Hoe Hogeschool Windesheim in recordtijd overstapte naar Microsoft Fabric

Auteur: TeamValue · URL: https://www.teamvalue.com/cases/microsoft-fabric-windesheim-x-teamvalue

Hogeschool Windesheim case - Microsoft Fabric - TeamValue

Het resultaat

Binnen 6 maanden: van Proof of Value naar een volledig operationeel, cloudgebaseerd datawarehouse.
Alle relevante databronnen ontsloten.
Metadata-gedreven platform: nieuwe databronnen worden geconfigureerd in plaats van gecodeerd.
Door structurele kennisoverdracht werken interne teams nu zelfstandig met de ontwikkelstandaarden.
Gebouwd op partnerschap in plaats van afhankelijkheid.

Over Windesheim

Hogeschool Windesheim is één van de grootste hogescholen van Nederland met vestigingen in Zwolle en Almere. Met ruim 27.000 studenten en 2.800 medewerkers draait de organisatie op veel verschillende typen data: van HR-processen tot toetsresultaten, roosters, applicaties en meer.

De uitdaging

Hogeschool Windesheim werkte met een verouderde datawarehouse-oplossing. Het beheer van fysieke servers slokte steeds meer tijd en middelen op, terwijl de behoefte aan actuele en betrouwbaar ontsloten data toenam. Op advies van Microsoft Consultancy kwam een overstap naar Microsoft Fabric in beeld, met interne twijfel over de geschiktheid voor de complexiteit van een onderwijsinstelling.

Onze aanpak

Proof of Value

Om het platform tastbaar te maken, startten we met een Proof of Value met de TeamValue DataHub: een kant-en-klare omgeving om databronnen veilig en gestructureerd aan te sluiten op Microsoft Fabric. Dankzij vooraf ingebouwde datamodellen, governance en best practices ontstond vanaf dag één een solide fundament en een versnelling boven de oorspronkelijke inschatting.

“De samenwerking met Teamvalue en de consultant in het bijzonder overtrof de verwachtingen. Initieel dachten we als proof of concept één koppeling te realiseren. Door de generieke aanpak konden alle type bronnen ontsloten worden. Dit in combinatie met de continue kennisoverdracht zorgde ervoor dat het team zelfstandig verder kan.”
— Ramon van Enk, Manager IVT - Advies & IAM, Hogeschool Windesheim

Verandering die blijft

Windesheim beschikt nu over een toekomstbestendig datawarehouse dat klaar is voor groei, nieuwe databronnen en veranderende datavraagstukken. De focus lag op het ontsluiten van nieuwe databronnen en projecten in de cloud, waardoor deze koppelingen cloud-native zijn. Een deel van de bestaande data staat nog on-premise, maar alle nieuwe ontwikkelingen draaien in de cloud.

FAQ

Voor welke organisaties is Microsoft Fabric geschikt?

Microsoft Fabric is geschikt voor organisaties met veel verschillende databronnen die behoefte hebben aan een schaalbaar, cloudgebaseerd datawarehouse. In deze case bleek het platform goed te werken voor een complexe onderwijsinstelling met HR-data, toetsresultaten, roosters en applicatiedata. Met name organisaties die nu werken met een verouderd on-premise datawarehouse en willen moderniseren zonder afhankelijk te worden van externe partijen profiteren van deze aanpak.

Waarom koos Hogeschool Windesheim voor Microsoft Fabric?

Hogeschool Windesheim koos voor Microsoft Fabric vanwege de nauwe integratie met het Microsoft-ecosysteem, de mogelijkheid om data centraal te beheren en de schaalbaarheid van het platform. Daarnaast bood Fabric een moderne, metadata-gedreven architectuur waarmee nieuwe databronnen sneller aangesloten kunnen worden dan bij traditionele datawarehouse-oplossingen.

Wat was het voordeel van starten met een Proof of Value?

De Proof of Value maakte Microsoft Fabric direct tastbaar voor het interne team. In plaats van een theoretisch ontwerp werden binnen korte tijd werkende datastromen gerealiseerd. Hierdoor werd de waarde van het platform snel zichtbaar, nam het vertrouwen toe en kon de organisatie gefundeerd besluiten om op te schalen naar een volledig operationeel datawarehouse.

Wat maakt de aanpak van TeamValue onderscheidend?

De aanpak van TeamValue onderscheidt zich door de inzet van de TeamValue DataHub: een metadata-gedreven platform met standaard bouwblokken, governance en best practices. Hierdoor worden databronnen geconfigureerd in plaats van gecodeerd. In combinatie met structurele kennisoverdracht zorgt dit ervoor dat interne teams zelfstandig verder kunnen werken, zonder langdurige afhankelijkheid van consultants.

Hoe speelde het Microsoft-partnership van TeamValue een rol in deze samenwerking?

TeamValue is Microsoft Partner en werd door Microsoft Consultancy actief voorgedragen aan Hogeschool Windesheim voor deze opdracht. Die voordracht was gebaseerd op vertrouwen in de bewezen aanpak van TeamValue rondom dataplatformen en Microsoft Fabric. Voor Hogeschool Windesheim gaf dit extra zekerheid dat zij samenwerkten met een partij die inhoudelijk wordt erkend binnen het Microsoft-ecosysteem, met actuele kennis, best practices en ervaring. De samenwerking met Microsoft Consultancy en TeamValue vormde daarmee een belangrijke basis voor het succes van de Proof of Value en de daaropvolgende opschaling.

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Cases

Windesheim

How Windesheim University switched to Microsoft Fabric in record time

What seemed impossible at first became a reality in six months: together with Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, we created a completely new, cloud-based data warehouse in Microsoft Fabric.

Applied solutions

Data

Data Hub

Zwolle

In 6 months

to an operational data warehouse

100%

accessible from all relevant data sources

Configure

instead of coding through a metadata-driven platform

Who you gonna call?

The nomination by Microsoft Consultancy emphasized the trust in our approach. Due to the intensive cooperation with Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, expectations were far exceeded. The migration brought technological innovation and marked a fundamental change in how the team works with data.

The result

From Proof of Value to a fully operational, cloud-based data warehouse within 6 months.
All relevant data sources unlocked.
Metadata-driven platform: new data sources are configured instead of coded.
Through structural knowledge transfer, internal teams now work independently with the development standards.
Built on partnership rather than dependency.

About Windesheim

Windesheim University of Applied Sciences is one of the largest colleges in the Netherlands with offices in Zwolle and Almere. With over 27,000 students and 2,800 employees, the organization runs on many different types of data: from HR processes to test results, schedules, applications and more. For years, that information was stored locally. However, technical limits were reached. The need for a modern and scalable data structure was a high priority.

The challenge

Windesheim University of Applied Sciences worked with an outdated data warehouse solution. Managing physical servers took up more and more time and resources, while the need for up-to-date and reliably unlocked data only increased. On the advice of Microsoft Consultancy, a switch to Microsoft Fabric came into the picture. However, there were internal doubts: was this new platform suitable for the complexity of an educational institution?

At that time, Microsoft Consultancy brought the team leader at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences into contact with TeamValue. There was an immediate click, after which the possibilities of Microsoft Fabric were jointly explored.

Our approach

Proof of Value

To make the platform tangible, we started with a Proof of Value. In doing so, we used our TeamValue DataHub: a ready-to-use environment developed by us that allows us to connect data sources directly to Microsoft Fabric securely and in a structured way. Thanks to the pre-built data models, governance and best practices, we were able to build a solid foundation from day one. This not only gave the internal team immediate insight, but also provided an acceleration that was well above the original estimate. Thanks to our proven approach and intensive cooperation, the value of the platform became visible and measurable within a short time.

It soon became clear: the technology worked and the team at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences was good at using it. The proof of value was successful. This created confidence to scale up.

What followed was an exceptional pace

During the rollout, we worked closely together in short iterations via Windesheim University's scrum board. Transparency, clear working arrangements and reusable patterns meant that the pace was fast, without sacrificing quality. This gave the team control over progress and the opportunity to make strategic adjustments.

The acceleration was not only in our experience and knowledge of Microsoft Fabric, but mainly in the use of the DataHub. It includes standard building blocks and a metadata-driven architecture, which allows us to unlock new data sources very quickly and reliably. What was initially seen as a lengthy and complex process at Windesheim University of Applied Sciences resulted in fully operational data flows within six months.

Change that lasts

In addition to building the platform, we helped the team to think about scalability and reusability from a DataOps approach. Concretely, this meant setting up version control in the OTAP street, applying clear development guidelines and building generic solutions. This is how new technology was introduced that was directly embedded in the daily way of working. For Windesheim University of Applied Sciences, this was an important breakthrough: data-driven work thus became a continuous and scalable process.

From day one, the goal was clear: Windesheim University should soon be able to continue with this on its own. That's why we didn't work for, but with the team. Everything we delivered was in line with existing processes and existing expertise. With visible results: a solid foundation for independent development.

Continue independently

Windesheim University now has a future-proof data warehouse that is ready for growth, new data sources and changing data issues. The team has the knowledge, experience and structure to continue building independently. In addition, all on-premise systems have been completely phased out and everything is now running in the cloud. This not only provides flexibility and scalability, but also results in clear cost savings and easier management.

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Frequently asked questions

Who is Microsoft Fabric actually for?

Microsoft Fabric is a perfect fit for organizations juggling a variety of data sources that need a scalable, cloud-based data warehouse. In this case, the platform proved to be a real winner for a complex educational institution managing everything from HR records and test results to schedules and app data. It’s a particularly smart move for organizations currently stuck with an outdated on-premise warehouse that want to modernize without getting locked into relying on third-party vendors.

Why did Windesheim University of Applied Sciences choose Microsoft Fabric?

Windesheim University of Applied Sciences chose Microsoft Fabric for its seamless integration with their existing Microsoft ecosystem, the ability to manage data centrally, and the platform's scalability. On top of that, Fabric offered a modern, metadata-driven architecture that makes connecting new data sources a breeze compared to traditional data warehouse solutions.

‍

What’s the big win of kicking things off with a Proof of Value?

The Proof of Value made Microsoft Fabric feel real for the internal team right away. Instead of just a theoretical design, we had working data pipelines up and running in no time. This quickly highlighted the platform's true value, boosted confidence, and gave the organization a solid foundation to confidently scale up to a fully operational data warehouse.

What makes the TeamValue approach stand out?

TeamValue’s approach stands out thanks to the TeamValue DataHub: a metadata-driven platform packed with standard building blocks, governance, and best practices. Instead of writing endless lines of code, you simply configure your data sources. Combined with our focus on hands-on knowledge transfer, this means your internal teams can hit the ground running on their own, without being stuck in a long-term dependency on consultants.

How did TeamValue’s Microsoft partnership play a part in this collaboration?

TeamValue is a Microsoft Partner and was actively recommended by Microsoft Consultancy to Windesheim University of Applied Sciences for this project. This recommendation was rooted in their confidence in TeamValue’s proven approach to data platforms and Microsoft Fabric. For Windesheim, this provided extra peace of mind, knowing they were teaming up with a partner that’s officially recognized by Microsoft and brings the latest expertise, best practices, and hands-on experience within the Microsoft ecosystem to the table. The collaboration between Microsoft Consultancy and TeamValue served as a solid foundation for the success of the Proof of Value and the subsequent scaling process.

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