Databricks: central data platform

Many international industrial companies face the same challenge: they have plenty of data, but it is scattered across different systems, structured in different ways and difficult to use consistently. This may still work for individual operational reports. But when companies need group-wide transparency, comparable KPIs and data-driven optimisation, these historically grown data landscapes quickly reach their limits.

A leading European door manufacturer was facing exactly this situation. After introducing SAP S/4HANA, the company wanted to modernise its BI and analytics landscape and create a future-ready basis for greater efficiency, transparency and control. Together with ALTYCA, it implemented a central data platform based on Databricks.

The platform brings together data from various source systems, including SAP, ERP, production and logistics systems. It then processes this data step by step: from raw data to cleansed and harmonised datasets, and finally to business-ready data products. Once prepared, the data is made available to all departments in a shared Power BI environment. What used to be a landscape of isolated solutions has become a single source of truth – a common, reliable basis for the entire organisation.

One of the key success factors was the standardisation of KPIs. Previously, different departments often worked with their own definitions. Today, the company has a shared view of its most important business data. This creates trust and makes it much easier to take decisions across departments, plants and legal entities.

The platform was developed in close collaboration with the business teams, ensuring that it addresses their real questions and needs. At the same time, it was designed to run reliably and scale over time. Continuous monitoring, logging and quality checks ensure that every figure remains traceable and transparent. The operating model also plays an important role: a central Centre of Excellence defines standards and ensures consistency, while local BI champions in the plants stay close to day-to-day business needs. This creates the right balance between governance and flexibility.

The result is a modern, scalable data platform for the entire group. SAP and non-SAP data are harmonised, reporting is based on consistent KPIs, and analyses that used to require significant manual effort are now available much faster. Most importantly, the company has created a strong foundation for the future — from deeper insights in production and logistics to advanced analytics and future AI applications.

Industrial companies with multiple sites, entities or complex legacy system landscapes often face similar questions: How can data from SAP, production, logistics and other sources be connected in a meaningful way? How can a shared KPI logic be established? And how can reporting gradually evolve into a foundation for advanced analytics and AI?

A common data foundation creates the basis for solving these challenges. At the same time, the shared operating model – combining central standards with local ownership – ensures that consistency is achieved without slowing the business down.

In short: this approach can be applied to almost any industry where data from many sources needs to be integrated into one reliable overall picture – whether in manufacturing, logistics or financial services. Wherever scattered data needs to become sound business decisions, a single source of truth is essential.