Element is a leading global fleet management company that offers a range of services for optimising customers’ strategies throughout the fleet lifecycle. They manage over one million vehicles and serve more than 2,800 customers across 50 countries. However, their core legacy systems are based on IBM Mainframe running a CA-Datacom database, which presents high maintenance costs and prevents easy integration with modern platforms.
Challenge
Element’s legacy systems presented several challenges, including ongoing operational costs, difficulty finding qualified technical resources, data dependency, and the inability to modernise the data architecture. They required a solution that would allow them to continue operating in the legacy environment while replicating real-time data to a modern database/platform. They also needed to use modern programming and data tools to remain competitive in the market.
Solution
Element partnered with CCA’s US partner Treehouse software to develop a phased plan to implement tcVISION. The first step was to develop a proof-of-concept to prove the technology’s effectiveness and technical suitability. The next step was to define the architectural solution, including configuration management, environments and promotion, high availability, security, disaster recovery, monitoring, operations procedures, script customisation, data replication mapping, and training plans. The final step was the production deployment phase, with incremental sprint-like deployments. The tcVISION product enabled the business to synchronize mission-critical financial IBM mainframe Datacom data to a modern PostgreSQL database. Bi-directional, real-time data synchronisation enabled changes on either platform to be reflected on the other platform, allowing the business to modernise the application on PostgreSQL without disrupting the existing critical work on the legacy system.
Impact
The successful implementation of the tcVISION product allowed Element to synchronise mission-critical financial data to a modern database, which enabled web and mobile access and updates. Element expressed their satisfaction with the results and the solution, particularly reduced mainframe MIPS costs and enhanced business agility to respond to changes in the business environment.
Conclusion
Element’s partnership with Treehouse software and the implementation of tcVISION allowed them to overcome the challenges presented by their legacy systems. They were able to modernise their data architecture and utilise modern programming and data tools to remain competitive in the market. The successful implementation of tcVISION resulted in reduced maintenance costs, enhanced business agility, and the ability to synchronise mission-critical financial data to a modern database, allowing web and mobile access and updates.