Scaling data with Azure, Databricks, Snowflake and AI for a leading health plan
To overcome the limitations of legacy data infrastructure, our client, a large national health plan partnered with HCLTech to migrate their vast data set from on-prem to the cloud.
Leveraging GenAI, automation and future-proof data architecture on Azure, Snowflake and Databricks, the engagement successfully transformed the health plan’s data operations— improving performance, end-user adoption, data experience and decision-making ability to meet the customer needs and expectations in a feasible way.
The Challenge
Managing on-prem data with limited scalability and high costs
Our client managed critical business data on-prem (Teradata), limiting scalability and driving up both capital and operating expenses due to the growing data volumes and reliance on physical infrastructure.
Furthermore, increased manual data handling, poor data quality, higher rate of errors, fragmented tools and the inability to scale operations across a large user base were impeding business agility and driving up day-to-day operational costs. The lack of self-service analytics and data exploration further compounded the issue.
Additionally, the existing platform lacked robust security and disaster recovery strategies, exposing the infrastructure to resilience risks and increasing threats to data security and compliance.
The Objective
Create a scalable, cloud-based data and analytics platform for automating workflows
Our client aimed to build a scalable, next-generation cloud-based data and analytics platform with the following objectives:
- Reduce the overall complexity of legacy data management by automating ETL pipelines and optimizing data workflows for the functional business units which enables near real-time analytics and reporting with actionable metrics
- Improve efficiency and reduce network, SQL and processing bottlenecks
- Enhance infrastructure flexibility, security, support application scalability and disaster recovery
- Streamline onboarding for 7000+ users with intelligent, guided assistance
- Significantly reduce data management and operations cost
The Solution
Implement a GenAI-driven data migration and modernization strategy for optimal efficiency
HCLTech implemented a comprehensive data migration and modernization strategy, driven by GenAI, automation and a unified delivery model. This approach ensured business continuity, technical scalability and rapid user adoption through intelligent automation, governance and operational alignment. The solution enabled the following:
A future-proof architecture
- GenAI-enabled modern data architecture with observability, security and FinOps.
- Off-loaded legacy technologies and rationalized/automated ETL process for optimized data processing.
- Comprehensive validation and reconciliation model.
- Reduced manual efforts through higher workflow automation.
- Scalable and resilient infrastructure powered by Azure, Snowflake and Databricks.
Unified business adoption model
- Zero disruption through unified DataOps and persona-based onboarding.
- Integrated monitoring with a structured 5-phase user enablement.
- Real-time support via a GenAI chatbot.
AI-led intelligent automation
- GenAI-based automated data testing, validation and certification using HCLTech’s Gatekeeper tool.
- Automated code conversion from DataStage to PySpark via UPilot.
- AI-driven application testing, monitoring and workflow optimization led by HCLTech’s AI Force.
Comprehensive disaster management framework:
- Automated monitoring systems for real-time detection and early warning of potential disasters.
- Strengthened critical infrastructure to withstand disasters and ensure continuity of operations.
- Robust backup and recovery systems to minimize downtime and ensure zero data loss. Robust governance and talent strategy.
- Dedicated migration factory and scalable execution model.
- Strong focus on change management and user alignment.
- Governance aligned to compliance, security and outcome-based success.
The Impact
Enhancing efficiency in data handling and user experience with cloud modernization
The data-to-cloud modernization program delivered measurable improvements in efficiency, scalability and end-user experience. Our innovative solution aligned business and technology transformation, achieving aggressive cost reductions, enhanced performance and productivity, faster time to market and improved user engagement.
- 30–40% reduction in manual code conversion efforts
- 25% decrease in data handling complexity through unified DataOps
- 30-40% optimization driven by AI that improved performance
- 20–30% increase in user adoption through structured onboarding processes
- Zero business disruption for 7000+ users across 50+ consumption patterns
- Accelerated migration and platform readiness with GenAI-powered execution
Through strategic cloud migration and GenAI integration, the client successfully overcame legacy system constraints. The collaborative approach fostered operational agility, enhanced user experience and laid a strong foundation for future innovation and scalability.
