Data Migration

Standardizing Data Flow Across Digital Platforms

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Keywords: Data Platform Strategy, API Governance, Secure SDK Integration, Enterprise Migration, Cross-LOB Alignment, Scalable Data Infrastructure

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Situation:

A large financial institution initiated a platform migration to unify data collection and management across business units. Prior approaches to data handling were fragmented, with each team managing its own web, mobile, and backend systems using inconsistent tagging and API structures. To address this, the organization committed to migrating to a centralized platform built on Tealium, using a Universal Data Object (UDO) to standardize behavioral data collection across all channels.

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Opportunity:

The migration offered a strategic opportunity to establish scalable governance, improve data consistency, and simplify how data was shared and activated across the enterprise. A key part of the initiative involved resolving inconsistencies in API design, addressing SDK field exposure risks, and aligning platform teams on a common data model that supported long-term growth and compliance.

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Obstacles:

Challenges emerged due to differences in how teams handled APIs and SDK implementations. Some APIs exposed too many data fields, creating governance and privacy concerns. Others lacked the type safety needed to maintain data quality at scale. One platform integration, in particular, posed a high risk to the program due to lack of early engagement from the owning engineering team and misalignment in architectural approaches. These issues introduced integration risks, delayed critical approvals, and highlighted the need for structured intervention.

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Activities:

A cross-functional effort was structured to address platform-level concerns and align technical stakeholders on integration standards. The high-risk integration was identified early in program tracking, and technical documentation was prepared in advance to anticipate concerns and guide resolution efforts. Engineering and platform leads were brought together to define a common approach to type safety and field exposure. SDK and API implementations were updated to reflect stronger controls, supported by architectural reviews and reusable technical patterns. Structured working sessions replaced stalled communication and enabled consistent progress. Training and onboarding materials were created to support adoption across teams. Program-level updates maintained transparency into integration status and risk resolution.

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Results & Impact:

The migration enabled consistent, secure behavioral data capture across web, mobile, and backend systems. Key risks related to API exposure and type safety were mitigated through reusable integration patterns. These improvements accelerated platform adoption across business lines and served as a blueprint for future migrations. The institution established a scalable foundation for unified data governance, improved decision-making, and regulatory readiness.