Transforming Data Governance and Performance with Databricks Unity Catalog Implementation

Client

A Global Leader in Advisory Services

The client is a leading global provider of risk, financial, and business advisory services, including tax, regulatory, and internal audit solutions. With presence in 100+ countries, the client serves a diverse set of industries and enterprises. As a data-driven organization, their ability to deliver timely and accurate insights is critical to their business success.

Challenge

Navigating the Complexities of Growing Data and Governance Needs

The client’s operations relied heavily on data to provide advisory and compliance services across their global footprint. However, with growing data volumes and inefficiencies in their legacy systems, their ability to meet operational demands and maintain governance was increasingly at risk. Their challenges included:

• Performance Issues in Azure Databricks
  The migration of their enterprise data warehouse (EDW) to Azure Databricks resulted in a significant increase in data volume. However, this also caused performance degradation, particularly for BI (Business Intelligence) reporting and workflows.

• Manual Workflow Triggering
  Workflows required manual triggering, which delayed the delivery of critical data to stakeholders. This inefficiency slowed down processes and reduced operational effectiveness.

• Manual Auditing with Minimal Logging
  Auditing and compliance processes were manual, relying on basic logging capabilities. This created governance gaps, reduced traceability, and exposed the client to potential compliance risks.

The combination of performance challenges, workflow inefficiencies, and audit gaps disrupted the client’s ability to scale operations, maintain compliance, and deliver timely results to customers. They needed a solution that could address performance, governance, and operational scalability within a single unified framework.

Solution

Hexaware’s Unified Data Governance Framework

Hexaware implemented Databricks Unity Catalog, a unified data governance solution, to tackle the client’s challenges. The solution was designed to enhance data performance, automate workflows, and improve auditing capabilities.

Key Features of the Solution:

• 1. Centralized Access Control: Enabled secure and seamless governance by consolidating access controls across environments.
  2. Automated Auditing and Lineage: Captured user-level audit logs and exposed system tables (audit, usage, lineage) for enhanced traceability.
  3. Performance Optimization: Improved BI report performance by addressing inefficiencies in workflows and automating data delivery.
  4. Cross-Workspace Capabilities: Facilitated smooth data governance and access across multiple workspaces, ensuring scalability.

Our Approach:

Hexaware began by analyzing the client’s existing Azure Databricks environment to identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies. The team introduced Databricks Unity Catalog, which provided centralized governance features, including access control, auditing, and lineage tracking. By automating auditing processes, Hexaware eliminated the manual effort previously required to maintain compliance. The solution also introduced cross-workspace capabilities, enabling data governance and seamless access across multiple environments. To address performance issues, Hexaware optimized workflows and automated data delivery triggers. These improvements significantly enhanced the speed and efficiency of BI reporting, enabling the client to deliver insights faster and more reliably. Through this comprehensive implementation, Hexaware not only resolved the client’s immediate challenges but also future-proofed its data operations with a scalable, secure architecture.

Benefits

Driving Tangible Results with a Scalable Data Framework

• 60–70% Faster BI Reporting: Automated workflows and optimized processes significantly accelerated report performance, enabling faster delivery of actionable insights.
• Automated Data Versioning: Unity Catalog eliminated manual effort by ensuring consistent, reliable data version control.
• Strong Compliance & Auditability: Enabled precise monitoring and adherence to governance standards with user-level audit logs and end-to-end lineage tracking.
• Scalable Cross-Workspace Operations: Cross-workspace capabilities supported seamless scaling while maintaining consistent governance across regions.
• Strengthened Data Governance: Centralized access controls and automated audits reduced risk and ensured secure, streamlined data management.

By addressing these critical operational challenges, Hexaware’s solution empowered the client to operate more efficiently, securely, and at scale.

Summary

A Future-Ready Data Ecosystem

Strengthening Governance and Performance for Sustainable Growth

The client established a highly efficient, Unity Catalog–powered data governance framework. BI reporting became faster, workflows were automated, and auditing was seamless and robust. Compliance and governance capabilities improved significantly, reducing risk and ensuring end-to-end traceability. Enhanced performance enabled greater focus on delivering customer value without delay, paving the way for advanced analytics and AI-driven innovation.

Transform your data challenges into opportunities for growth!

Learn more about our Databricks capabilities and set the stage for continued success in today’s data-driven world.