Client: Generali Group Poland
Industry: Life Insurance
Project: Data Migration During Company Acquisition
Technology Partner: Decerto
Overview
When Generali Group Poland acquired another insurance company, they faced the complex challenge of merging not only the operations but also the entire data ecosystem of the two entities. The task involved migrating all insurance products, business processes, and customer data from one company’s IT architecture to Generali’s infrastructure. The stakes were high as the data from the acquired company was of poor quality and needed significant validation and correction. For this mission-critical project, Generali selected Decerto as their technology partner, based on their proven experience in life insurance systems and expertise in handling large-scale migrations.
Key Challenges
- Legacy Data Issues: The data from the acquired company was incomplete and inconsistent, making it necessary to validate, correct, and standardize before migrating it to Generali’s systems.
- Complex Business Processes: A thorough analysis was required to integrate the two companies' insurance products, business workflows, and policies without disrupting ongoing operations.
- Time Sensitivity: The entire migration had to be completed in a short, predefined window with no room for major errors, data loss, or downtime in customer services.
- Seamless Integration: Generali needed the migration to be smooth and efficient, ensuring that both teams - Generali and Decerto - operated as a single unit for flawless execution.
Solution Approach
Initial Analysis and Planning
Decerto began this project with a detailed analysis of both the legacy systems and the target architecture. This phase involved understanding the complexities of Generali’s business processes and mapping them against the acquired company’s workflows, policies, and customer data. Decerto’s team conducted an exhaustive field-by-field analysis of all relevant objects and processes to ensure that nothing was overlooked.
Development of a Dedicated Data Migration Tool
Given the scale and complexity of the migration, Decerto built a custom data migration tool tailored to the specific needs of the project. The tool was responsible for several critical functions:
- Importing legacy data
- Validating data for completeness and accuracy
- Correcting and standardizing data to meet Generali’s quality standards
- Transforming data into Generali’s target data model
- Exporting the processed data to the new system
- Generating comprehensive migration reports for tracking and verification
Rigorous Testing and Trial Migrations
To ensure the migration would be flawless, Decerto and Generali conducted multiple rounds of tests. This included dozens of trial migrations and detailed technical and business testing. These efforts allowed both teams to anticipate potential issues and adjust the migration tool for optimal performance.
Execution: A Seamless Migration Weekend
The actual migration took place over the course of a single weekend, a timeline that was crucial to minimizing disruptions to Generali’s operations. Thanks to meticulous planning and rigorous testing, the project was completed without any major errors or data loss. Additionally, the data’s overall quality and consistency improved through validation and correction efforts.
Key Outcome:
- The balance of financial transactions remained intact.
- No data loss occurred.
- Improved data consistency and accuracy.
Conclusion
The successful data migration between the two companies exemplifies how strategic planning, technical expertise, and close collaboration can solve even the most complex challenges. With Decerto’s help, Generali was able to integrate two distinct systems seamlessly, ensuring business continuity, data integrity, and improved operational efficiency.
This project highlights the value of choosing a trusted technology partner when facing critical business transformations, showcasing Decerto's capabilities in handling large-scale data migrations with precision and care.