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Case Study

When your mainframe retires,
where does the data go?

A global insurer faced a critical deadline: migrate decades of historical data from legacy DB2 mainframes before they went dark, without losing a single record.

600+
Stakeholders
2
Legacy Systems
0
Records Lost

The Client

A Global Insurance Leader

Operating across multiple continents, this organisation processes millions of insurance claims annually. Their data isn't just numbers, it represents promises made to policyholders, often during life's most difficult moments.

"Every record in our system represents a customer who trusted us with their security. We couldn't afford to lose even one."
Industry

Insurance

Scope

Global Operations

Initiative

Blueprint Two Strategy

The Challenge

Five critical hurdles standing between legacy and modern

Extraction

Identifying critical data points buried in decades-old mainframe systems

Compatibility

Ensuring legacy formats work with modern AWS Redshift architecture

Unstructured Data

Managing complex, non-standard data formats within new systems

Coordination

Aligning 600+ stakeholders across global teams and time zones

Timeline

Reducing project timescales while maintaining absolute data integrity

The Journey

How we made it happen

Map the Landscape

  • Deployed data analysts, modelers, and system experts
  • Listened deeply to understand legacy system complexities
  • Identified and mapped critical data points with honesty
  • Built trust through transparent discovery process

Bridge the Gap

  • Set clear expectations for migration milestones
  • Tailored approach for non-structured data types
  • Enabled historical reporting without full migration
  • Personalised AWS Redshift architecture to their needs

Accelerate & Align

  • Coordinated 600+ stakeholders with minimal friction
  • Reduced timelines through best practices
  • Resolved data retrieval challenges seamlessly
  • Delivered zero records lost with efficient execution

The Transformation

From legacy burden to modern advantage

The Future

Ready for whatever comes next

Through expert data transformation and strategic implementation, Engaging Data successfully transitioned critical legacy data into a modernised architecture, creating a scalable framework ready for future expansion and innovation.