US Insurance Transforms Report and Log Management with Beta Systems

The challenges associated with this migration were significant. The CA View/Deliver systems functioned as a unified solution for both report creation and archival. CA View handled archival and viewing for both sysouts (technical logs) and business reports, while CA Deliver focused on defining report generation and distribution workflows. This tightly integrated ecosystem had been in place for years, making its replacement complex and highly impactful. Transitioning to Beta Systems’ solutions required rethinking how reports were defined, generated, and delivered to users while ensuring seamless continuity for thousands of employees who relied on these tools daily.

Adding to the complexity, CA View and CA Deliver “cut the cake” differently from Beta Systems’ solutions. Where CA products combined log and report management, Beta separates these into distinct solutions—Beta LogZ for sysout logs and Beta DocZ for business reports. The migration required not only data movement but also a fundamental redesign of how report definitions and distribution processes were handled across the company. This far-reaching challenge extended well beyond the scope of a technical migration and demanded organization-wide engagement.

The Insurance selected Beta Systems’ DocZ and LogZ solutions to modernize its report and log management infrastructure. The primary focus of the project was migrating from CA View/Deliver to Beta DocZ, addressing the organization’s critical reliance on report management while ensuring a smooth transition for its extensive user base.

Beta DocZ provided a robust framework for defining, generating, and distributing reports, effectively replacing the functionality of CA View/Deliver while offering enhanced scalability and efficiency. The transition involved reconfiguring report definitions, redesigning workflows, and training employees to adapt to the new system. This comprehensive effort touched nearly every department within Farmers Insurance, demonstrating the scale and complexity of the project.

Simultaneously, Beta LogZ was implemented to handle sysout logs, providing a dedicated platform for technical users in operations. While the migration to LogZ was more straightforward, it complemented the overarching goal of separating log and report management, creating a cleaner and more efficient architecture.

The migration from CA View/Deliver to DocZ posed numerous challenges. The customer had to reconcile the structural differences between the legacy and Beta Systems solutions while maintaining uninterrupted report access for thousands of users. This required meticulous planning and execution:

1. Report Redefinition and Distribution: The team redefined thousands of report workflows previously managed in CA Deliver, ensuring that Beta DocZ could meet the unique requirements of each department.

2. Employee Training: Since nearly all business users interacted with reports in their daily work, a company-wide training program was essential to familiarize users with the new system and workflows.

3. Seamless Transition: The migration needed to ensure that historical reports remained accessible while new reports were generated and distributed through DocZ without disrupting business operations.

Despite these challenges, the project was completed in under six months. The customer’s’ collaboration with CPT Global and Beta Systems ensured the transition was smooth, efficient, and well-supported.

The transition to Beta DocZ and LogZ delivered substantial benefits. For business users, DocZ provided an intuitive, scalable solution for managing reports, offering enhanced functionality compared to the legacy CA View/Deliver system. The separation of report and log management streamlined operations and created a more efficient architecture.

Farmers also achieved significant cost savings by replacing the legacy systems running on z/OS with Beta Systems’ solutions. The improved efficiency and reliability of DocZ enabled the organization to maintain its commitment to operational excellence while reducing costs. For technical users, Beta LogZ introduced a modern, high-performance platform for sysout log management, further enhancing overall system performance.

The decision to partner with Beta Systems was driven by several factors. The Beta solutions offered a robust, scalable alternative to CA View/Deliver while addressing the unique challenges posed by report and log management. Furthermore, Beta Systems’ strong track record within the client’s parent company, provided a valuable reference point. Compared to competitors like Broadcom CA, Beta Systems presented a more cost-effective and technically superior solution. The Insurance is now happy with a product that now uses only the IBM standard interface instead of having to use different interfaces.

Looking ahead, it is planned to extend the use of Beta Systems’ solutions to additional subsidiaries, ensuring consistency and operational gains across its organization. This case study highlights the transformative power of Beta Systems’ DocZ and LogZ in enabling the Insurance to modernize its operations, enhance efficiency, and meet the evolving needs of its business.

CPT Global is a specialist IT consulting services company with operations in Australia, North and South America, Europe and Asia. Listed on the Australian stock exchange (ASX:CGO), CPT is a trusted partner to clients navigating complex and critical IT and business events and has a proven track record delivering value for clients in their business terms.