, let’s take a look at some of the benefits and challenges of implementing these strategies.

Benefits & Challenges of Digital Transformation

Regardless of the pillar your organization is investing in throughout the digital transformation journey, any type of organizational change can be disruptive. Here’s a look at the biggest benefits and drawbacks of undergoing this process.

Benefits of Digital Transformation

1. Enhanced Data Collection & Management

Many organizations have vast amounts of data that often goes underutilized. Digital transformation can be a great opportunity to assess, enhance, and optimize the way businesses collect, manage, and utilize data through processes like data visualization, for example.

2. Increased Agility

Covid-19 certainly impacted the digital transformation timelines for many organizations, but it also highlighted the need for agility. An Agile Method of Delivery can help businesses adapt quickly and navigate uncertainty in an ever-changing world.

3. Data-Driven Customer Insights

Customer data is one of the most valuable assets an organization can own because it offers precious insights into who its audiences are and how they behave. The digitization of this data means it can be easily accessed and used to make a whole slew of important business decisions leading to improved insights, customer experience, and ultimately, customer retention.

Read this case study about how organizations can make data insightful >>

4. Improved Customer Experience

In the digital age, customers expect things now. Whether you offer a service or a product, they want the experience to be fast, easy, and intuitive—three things that digitalization can help accomplish.

Challenges of Digital Transformation

Despite its numerous benefits, digital transformation comes with a list of challenges, too. These include aspects like:

1. Lack of Strategy

Digital transformation statistics show that 70% of all digital transformation initiatives fail, often due to a lack of buy-in from employees or adequate support from leadership. However, when organizations employ a fully fleshed-out change management strategy their likelihood of success increases by 6x.

The best change management strategies prioritize identifying the issues to be addressed and their main causes while bringing together stakeholders and employees and developing working relationships.

2. Complex Software and/or Technology

Another common roadblock to digital transformation is adopting complex enterprise software and incorporating new technologies. Organizations often face challenges with implementation at this stage. To mitigate this, leaders should seek out and recommend the most intuitive and integrated solutions possible.

Pro Tip: Avoid wasting time and money on solutions that won’t work for your business. Thoroughly vet vendors by sharing your requirements, attending product demonstrations, obtaining references, and closely evaluating documentation and capabilities. Never assume that an assessment has already been made in order to avoid the impact of risks and costs in the long term.

3. Difficulty Driving Adoption

Amid transformation, organizations that attempt to adopt new processes and technologies frequently encounter a general resistance to change among employees—especially those who are accustomed to certain routines and processes that they feel are already working. To allay concerns and help employees become confident using new tools, organizations must apply change management principles from the outset, provide thorough onboarding and training, sustained performance support, and an explanation of the value added by the new processes so employees feel they are part of the solution rather than victims of change.

4. The Continuous Evolution of Customer Needs

Market demands and customer needs are constantly changing. Acknowledging this is only half of the equation. Organizations will also need to be capable of responding to these changes, even while they’re engaged in a digital transformation.

Digital transformations are often complex processes and can take years to complete. It is likely that during that time your customers' needs will evolve. Anticipate such shifts and plan to be agile in adopting new technology solutions to serve your customers as their needs change.

Adapting Your Business with Digital Transformation

While digital transformation can present significant challenges, there are a few things you can do to help make the transition as smooth as possible.

1. Define your strategy

Make sure your teams are aligned around a clearly defined strategy and they understand their role in the plan's execution. Encourage cross-functional collaboration, communication, and coherence across stakeholders and the involved teams.

2. Invest in skilled IT talent

Build the team you need to successfully get your organization to its digital transformation finish line. Hire experts, highlight their inputs, and empower them to lead the change goals outlined in your business transformation strategy.

Additionally, don’t be afraid to reevaluate your organizational structure to determine if a change may help you reach your transformation goals.

3. Get company-wide buy-in

This is crucial for success. Leaders must develop a plan to get everyone on board through the use of change management principles early in the process. Digital transformation requires the full support and buy-in of an organization because it touches every department. Without stakeholder and/or leadership support, implementation and adoption will likely fail.

So, how do you get leadership buy-in? A key consideration that drives decision-making for stakeholders is ROI. This brings us to our next point…

4. Measure ROI of digital transformation

Digital business transformation is a costly process—in resources, time, and money. Be sure your efforts are on track to adding value to your enterprise by conducting an ROI evaluation. A corporate technology consultant can serve as your digital transformation guide and help you measure the success of your digital transformation strategy.

Of course, there are many other moving parts and considerations when it comes to adapting your business to digital transformation, and there is no “one-size-fits-all” solution. To find out how your organization can embrace digital transformation, talk to a Kenway consultant today.

Digital Transformation FAQs

We’ve covered a good deal about digital transformation and its importance across industries. If you still have any lingering queries, check out these frequently asked questions from professionals like you.

What are the primary domains impacted by digital transformation?

The four main areas of digital transformation are:

1. Process Transformation

With the right strategy, technology can be leveraged to invent new approaches to existing business processes. Optimizing these processes through the use of data, analytics, machine learning, or APIs can help organizations realize improved quality, lowered costs, or reduced cycle times. Successful process transformation can give companies an edge over their competitors.

2. Business Model Transformation

Process transformations try to optimize specific activities within an enterprise. Business model transformations take a holistic assessment of how value is created within an industry and utilize technology to adapt traditional business models to capitalize on new market opportunities.

3. Domain Transformation

Domain transformation involves an organization expanding or diversifying its business operations and entering into a new market domain. Amazon’s launch of Amazon Web Services (AWS) serves as a strong example of this type of transformation.

4. Cultural/Organizational Transformation

Companies that have the most success with their digital transformation recognize that commitment to this initiative must take root at all levels of the organization. Internal mindsets, processes, talent, and capabilities must all be aligned around specific digital transformation goals. These include freeing up workflows, decentralizing decision-making processes, and adopting the practice of testing and learning.

What are some digital transformation examples?

Here are two examples of digital transformation in action:

Digital Transformation in Financial Services

The financial services industry is undergoing a major digital transformation as a result of advances in technology and the rise of digital-first business models. Banks are shifting their focus from legacy services to digital services and investing in technology and data analytics to better meet the needs and expectations of their customers. While the journey is complex, this type of transformation has the potential to bring significant benefits to the industry due to the required investment into new technology, changes in operational process, and an intentional shift in mindset.

The wealth management sub-sector of financial services is a great example of a domain that is being significantly impacted by digital transformation. In this article, McKinsey argues that wealth management firms have a specific opportunity to leverage digital and data-driven technologies to improve their services and better meet the needs of their clients. Advanced analytics and technology solutions are leading to improved services and greater efficiencies in the sector. By leveraging these technologies, wealth management firms can better understand their client’s needs, offer more personalized services, and increase efficiency in their operations – ultimately leading to the nirvana state, a complete 360-degree view of their customers. This won’t happen organically, or overnight - as we’ve explained, digital transformation is a journey and will require firms to invest in new technology and develop new processes and capabilities; however, the investment could yield (and already is in some cases) significant benefits. Wealth management firms, and all sub-domains within the broader financial services industry, must embrace digital transformation and analytics to remain competitive in a rapidly changing and competitive environment.

Digital Transformation in Healthcare

An industry-leading healthcare solutions provider faced a worst-case scenario when it learned that the strategic partner it had leveraged to help collect and aggregate data was not only terminating its agreement but was also going to become a direct competitor in just 12 months.

As the company quickly began to evaluate new solution partners, it realized that one of its largest obstacles was getting all the data from the existing solution provider and migrating that data to the new solution provider.

Kenway Consulting guided them through finding a solution to their data transformation problem to support an improved future state.

Read the full case study here.

What is the purpose of digital transformation?

Digital transformation has quickly become par for the course for companies wanting to remain competitive through innovation and grow in their capacity to respond to changes in the market. Common drivers of digital transformation are improving productivity, reducing costs, differentiating product offerings, creating competitive advantage, improving the customer experience, and covering the bases of data governance and compliance.

Ultimately, digital transformation gives your business the agility it needs to react to market disruptions and with the right strategy, become a market disruptor—so your enterprise not only survives but thrives.

What are the three keys to success in digital transformation?

1. Have a Plan to Ensure Internal Adoption

Despite consensus on the value of being a data-driven enterprise, only 37.8% of organizations would describe themselves as such. When new technology and protocols are introduced for properly managing, storing, and utilizing data in decision-making, many employees find it difficult to adapt to the new process.

If a company's team does not embrace the new technology and ways of working, its digital transformation initiative will fail. A change management strategy can help to mitigate this risk. Effective change management looks like this:

- - - - Evaluating risks before digital transformation
        
        Developing a plan to roll out the new processes and technologies to the entire organization
        
        Communicating clearly and training team members appropriately
        
        Having a sustainment plan to ensure the transformation is fully adopted and embraced by employees

Companies that invested in a rigorous change management approach reported a 79% success rate—three times the average for all other initiatives.

2. Evaluate All Potential Costs

While transforming your business will likely be a costly endeavor, (the average digital transformation budget for mid-large scale businesses is $14 million) the long-term savings and benefits gained from access to more usable data make it a worthwhile investment for your business.

Studies show that data-driven businesses are 58% more likely to beat revenue goals and 162% more likely to significantly outperform laggards.

3. Assess Your Resources

Avoid potential roadblocks to your digital transformation by identifying areas in which your organization may be lacking knowledgeable resources and/or subject matter experts.

For example, if you don’t have a data process transformation expert on your team or are short of trained staff who can manage these kinds of organizational changes, you may look to engage a consultant as an added resource to ensure the success of your digital transformation strategy.

Digital Transformation with Kenway Consulting

At the end of the day, digital transformation isn’t just a strategy—it’s the future. From benefits and challenges to organization-wide implementation, navigating the process with the right partner is paramount to success.

And Kenway Consulting can help. We’re specialists when it comes to aligning IT strategy with business objectives to maximize value. We’re experts in change and project management, as well as the architecture and design required to build a solid foundation for future growth. We’re masters at developing custom solutions that focus on security, scalability, and optimized performance. And we’re just a phone call or email away.

If you’re ready to take your business to the next level, we’re ready to assist. Kenway can help guide you through your organization’s digital transformation. Contact us today to get started.