Microsoft Server Product Portfolio Customer Solution Case Study

Leading Israeli Bank Transforms Culture and Data Insight with the Microsoft Platform

“With the Microsoft BI solution, we have dramatically changed our culture. Managers can instantly analyze the same information in easy-to-use reports and dashboards, which help us see results faster.” Jonathan Bellisha, Chief Technology Officer, Union Bank of Israel

Union Bank of Israel needed to improve efficiency and data insight, so it implemented a business intelligence solution based on the Microsoft platform. The solution includes a new portal and an updated data warehouse with 1 terabyte of data from mission-critical systems. As a result, the bank has transformed its culture, streamlined reporting, simplified decision making, facilitated innovation, and improved efficiency, customer service, and agility.

Business Needs reports that the bank’s IT and In 2010, Union Bank of Israel needed Information Center departments to give business decision makers generated with numerous tools for greater insight into information. mainframes and other disparate Employees relied on standardized systems including Oracle databases.

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published September 2011 Employees also created some reports and Distribution Workload Technology Commenting on the ongoing with a customer relationship Adoption Program so that it could collaboration with Microsoft Services management (CRM) solution. The first work with Microsoft Services consultants, Bellisha notes, “Our banking solution of its kind based on consultants to design and deploy Microsoft consultants are very Microsoft Dynamics CRM, it includes a innovative BI processes with early professional and skilled—and they are 1-terabyte, relational data warehouse release versions of Microsoft products. a great help to us.” based on Microsoft SQL Server 2005 Bellisha explains, “By implementing a Enterprise data management software. comprehensive BI solution with Benefits To make decisions about services, technologies from one vendor, we By implementing a BI solution on the managers had to read and manually could focus on improving efficiency for Microsoft platform, Union Bank of analyze numerous reports to all employees rather than spending Israel has transformed its culture; extrapolate business intelligence (BI) time managing disparate, best-of- improved decision making; increased about topics such as service levels, breed tools.” efficiency, customer service levels, and trends, accounts, and risk. The manual agility; sped reporting; and facilitated reporting and BI processes slowed In November 2010, the bank began innovation. efficiency and hindered agility. In working with Microsoft Services to addition, because reports were created implement the first phase of its new BI Transforms Corporate Culture with multiple tools at different times, solution, which gives 900 users access Today, employees can access employees spent significant time to hundreds of reports from a new information in seconds, which has verifying that reports contained portal based on Microsoft SharePoint transformed how employees work, accurate and consistent data. The Server 2010. The reports include communicate, and support customers. reporting solutions also required information from disparate systems “With the Microsoft BI solution, we significant administrative effort by IT that is stored in the data warehouse. have dramatically changed our personnel, as did the bank’s custom To facilitate analysis, engineers culture,” Bellisha says. “Managers can portal that employees used to share restructured the data warehouse into instantly analyze the same information information. OLAP cubes using Microsoft SQL in easy-to-use reports and dashboards, The bank sought an easy-to-manage BI Server 2008 R2 Analysis Services and which help us see results faster—and solution that could work with existing Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 better meet business objectives.” systems, streamline workflows, establish Integration Services. Engineers also consistency, and provide real-time data used PerformancePoint Services in Simplifies Decision Making insight. The solution also needed to Microsoft SharePoint Server 2010 to From the portal, both nontechnical and scale and speed report generation. “We develop new data analysis and power users can make decisions based sought a BI solution that could make it corporate performance management on real-time information. Bellisha says, possible for users to explore data on capabilities including dashboards, data “Rather than reading through a stack their own and process information in a filters, and page navigation tools. The of reports, a branch manager can sit sophisticated way,” says Jonathan new solution runs on the Windows down with a customer and instantly Bellisha, Chief Technology Officer at Server 2008 R2 Enterprise operating access the information needed to Union Bank of Israel. system and five server computers, make decisions about services by including HP ProLiant BL460c G6 and clicking through a few screens on the Solution IBM System x3650 models. Microsoft BI solution.” To minimize complexity and take advantage of the existing data By the end of 2011, the bank expects Improves Efficiency, Service, and warehouse and CRM systems, Union to have migrated its data warehouse Agility Bank of Israel chose a reporting and to Microsoft SQL Server 2008 R2 The increased insight and streamlined data analysis solution based on the Enterprise, and give users new tools processes help the bank to improve Microsoft platform. The bank also for self-service reporting and agility, service levels, and comply with joined the Microsoft Report Generation managing corporate performance and regulations. “Our Microsoft BI solution risk, especially with mortgages.

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published September 2011 has made us more competitive—and it dropped significantly,” says Bellisha. Server code-named “Denali,” and the has changed how we service customers “IT personnel and business analysts data visualization tool known as and contribute to the bank’s growth,” can also create reports in less time— Project “Crescent.” Bellisha says, “We Bellisha explains. and these reports now look better and will be using the next version of SQL facilitate superior business results.” Server and a new data visualization In addition, the flexibility, availability, tool called Project ‘Crescent’ to and scalability of the new solution mean Facilitates Innovation implement the BI semantic model to that IT personnel spend less time The bank is currently working with deliver innovative, point-and-click managing the new portal and creating Microsoft Services to take advantage tools for self-service reporting, custom reports. “Because employees of emerging reporting and data dynamic data visualization, can drill down into information, the analysis capabilities based on the next performance management, and risk requests for custom reports have version of SQL Server, Microsoft SQL management.”

This case study is for informational purposes only. MICROSOFT MAKES NO WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, IN THIS SUMMARY. Document published September 2011