From SAS to Cloud: transforming a business data engineering team

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Transforming a SAS-oriented Business-Managed Apps (BMA) data engineering team into a cloud-based BMA data engineering team involves shifting from a traditional, often on-premises SAS environment to a modern, scalable, cloud-native setup.

This process requires careful planning, skill development, and technical migration while keeping the business’s ability to manage its apps intact. Below is a step-by-step guide to make this transition smooth and effective:

Step 1: Assess Current State and Define Goals

1. Inventory Existing SAS Workflows: Document all SAS-based processes, tools, and apps the team uses – data ingestion, ETL (Extract, Transform, Load), analytics, reporting, etc.
2. Identify Pain Points: Pinpoint limitations like scalability issues, high maintenance costs, or slow deployment cycles in the current SAS setup.
3. Set Cloud Objectives: Define what the team wants from the cloud – e.g., cost efficiency, real-time processing, easier collaboration, or integration with modern tools like AI/ML.
4. Engage Stakeholders: Involve business unit leaders and team members to align the transition with their needs, since BMA implies business ownership.

Step 2: Choose a…