Case Study
UST's cloud solutions enabled by Azure DevOps improve agility, code quality, and deployment speed for a pharmacy giant
OUR CLIENT
Our client is a global leader in retail pharmacy, health, and wellness, with a strong presence in the United States and Europe. Operating in nine countries, it manages a vast network of pharmacies offering prescription medications, health products, and general merchandise, alongside pharmaceutical wholesaling and distribution. With over $147 billion in annual revenue and a workforce exceeding 300,000, the company ensures efficient supply chain management across its operations.
THE CHALLENGE
Inefficient integration of legacy tools delays software delivery and hampers scalability
The client struggled with transitioning their fragmented CI/CD pipeline into Azure DevOps. Using Talend, webMethods, and Apigee, their current setup was inefficient, lacked automation, and required frequent manual intervention, leading to operational bottlenecks and delays. The infrastructure was complex to scale, and the lack of centralized control limited visibility over the development process, delaying issue detection and resolution.
Additionally, the absence of proper monitoring and feedback loops made it difficult to quickly identify performance bottlenecks, security vulnerabilities, or compliance issues. The client also required robust security protocols and strong governance to protect sensitive data and critical processes. To address these issues, they needed a fully automated, scalable solution integrated into Azure DevOps while ensuring minimal disruption to ongoing projects.
THE TRANSFORMATION
Unified Azure DevOps CI/CD pipeline accelerates cloud adoption, enhances collaboration, and improves deployment reliability
UST delivered a comprehensive cloud migration and master data management (MDM) solution using IBM tools, including MDM and DataStage. The solution was implemented in three phases: an assessment of data integration needs, seamless MDM implementation across the people and reference domains, and ongoing platform support. The platform was designed to be scalable, secure, and compliant with data governance requirements.
A key aspect was integrating the CI/CD pipeline via Azure DevOps, enabling a smooth transition to cloud-based MDM systems. This automation improved operational efficiency and ensured scalability as the client grew. UST also guided a top-down cloud adoption strategy aligned with industry best practices for data governance and security.
The client can now centralize and streamline MDM processes, ensuring consistent and accurate data across departments. They gained the ability to manage GDPR compliance seamlessly through automated consent management and replication. With a fully integrated CI/CD pipeline in Azure DevOps, the client now enjoys agile, secure, and scalable operations, improving their adaptability, time-to-market, and governance.
THE IMPACT
Streamlined CI/CD processes accelerated cloud adoption, enhanced collaboration, and improved code quality
Through automation and centralized visibility, the client overcame operational bottlenecks, enabling a more agile approach to software delivery and enhancing communication by breaking down silos between platform and software engineering teams. The solution also:
- Accelerated cloud adoption—facilitating smoother, faster cloud-based deployments by combining CI/CD processes into Azure DevOps
- Reduced manual interventions—enabled by automation capabilities, allowing teams to focus on higher-value activities, like innovation and problem-solving
- Enhanced visibility and governance—through centralized monitoring of CI/CD processes, enabling real-time feedback and faster identification of issues while ensuring regulatory compliance
- Improved deployment reliability and code quality—with automated testing, continuous integration, and continuous delivery within Azure DevOps, significantly reducing the likelihood of errors and ensuring more stable and consistent deployments
Ready to streamline your CI/CD process and improve efficiency? Connect with us to develop your cloud adoption strategy.