Background
Client
Tide Bank (United Kingdom)
Challenge
Analytics platform
Year
2019
The ask
In November 2019, Tide Bank’s analytics platform was critically underdeveloped and almost nonexistent. The infrastructure was little more than a basic link between transactional databases (MySQL and Amazon Aurora) and Looker for data visualization. This rudimentary setup couldn’t support the real-time insights needed across marketing, customer success, and business development teams to drive strategic decision-making.
Tide Bank needed to completely redesign their analytics platform and build a modern, cloud-based solution that could deliver accurate customer and marketing data to different departments in real-time. This wasn’t just a technical upgrade—it required architectural vision and hands-on leadership to transform their data infrastructure from the ground up. They needed a senior data architect who could both design the new platform and lead its implementation.
The solution
We conducted in-depth workshops with Tide Bank’s Head of Data and technical leadership to understand their current limitations, future vision, and the specific expertise required. The profile was clear: they needed a senior data architect with extensive experience in designing cloud-based analytics platforms, deep knowledge of modern big data tools, and the leadership skills to drive implementation alongside their internal team.
We sourced and pre-screened candidates from our network of senior data architects across Eastern Europe, focusing on professionals with proven track records in building scalable analytics platforms for high-growth fintech companies. After presenting shortlisted candidates, Tide Bank approved their selection within weeks. We handled all employment documentation, compliance requirements, and onboarding procedures. Our placed architect was integrated directly with Tide Bank’s Head of Data, given full access to their existing systems and tools, and positioned to lead the platform transformation. Throughout the engagement, we actively monitored performance, maintained regular communication with both the architect and Tide Bank’s leadership, and ensured the project stayed aligned with their strategic objectives.
The outcome
Our outstaffed senior data architect successfully designed and led the implementation of Tide Bank’s new real-time analytics platform, completely transforming their data infrastructure. Working closely with Tide Bank’s Head of Data and internal team, the architect built a sophisticated cloud-based solution utilizing latest-generation big data tools including Amazon ECS, S3 Bucket, Amazon Redshift, and an EMR cluster powered by Apache Spark, Delta Lake, Airflow, and dBt.
The new platform replaced the basic transactional database connections with a robust, scalable architecture that now delivers accurate, real-time customer and marketing data to multiple departments across the organization. Business development, marketing, and analytics teams gained the insights they needed to make data-driven decisions quickly and confidently. Our ongoing performance management ensured the architect consistently delivered to the highest standards throughout the design and implementation phases, ultimately handing over a production-ready platform that positioned Tide Bank for scalable growth and sophisticated data analytics capabilities.
