Client
Girls Who Code is an international non-profit organization committed to increasing the number of women in computer science by equipping female students with the necessary skills. As of 2024, the organization had officially served 670,000 students, including 218,000 college-aged alumni.
DataArt has been partnering with Girls Who Code since 2019, delivering comprehensive solutions across various projects.
Challenge
In 2019-2020 we helped the client build a conventional data warehouse integrated with Tableau Server for analytics. However, by 2024, the client recognized the need for a more agile and efficient data management approach. They sought a modernized data governance system that would enhance performance and security and reduce costs.
After a collaborative analysis and exploration of potential solutions, the client chose migrating to Tableau Cloud. This transition would eliminate the need for a traditional data warehouse, allowing end users to directly manage data processing and create dashboards.
Solution
The migration project started in late August 2024 and lasted approximately three months. The DataArt team, consisting of a migration project manager, data analyst, migration engineer, and migration architect, collaborated closely with Girls Who Code representatives to ensure effective communication throughout the process. The project consisted of several phases.
- Planning and Cost Evaluation: This initial phase involved assessing the necessary Tableau licenses for data management, budgeting, and deepening our understanding of Tableau Cloud to prepare for the migration.
- Migration: During this phase, we successfully migrated 460 objects (262 workbooks and 198 data sources) to Tableau Cloud. This phase also included a quality assurance process and the installation of the Tableau Bridge tool to facilitate integration with other systems.
- Sunset of Tableau Server: This phase concluded in December 2024, marking the official transition away from the Tableau Server environment.
- Change Management: We possess the knowledge and expertise to deliver training and enablement sessions for developers, subject matter experts, and end-users within the organization to ensure a smooth transition to the new system.
Challenges
Throughout the project, our team encountered several challenges.
Results and Benefits
By the end of 2024, the migration project was successfully completed, providing numerous benefits for Girls Who Code:
- Cost Savings: Transitioning to a lean data capability eliminated the need for underlying infrastructure and reduced reliance on ETL resources, saving the client around $5000 per month.
- Automated Updates: System updates are now released automatically, freeing up valuable human resources previously dedicated to manual updates.
- Enhanced Performance: The cloud-based system demonstrated improved loading times, with workbooks loading an average of 2 seconds faster.
- Integration with External Systems: Tableau Cloud allows for seamless integration with a number of external data sources, such as Salesforce. Other sources can be integrated with Tableau Bridge.
- Streamlined Data Management: A thorough reorganization and cleanup of Tableau projects reduced the total number of objects by 74%, improving efficiency and clarity.
- Future-Ready Data Governance: The new data governance system positions Girls Who Code for future growth and innovation.
