A Cloud-Based Data Platform Using Microsoft Power Platform

Danish Church Aid depends on understanding their contributors, and the organization is highly driven by flexibility in relation to innovation and new ideas.

As an organization with a long history, DCA has relied on on-premise storage of data and solutions for many years. Data is stored in a wide range of source systems without the ability to provide insight and create real business value.

The challenge was the starting point for a large digitalization project that will take DCA from on-premise to cloud and ensure future innovation and interaction between the organization's many solutions.

As a central element in the large digitalization project that includes CRM (Dynamics 365), a new marketing platform, and a new CMS system, a data platform has been built on Microsoft 365 that utilizes Azure, the Microsoft Power Platform, and SharePoint.

The Microsoft Power Platform is the focal point where data from the marketing platform, CRM, CMS, payment module, survey platform, telemarketing module, financial reconciliation, and more are collected. In short, it is the data platform that will serve as the basis for insights and future innovation in DCA.

The purpose of the data platform is to gather data in one place, making it accessible to all solutions. Information and data are shared through a publish/subscribe pattern, which means that different systems can subscribe to specific updates or events. For example, the CRM system can subscribe to updates of existing customers in the financial system so that the data is always visible in both systems.

By collecting data and making it visible in the system that each user is most familiar with, DCA has created a foundation for efficient workflows and ensured that they can come up with new initiatives in the future that are not hindered by access to data.

"Creating an actual data platform - a platform that puts data first - has been a big desire. For me, it is the cornerstone of succeeding in our ambition to become data-driven. As long as data is simply stored in various source systems and shared as Excel sheets, we cannot achieve that goal. Therefore, the desire was to gather all the data that adds value to the business in one system. Data remains in their original systems, but on top of the many separate systems, we now have one system (the data platform) that pulls the threads together so we can extract knowledge and value from our data across the board."

- Kenneth Andersen, Digital Project Manager at DCA

The right solution the first time

A data platform is only as good as the data stored in it. Storing all data just for the sake of security is not a real option. Therefore, Context&s' first task was to gain insight into DCA's business through a series of workshops. The purpose was to identify which data is important for the business based on the mantra: Data should be shaped for the business and business goals - not for IT. Therefore, it was crucial to understand the business need in order not to risk simply throwing a lot of data into a new box.

"As consultants, one of our most important tasks is to understand our customers and their needs. We need to understand which data is relevant so that it can be modeled and made available in an easy and usable way in the business."

- Poul Kjeldager Sørensen, Principal Consultant at Context&

The result of thorough groundwork is a solution that is as simple as possible.

"The collaboration with Context& has been crucial in reaching our goals. For us, it has not been an IT project, but a business project. If we had "just" implemented the Dynamics platform, we could have hired anyone in my opinion. But for this project, we needed a partner who could help us collect data and processes. A partner who could challenge us and help us create business value from our data. This is where I think Context&'s consultants can do something special."

- Kenneth Andersen, Digital Project Manager at DCA

The data platform in Azure is not standing alone, but is part of a larger digitalization project. However, with its central role in the entire digitalization project, the data platform is a prerequisite for future innovation and realization of new ideas.

DCA lifting their data to the cloud provides security and a new perspective for the future. They have a solution that is long-lasting and can act on new ideas, which can be realized on a platform that can handle future scaling and changes.

"This technology lift gives us a technical maturity that will be crucial for the transformation to a data-driven and digital organization that is ready for new initiatives. It provides an understanding that we are in the driver's seat and can do what we want. That alone is important, but it also means that we can work smarter. The perspectives are great, and the goal for the future is to achieve "smarter" earnings, understood in the sense that if we can use fewer resources on fundraising for our projects, it provides better conditions for providing aid in the world. When all is said and done, that is the big goal."

- Kenneth Andersen, Digital Project Manager at DCA