Secure, governed cloud data platform for a global engineering firm

The challenge

A global engineering and consulting firm needed a centralised analytics platform to improve data sharing, governance and integrity across engineering, environmental, HR and operational domains.

Teams had developed local analytics solutions, resulting in duplicated effort, inconsistent reporting and limited cross‑project insight. As analytics became more business‑critical, the organisation also faced increased risk around data loss, corruption and recovery.

The solution

We designed and delivered a modern cloud data platform on AWS, providing a secure, reusable foundation for analytics at scale.

Built on Databricks and Amazon S3, the platform integrates with the customer’s corporate identity provider and uses AWS services including Glue, Lambda, Step Functions, Lake Formation, KMS and CloudWatch to deliver governed data ingestion, processing and monitoring. Data is ingested from sources including sensor streams, simulation outputs, business systems and external data feeds.

Security and resilience are engineered into the design. Amazon S3 is configured with versioning, replication and Object Lock, supported by least‑privilege IAM, customer‑managed encryption keys and private networking.

Measurable efficiency and integrity at scale

The platform acts as a reusable accelerator. Typical analytics solutions can be delivered in around 40 hours, yet can save hundreds to over a thousand hours annually once operational. One early use case alone is expected to save 800–1,600 hours per year, equivalent to £60k–£120k annually.

To protect data at petabyte scale cost‑effectively, we implemented a bespoke S3‑based integrity and backup solution. This delivers tamper‑proof recovery at approximately one quarter of the cost of fully managed alternatives, with regularly rehearsed recovery processes.

The outcome

The platform now underpins a growing portfolio of data‑driven initiatives, delivering improved governance, faster insight and a sustainable total cost of ownership. Technical stakeholders describe our capability as a “safe pair of hands”, valuing the confidence provided by the platform’s integrity and recovery capabilities.