ETL modernization in the fund business: How Helaba Invest set the course for migration
About Helaba Invest
Helaba Invest Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH is an investment management company based in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. It is the institutional asset management company of Helaba Landesbank Hessen-Thüringen, one of Germany’s public-sector Landesbanken. Helaba Invest manages special funds and financial instruments on behalf of institutional investors.
The project in detail
The challenge
The existing ETL software was the backbone of file processing but had become technologically outdated. Helaba Invest used ETL across several use cases and for some complex processes. A new solution therefore had to meet the requirements of IT, business departments and the organization. At the same time, it needed to take established user habits and company culture into account.
ETL solutions on the market vary considerably in scope and focus. Helaba Invest needed a broad market overview, a robust longlist and shortlist, and a transparent process that would lead the participating departments to a shared decision.
The aim
With the “New ETL Tool – Preliminary Study” project, Helaba Invest wanted to validate the selection of new ETL software from both a business and technical perspective. This included:
- a shared business, technical and organizational requirements specification
- architectural considerations for the future solution
- market analysis, vendor assessments and a proof of concept
- an implementation plan with volume estimates and a high-level effort estimate
- a broadly supported decision as the basis for the migration
BARC’s role
- Structure and consolidate requirements across several departments
- Assess the ETL software market independently and narrow down suitable vendors
- Connect business, technical and organizational perspectives in the evaluation
- Provide methodological support for vendor assessments and the proof of concept
- Develop architectural considerations and a viable implementation approach
- Complement internal expertise where additional market or methodological insight was required
The project phases
1. Consolidating requirements
The joint project team documented business, technical and organizational requirements. Different expectations and established working practices were included early in the process. The project team then refined and prioritized the requirements.
2. Assessing the market and vendors
BARC supported Helaba Invest with the market analysis, longlist (with about 20 products) and shortlist (with six products). Vendor assessments made the products’ scope and fit easier to compare.
3. Testing the architecture and solution
Architectural work and a proof-of-concept increased confidence in the software decision. Helaba Invest selected Pentaho PDI as its new ETL software.
4. Preparing the migration
For the subsequent implementation, the project team developed an implementation plan with volume estimates and a high-level effort estimate. Insights from the proof of concept are feeding into the migration project.
Key takeaways
- Technology was only part of the decision: The evaluation also covered business needs, organization, user habits and company culture.
- Internal and external perspectives complemented each other: Knowledge of Helaba Invest’s processes was combined with market coverage and a structured selection method.
- Early participation supported consensus: The cross-departmental process helped the steering committee adopt the proposed selection.
- Migration planning started before implementation: Architecture work, volume assumptions and experiences made in the Proof of Concept gave the follow-on project a concrete starting point.
The result
According to Helaba Invest, the preliminary study met all objectives within the planned budget. The steering committee confirmed the software selection, architecture and implementation plan. Pentaho PDI is licensed and the migration is underway.
The project manager highlighted the cross-departmental consensus, fast response times and BARC’s support. The steering committee described the process as “smooth.” In the follow-on project, Helaba Invest is revising the existing ETL workflows in preparation for their replacement.
“It was particularly valuable that BARC gave us confidence in areas we could not cover to the same depth internally.“
Dr. Martin Saltzwedel
Project Manager, Technical Operations / Technical Development, Helaba Invest Kapitalanlagegesellschaft mbH
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