Description
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) Modernize Business Intelligence
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) modernize Business
Intelligence capabilities while lowering costs
by re-using existing applications
“By re-using our existing data warehousing applications
in a Windows environment we delivered the new system
much faster than if we had attempted a re-write. At the
same time we were able to provide a better development
environment for our programmers and enable our business
analysts to exploit contemporary Business Intelligence tools
to make more informed decisions based on up to date data.”
[Per Petterson, System Manager: Enterprise Data Warehouse, SAS]
The Customer
Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is the largest
airline in Scandinavia. It flies to 150 destinations, employs 32,000 staff, and carries
40 million passengers annually.
The Challenge
Business Intelligence (BI) is vital to competing within the airline industry. However,
at SAS, the mainframe data warehouse had become expensive to run and maintain
and it was becoming difficult to deliver the BI in a timely manner.
The BI data warehouse was hosted on the same mainframe as other critical business
processes, so applications supporting BI were treated as a lower priority.
This meant the BI batch processes could take as long as six hours to complete,
severely impacting the timely delivery of BI reports to business analysts.
SAS realised it had to dramatically modernize its BI capabilities to deliver near real
time scenario for reporting and analysis. SAS needed a data warehouse with
desktop tooling that did not have to compete for mainframe resources and which
analysts could use to quickly customize reports, rather than SAS having to rely
on an expensive external vendor.
SAS initially looked to write new applications to run on a Windows Server utilizing
Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2005 but cost implications, time to market and risk
involved meant this was simply not viable. This is when SAS turned to Micro Focus.
The Solution
SAS approached Micro Focus as it offered a variety of low risk approaches to Application
Modernization. After discussing the options, SAS decided to modernize the BI
customer success
Challenge:
SAS need to provide better
business intelligence
reporting and improved ad-
hoc analysis capabilities by
providing real time data
access while reducing costs
Solution:
Application Modernization:
• Micro Focus Studio™
• Micro Focus Server™
Customer Benefits:
• Better Business
Intelligence (BI)
• Increased revenue
per customer
• Improved customer
satisfaction
• Faster time to market
• Reduced costs
capability by reusing its existing mainframe applications on an Intel server running Windows.
MigrationWare, a strategic Micro Focus partner, was chosen to undertake the migration
of the COBOL/DB2 applications and the associated Job Control that was the backbone
of the BI environment.
SAS used the Micro Focus’ Revolve® analysis tool to map out the viability of the migration
from the mainframe to Windows and ensure they adequately scoped the project.
Micro Focus Studio™ and Micro Focus Server™ were used to enable the existing COBOL
and JCL to be re-used with minimum change and to capitalise on existing COBOL/JCL
programming expertise.
SQL Server was selected as the new data warehouse repository and Microsoft Active
Directory® was utilized to implement appropriate security over the network.
MigrationWare undertook the actual project to move the mainframe applications
to Windows including the conversion of VSAM data files and the migration of all
the relevant mainframe DB2 data to SQL Server. In addition, MigrationWare provided
technology to ease the application migration by emulating the behaviour of standard
DB2 utilities against SQL Server.
The Result
Better BI: Batch processes that had previously taken six hours to complete on the
mainframe are now completing in just two hours. This provides analysts with significantly
earlier access to data required to make critical business decisions. In addition the new
ad-hoc reporting environment means SAS business analysts can quickly design their own
queries and reports to respond to competitor action and market trends.
Increased revenue per customer: This improved flexibility and agility has already enabled
SAS to improve its relationships with its customers and increase per-customer revenues.
Improved customer satisfaction: SAS has been able to minimize the impact of flight delays
and cancellations for its customers as a result of more detailed analysis of Internet
reservations, check-ins, and call centre interactions.
Faster time to market: The initial project was completed much faster than would have
been possible using a re-write approach but more importantly the new Windows based
development environment and the powerful tools around SQL server are enabling the IT
team to deliver on new requirements much faster than was ever possible using
mainframe-based tools.
Reduced costs: The migration to Windows has resulted in a 50 percent reduction in annual
costs associated with the data warehouse and applications used for BI.
The Future
Having the data warehouse implemented on Windows within SQL Server while utilizing
proven business logic to update and process the data means SAS has the best of both
worlds. This move has opened up many options to improve accessibility, relevance and
usefulness of the data for analysts, management, internal users and going forward, SAS’s
partners and customers.
©2008 Micro Focus. Micro Focus is a
registered trademark and Enterprise View
is a trademark of Micro Focus. All other
trademarks mentioned in this story are
property of their respective owners.
CSSASM0308-UK
www.microfocus.com
Micro Focus
Worldwide
Australia.................. 1800 632 626
Belgium..................... 0800 11 282
Canada ..........877-772-4450 x1123
France...................... 0800 835 135
Germany................ 0800 182 5443
Ireland................ +353 182 120 49
Italy.....................+39 02 694 34 01
Japan.................. +81 3 5793 8550
Luxembourg................. 800 23743
Netherlands ....... +31 23 5689 138
Norway ............... +47 22 91 07 20
Sweden .............. +46 850 901 258
Switzerland............. 0800 564 247
United Kingdom ... 0800 328 4967
United States........ 1 877 772 4450
Other Countries .. +44 1635 32646
www.microfocus.com/contact
About
Micro Focus
Micro Focus, a member of the
FTSE 250, provides innovative
software that allows companies
to dramatically improve the
business value of their enterprise
applications. Micro Focus
Enterprise Application
Modernization and Management
software enables customers’
business applications to respond
rapidly to market changes and
embrace modern architectures
with reduced cost and risk. For
additional information please
visit www.microfocus.com.
‘MigrationWare used a mixture of technology and expertise
to ensure the data warehousing applications functioned optimally
within the new Windows environment and the project delivered
the agreed business benefits.’
[Mark Cooper, MD, MigrationWare]
doc_679544028.pdf
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) Modernize Business Intelligence
Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) modernize Business
Intelligence capabilities while lowering costs
by re-using existing applications
“By re-using our existing data warehousing applications
in a Windows environment we delivered the new system
much faster than if we had attempted a re-write. At the
same time we were able to provide a better development
environment for our programmers and enable our business
analysts to exploit contemporary Business Intelligence tools
to make more informed decisions based on up to date data.”
[Per Petterson, System Manager: Enterprise Data Warehouse, SAS]
The Customer
Headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, Scandinavian Airlines (SAS) is the largest
airline in Scandinavia. It flies to 150 destinations, employs 32,000 staff, and carries
40 million passengers annually.
The Challenge
Business Intelligence (BI) is vital to competing within the airline industry. However,
at SAS, the mainframe data warehouse had become expensive to run and maintain
and it was becoming difficult to deliver the BI in a timely manner.
The BI data warehouse was hosted on the same mainframe as other critical business
processes, so applications supporting BI were treated as a lower priority.
This meant the BI batch processes could take as long as six hours to complete,
severely impacting the timely delivery of BI reports to business analysts.
SAS realised it had to dramatically modernize its BI capabilities to deliver near real
time scenario for reporting and analysis. SAS needed a data warehouse with
desktop tooling that did not have to compete for mainframe resources and which
analysts could use to quickly customize reports, rather than SAS having to rely
on an expensive external vendor.
SAS initially looked to write new applications to run on a Windows Server utilizing
Microsoft® SQL Server™ 2005 but cost implications, time to market and risk
involved meant this was simply not viable. This is when SAS turned to Micro Focus.
The Solution
SAS approached Micro Focus as it offered a variety of low risk approaches to Application
Modernization. After discussing the options, SAS decided to modernize the BI
customer success
Challenge:
SAS need to provide better
business intelligence
reporting and improved ad-
hoc analysis capabilities by
providing real time data
access while reducing costs
Solution:
Application Modernization:
• Micro Focus Studio™
• Micro Focus Server™
Customer Benefits:
• Better Business
Intelligence (BI)
• Increased revenue
per customer
• Improved customer
satisfaction
• Faster time to market
• Reduced costs
capability by reusing its existing mainframe applications on an Intel server running Windows.
MigrationWare, a strategic Micro Focus partner, was chosen to undertake the migration
of the COBOL/DB2 applications and the associated Job Control that was the backbone
of the BI environment.
SAS used the Micro Focus’ Revolve® analysis tool to map out the viability of the migration
from the mainframe to Windows and ensure they adequately scoped the project.
Micro Focus Studio™ and Micro Focus Server™ were used to enable the existing COBOL
and JCL to be re-used with minimum change and to capitalise on existing COBOL/JCL
programming expertise.
SQL Server was selected as the new data warehouse repository and Microsoft Active
Directory® was utilized to implement appropriate security over the network.
MigrationWare undertook the actual project to move the mainframe applications
to Windows including the conversion of VSAM data files and the migration of all
the relevant mainframe DB2 data to SQL Server. In addition, MigrationWare provided
technology to ease the application migration by emulating the behaviour of standard
DB2 utilities against SQL Server.
The Result
Better BI: Batch processes that had previously taken six hours to complete on the
mainframe are now completing in just two hours. This provides analysts with significantly
earlier access to data required to make critical business decisions. In addition the new
ad-hoc reporting environment means SAS business analysts can quickly design their own
queries and reports to respond to competitor action and market trends.
Increased revenue per customer: This improved flexibility and agility has already enabled
SAS to improve its relationships with its customers and increase per-customer revenues.
Improved customer satisfaction: SAS has been able to minimize the impact of flight delays
and cancellations for its customers as a result of more detailed analysis of Internet
reservations, check-ins, and call centre interactions.
Faster time to market: The initial project was completed much faster than would have
been possible using a re-write approach but more importantly the new Windows based
development environment and the powerful tools around SQL server are enabling the IT
team to deliver on new requirements much faster than was ever possible using
mainframe-based tools.
Reduced costs: The migration to Windows has resulted in a 50 percent reduction in annual
costs associated with the data warehouse and applications used for BI.
The Future
Having the data warehouse implemented on Windows within SQL Server while utilizing
proven business logic to update and process the data means SAS has the best of both
worlds. This move has opened up many options to improve accessibility, relevance and
usefulness of the data for analysts, management, internal users and going forward, SAS’s
partners and customers.
©2008 Micro Focus. Micro Focus is a
registered trademark and Enterprise View
is a trademark of Micro Focus. All other
trademarks mentioned in this story are
property of their respective owners.
CSSASM0308-UK
www.microfocus.com
Micro Focus
Worldwide
Australia.................. 1800 632 626
Belgium..................... 0800 11 282
Canada ..........877-772-4450 x1123
France...................... 0800 835 135
Germany................ 0800 182 5443
Ireland................ +353 182 120 49
Italy.....................+39 02 694 34 01
Japan.................. +81 3 5793 8550
Luxembourg................. 800 23743
Netherlands ....... +31 23 5689 138
Norway ............... +47 22 91 07 20
Sweden .............. +46 850 901 258
Switzerland............. 0800 564 247
United Kingdom ... 0800 328 4967
United States........ 1 877 772 4450
Other Countries .. +44 1635 32646
www.microfocus.com/contact
About
Micro Focus
Micro Focus, a member of the
FTSE 250, provides innovative
software that allows companies
to dramatically improve the
business value of their enterprise
applications. Micro Focus
Enterprise Application
Modernization and Management
software enables customers’
business applications to respond
rapidly to market changes and
embrace modern architectures
with reduced cost and risk. For
additional information please
visit www.microfocus.com.
‘MigrationWare used a mixture of technology and expertise
to ensure the data warehousing applications functioned optimally
within the new Windows environment and the project delivered
the agreed business benefits.’
[Mark Cooper, MD, MigrationWare]
doc_679544028.pdf