Since 1960 SeaLink New Zealand (SeaLink) has been supplying the islands of the Hauraki Gulf with safe, fast and reliable services for vehicles, passengers and freight. Fully aware of the intricacies and considerations that are unique to transporting goods and people around the Hauraki Gulf, SeaLink assists with any freight and passenger requirements. SeaLink is passionate about the communities they serve and the islands they travel to within the Hauraki Gulf.
With multiple operational, financial and internal systems supporting the day-to-day business, there is a vision to create a modern business intelligence data platform for the future that will enable efficient and effective reporting. This will be instrumental in supporting data-driven decision-making.
Supporting the vision for data driven decision making, SeaLink wanted to create better connectivity between the various organisation data sources. The incumbent systems lacked the capability to connect with the majority of these data sources, resulting in slow manual processes and users heavily dependent on Excel spreadsheets.
Manual creation of reports was cumbersome and time consuming and SeaLink saw this as an opportunity to create a single source of truth for data, implement robust data governance and create a mechanism to ensure the right data is readily available when required. ClearPoint was tasked to work with the SeaLink team to review the current data systems and architecture, define high-level requirements and propose potential platform solution options, along with indicative costs.
Through a range of interviews, data gathering, and a review of the technology stack and ways of working, ClearPoint put forward a recommendation for SeaLink to transition to a modern data platform built using SaaS technology offerings. Reviewing 10 use cases and over 12 data sources, ClearPoint provided two technical architecture options - one utilising a Microsoft Azure approach and the other utilising Azure Data Factory coupled with Snowflake and DBT Cloud. Comparisons and costs of both options were provided to SeaLink, resulting in a clear understanding of how they map to the business vision and requirements.
ClearPoint's comprehensive investigation not only addressed our stated requirements but also unearthed unforeseen gaps within our operations. Their meticulous approach led to the development of a tailored, cost-effective solution precisely aligned with our organisation's needs.”
Kieren Bainbridge, IT Manager - SeaLink NZ
The strategy recommendation also covered people, process and governance factors required for success of the overall data platform and approach. The review and subsequent recommendations provide the starting point for a roadmap of implementation to work towards SeaLink’s vision of robust data driven decision making.