A Cloud-Based Enterprise Application & Data Transformation for a Prestigious National Medical Body

The Problem: Modernizing Core Application Architecture for Resilient and Efficient Operations

Recognizing its need for more resilient, reliable, and efficient operations, RCG’s client decided to modernize the core application architecture behind its customized and proprietary enterprise resource planning software. The vision centered around the goal of modernizing and migrating these applications to the cloud and establishing a new services layer, which would allow RCG’s client to leverage the core system with updated technology. This move would also help to reduce the overall cost of maintenance of a 15+ year old proprietary aging and brittle technology that had been evolved and patched over the years. The current state presented many potential technology, security and business risks and also made business operations difficult, inefficient and costly. Further, the system was difficult to manage and could not support the dynamic strategic goals and development needed to continue to progress physician specialty certification into the new, dynamic, digital era. The client additionally needed to update systems and processes to maintain National Commission for Certifying Agencies (NCCA) accreditation.

Other goals for the project included: 

• Establishing a trusted data foundation (TDF) to create a core set of data and analytics reporting needs.
• Improving system reliability and disaster recovery.
• Improving the delivery and management of data used throughout the systems.
• Introducing additional self-service capabilities to improve the end-user experience.
• Retiring other legacy reporting and analytics applications such as Microsoft Access.
• Improving overall data management, quality, and access.
• Improving overall ease of reporting and custom query capabilities.
• Improving documentation and standardization of the system.
• Creating flexibility for future requirements and growth as the organization evolves.
• Enabling strategic agility to choose its service and sustainment support without vendor lock-on and full ownership of its assets.

Finally, RCG’s client realized that it would need to evaluate and update other core enterprise systems, replace them (as per RCG’s strategic recommendations) and assure long term potential for best-in-class SaaS-based solutions that can be integrated with the future system and other enterprise applications—such as financial and accounting, marketing and communications functionality—and identify opportunities.

The Solution: Designing and Delivering a Cloud-Native Solution with a Multi-phase Approach

Working with RCG, the client agreed to approach the modernization effort by shaping the work into six stages:

• IT Governance Maturity Assessment
• Technology Strategy and Roadmap
• Initial Blueprint and Design
• Detailed Future-State Design
• Implementation & Transition
• Ongoing support

IT Governance Maturity Assessment

Recognizing the need for more structure in how its technology is managed and resourced, RCG’s client first began with an IT governance maturity assessment. Using the recommendations from the assessment, the client then implemented specific organization processes and structures to support a transformational journey and support continuous improvement.

Technology Strategy & Roadmap

During the roadmap, the client established a set of enterprise architecture principles to guide the effort. This included the completion of an organization-wide comprehensive digital roadmap that provided key priorities, recommendations, and priorities for moving forward. During this time, strategic and technical directions were set including the client’s first set of Enterprise Architecture principles.

Initial Blueprint & Design

Next, RCG and the client worked to create a detailed blueprint to provide for the modernization of applications and data foundation. Because this transformation would also have to account for the hundreds of different reports, each had to be rationalized and prepared for migration to the new cloud-based solution. 

Detailed Future-State Design

Following the initial phases of IT governance, digital roadmap and blueprint, and detailed design, RCG crafted a solution that involved designing, developing, and delivering a brand-new, cloud-native minimum viable product (MVP) for the client's enterprise resource planning (ERP). This work included establishing the client's Azure Cloud platform and services based on the provided architectural design and blueprint and implementing the first phase of modernization and migration of the client's legacy enterprise applications.

Change in Direction to full Greenfield ERP Development: 

As with all strategies and best-laid plans, change happens. During the initial and early phase of the Detailed Future State Design, due to pressing and emergent business issues, the client faced, a decision was made to pivot from modernization of the existing legacy application to a full greenfield development of an entirely new ERP application. This was a significant change in scope and direction under time and cost pressure.

RCG worked closely with the client to change direction—still in line with the overall strategy—to move to re-platform the organization with all new software, data models, and reporting environments.

Throughout each phase of the project, RCG’s team ensured that their design and development adhered to the requirements outlined in the business requirement documents and technical design documents provided by the client.