How did Ardian, a major private equity player, optimize its financial projections thanks to Devoteam?
Our mission was to develop a prototype on Microsoft Fabric, quickly demonstrate its value, then industrialize it on the Azure platform (Azure Functions, Azure SQL, ADF) and create a customized application.
The results speak for themselves: the calculation time for cashflow simulations was drastically reduced, from several hours to minutes or even seconds.
Want to know how? Watch our video!
The snapshot
1
Ardian sought to leverage cloud-based data solutions, specifically Microsoft Azure Synapse, to enhance decision-making and departmental collaboration.
2
Facing the challenge of new cloud infrastructure design and implementation, Ardian partnered with Devoteam for their Azure and data expertise.
3
Ardian and Devoteam developed data platforms for carbon emissions analysis and cash flow forecasting through a collaborative, iterative approach, significantly improving efficiency.
About Ardian
Ardian, a premier global private investment firm with partial employee ownership, manages $177bn in assets across Europe, the Americas, Asia and the Middle East for governments, institutions, pension funds and high-net-worth individuals.
The firm’s entrepreneurial approach focuses on supporting talented management teams in building sustainable growth companies. Ardian is dedicated to broadly sharing its success with investors, employees of portfolio companies, and the wider society. The organisation employs over 1,080 professionals and operates from 19 offices worldwide.
The Challenge: Navigating Data in the Cloud
In 2022, Ardian began exploring cloud-based data solutions. The company was implementing an initial cloud data infrastructure and sought specialised expertise in Microsoft Azure, focusing on Synapse. Ardian needed a knowledgeable partner to navigate the complexities of these new systems’ design, architecture, and implementation.
Ardian aimed to harness data and AI capabilities to strengthen decision-making and foster greater department collaboration. The company sought to develop sophisticated data platforms capable of managing critical functions, including carbon emissions analysis and cash flow forecasting.
The Solution: A Partnership Built on Data Expertise with Devoteam
Ardian partnered with Devoteam because of their expertise in Microsoft Azure, particularly with Synapse, and their understanding of data architecture and implementation. This partnership has extended over three years, during which we have collaborated on more than four projects.
“Devoteam had a head start on Azure topics, especially in architecture and implementation.”
Clément Perrin – Business Relationship Manager, Ardian
The initial major project was Air Carbon, where Devoteam assisted in creating a data platform on Azure Synapse Analytics. This platform was engineered to collect, process, and model carbon emissions data from airports.
In a more recent initiative, Ardian developed Foresight, a strategic project dedicated to modelling cash flow projections for Ardian’s funds. They began with a proof of concept (POC) utilising Microsoft Fabric and Power Apps. After the POC proved successful, they proceeded to industrialise it into a web platform. Devoteam provided essential support in modelling the calculation algorithms for this project. A notable accomplishment in the Foresight project was the reduction in calculation time for jobs from hours to mere minutes or seconds. This improvement was achieved through extensive code optimisation and implementation of scalable infrastructure.
A key performance indicator for Foresight is the number of funds under monitoring. During the POC phase, only four funds were modelled, but through collaboration with Devoteam, Ardian now monitors approximately fifty funds, with goals to expand to one hundred or even one hundred and fifty.
A notable accomplishment in the Foresight project was the reduction in calculation time for jobs from hours to mere minutes or seconds. This improvement was achieved through extensive code optimisation and implementation of scalable infrastructure.
The underlying motivation for these initiatives was to extract deeper insights from data to inform strategic decisions and enhance operational efficiency. The initial success of the Foresight POC clearly demonstrated the potential for significant improvements, paving the way for industrialisation.
The specific tools and solutions employed include Microsoft Azure Synapse Analytics for the Air Carbon data platform, and Microsoft Fabric and Power Apps for the Foresight POC, which later evolved into a web platform.
The Better Change
A solution that helps Ardian’s teams to model algorithms and optimise performance
Calculation time for jobs went from hours to mere minutes or seconds
Ardian now monitors approximately 50 funds
“Thanks to the partnership with Devoteam, we were able to improve decision-making and synergies between Ardian’s different departments.”
Cyril Ducq – IT Project Manager, Ardian
As a partner solution team, Devoteam helped ensure the solution remained flexible and appropriate by working closely with Ardian’s teams to model algorithms and optimise performance. Early indicators of success included the significant reduction in calculation times for the Foresight project and the substantial increase in the number of funds being monitored within the application.
Devoteam’s methodology involved a close partnership with Ardian’s teams. We followed an iterative approach, beginning with understanding Ardian’s specific needs and challenges for each project. For Foresight, this involved an initial POC phase to validate the concept before moving toward industrialisation based on the learnings and the success of the POC. The collaboration was built on a long-term vision, spanning over three years of working together and plans to continue building predictive algorithms using artificial intelligence.
