Engineering firm Shimizu has implemented the Denodo Platform to modernise the data infrastructure and increase data utilisation across the Japan-based company.
The goal is to ultimately improve operational efficiency, more effectively manage the rising cost of construction materials, and streamline compliance with updated regulations that manage overtime.
Shimizu adopted the Denodo Platform after a two-month POC, and the company took three months to build the system and begin operation.
The platform now enables departments within Shimizu to share data at the user (employee) level, while simultaneously improving data quality, freshness, standardisation, and data governance. The platform freed data from silos, facilitating data access across the company.
Also, the Denodo Data Catalog provides users with instant access to all data, from within a unified interface. By organising the data in this way, Shimizu has created a data infrastructure that is very easy for users to understand.
“The Denodo Platform made it easy for me to label data entities with sensible names, and this makes it easier for users to find the data they need,” said Yoshitaka Okazaki, group leader of the data management group at Shimizu’s information system department.
For Shimizu, the Denodo Platform reduced lead times for data-centric projects, which also saved cost. Standardised reporting reduced the burden on the head office and branch offices, and in-house development of reports saved substantial amounts that would have been spent on vendor services.
In addition, the Denodo Platform’s low-code/no-code development capabilities enabled Shimizu departments to create their own applications, reducing the burden on the company’s Digital Strategy Promotion Office.
Shimizu plans to extend its usage of the Denodo Platform, for example not only to make maintenance and construction data available as text, but also as images and in other formats.
“We are planning to utilise the Denodo Platform for 100% of our data,” said Takashi Handa of Shimizu’s data management group.
