Transforming Global Relocation Services with a Unified Data Lakehouse
In this case study
Contributor: Andres Gonzalez Urdaneta, Sr. Data Engineer
Unboxing the data journey
Operating in an industry worth more than $20 billion, the success of corporate relocation services companies hinges not just on logistics but also on their data and how they collect, manage and transform it into actionable insights.
One global relocation services provider faced mounting challenges with its legacy on-premises systems. Its infrastructure was under-resourced; its data was fragmented across platforms; and its ability to scale or derive insights was limited.
To overcome these barriers, the company partnered with World Wide Technology (WWT) and Databricks to build a modern, cloud-native data lakehouse that would redefine how the organization operates.
The challenge
The client's business model involves orchestrating every aspect of employee relocation, from housing and schooling to vehicle transport and regulatory compliance. These services generate vast amounts of data, captured through systems like Qualtrics (for customer satisfaction surveys), compliance platforms (for Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) screening), various SQL databases and customer management platforms. However, these systems operate in silos, making it difficult to unify data and generate timely, actionable insights.
The provider's on-premises infrastructure was also reaching its limits. Hardware constraints made it difficult to scale or support new analytics initiatives. Ingesting data from sources like OFAC was cumbersome, relying on outdated methods like Secure File Transfer Protocol (SFTP) dumps. Documentation was sparse, and the data warehouse was so complex that even internal teams struggled to make sense of it.
The client needed a solution that would:
- Consolidate disparate data sources into a unified platform
- Improve performance and scalability
- Enable real-time actionable insights for both internal operations and customer-facing services
- Maintain compliance with international regulations through automated, auditable processes
Solution
Through our partnership with Databricks, WWT was engaged to lead the design and implementation of a modern data lakehouse. Built on Azure and powered by Databricks, the solution unified all data sources into a single, governed platform that could scale with the client's global operations. It also modernized the company's data ingestion processes. For instance, OFAC data that was previously ingested via manual SFTP dumps was now pulled automatically via API, ensuring up-to-date compliance checks.
Medallion architecture
At the core of the solution was Databricks' medallion architecture, which brought speed and simplicity to the organization's data analytics processes with its three-layer approach:
- Bronze layer: Captures raw data exactly as it arrives from source systems like Qualtrics and compliance feeds
- Silver layer: Cleans and standardizes data to remove duplicates and normalizes formats (e.g., country codes)
- Gold layer: Delivers business-ready data models that feed dashboards, KPIs and machine learning workflows
This architecture enables the client to move from reactive reporting to proactive decision-making. For example, executives can now view dashboards that track relocation trends and customer satisfaction, while also surfacing operational performance insights across regions.
Unity Catalog
To streamline governance and security, WWT implemented Unity Catalog, Databricks' data governance layer. This allows for:
- Granular access control by user roles (e.g., analysts can access raw data, while executives see only curated reports)
- Full data lineage tracking that shows where data originates and how it is transformed
- Schema enforcement and metadata management for consistency across the platform
Outcomes
The implementation of the Databricks lakehouse marked a pivotal shift in the client's approach to data. The provider moved from fragmented, reactive systems to a unified platform that supports real-time actionable insights and strategic agility.
Operational efficiency: Operations teams can now access real-time dashboards for survey completion, customer satisfaction and service performance, enabling proactive adjustments to service delivery. Compliance departments also gained visibility into OFAC screening processes and regulatory reporting requirements across all active relocations, reducing the risk of regulatory fines.
Strategic insight and data-driven decision making: Analysts are freed from manual data wrangling and can focus on deriving insights. Executives have visibility into global operations, enabling faster, more informed decisions.
Future-proofed scalability and performance: By moving to the cloud, the client eliminated the limitations of its on-premises systems and can support future growth.
Compliance and security: Unity Catalog ensures that data access is role-based and auditable. Additionally, the platform's lineage tracking and schema enforcement bring a new level of trust and transparency to the organization's data.
Training and enablement: WWT provided hands-on training and QA support to allow for a smooth transition and empower the client's internal teams to manage the platform independently.
Powering success through the WWT and Databricks partnership
This engagement exemplified the strength of the WWT and Databricks partnership, where cutting-edge technology met with deep implementation expertise to deliver lasting business transformation.
Databricks provides a platform that offers a unified, cloud-native environment that seamlessly integrates data ingestion, transformation, governance and analytics. WWT brings this vision to life by translating Databricks' capabilities into a fully operational solution tailored to your specific needs.
From modernizing ingestion pipelines to implementing robust governance, this partnership empowered the global relocation services provider to break free from legacy limitations and unlock a future of intelligent, data-driven decision-making.