Central bank deploys data warehouse to enhance reporting and analysis capabilities
The challenge
In a rapidly changing macro-economic environment, central banks increasingly rely on timely and accurate data to guide policy and investment decisions.
To support deeper analysis and more flexible reporting, De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) set out to implement a bank-wide data warehouse providing analysts with greater access to historical and real-time information.
To succeed, DNB needed a robust way to extract, transform, and load large volumes of time-series data from multiple systems into its new data warehouse — quickly, accurately, and without adding manual workload.
“We selected the database and front-end tools, but lacked in-house expertise to obtain and process the data in line with daily reporting schedules. Back-dated transactions created significant delays — sometimes running into weeks.” — Robert Freund, Business Intelligence Analyst, DNB
The solution
As a long-standing SkySparc client, DNB turned again to the firm’s OmniFi platform and consulting expertise to design a scalable data-extraction framework.
Working closely with DNB’s business intelligence team, SkySparc:
· Developed a proof of concept and detailed solution design to automate extraction, transformation, and loading of time-series data.
· Configured OmniFi interfaces to run in parallel, dramatically accelerating processing and enabling next-day availability of data in the warehouse.
· Created intelligent routines allowing OmniFi to identify and process only affected trades in case of back-dated adjustments, reducing execution times from 100+ hours to overnight.
· Conducted workshops and training, enabling DNB analysts to extend and adapt extraction routines independently.
"SkySparc’s experience and expertise were integral to developing and implementing a solution that meets our current requirements and supports our future aims.” — Robert Freund, Business Intelligence Analyst, DNB.
The result
With OmniFi as a central data-management hub, DNB now extracts, validates, and uploads market, transaction, and valuation data to its warehouse efficiently and automatically.
Key outcomes include:
· Drastically reduced processing times for back-dated and complex data
· Automated audit trail tracking all revisions and uploads
· Improved data quality and availability for analytical and regulatory reporting
· Empowered users, able to build and maintain extraction routines without external support
"The implemented solution lets us incorporate new sources and cross-reference data from different systems. We’ve proved the concept works and are now exploring further integrations.” — Robert Freund, Business Intelligence Analyst, DNB.
OmniFi’s role as middleware between operational systems and the data warehouse ensures that DNB’s reporting infrastructure will remain resilient, upgrade-ready, and easily expandable as new requirements arise.
Quick Facts
· Automated extraction framework powering DNB’s data warehouse
· Back-dated processing times reduced from days to hours
· Parallel OmniFi interfaces enable next-day data availability
· Analysts trained to build new extraction routines independently
· Enhanced audit trail and cross-system data integration
De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB), the central bank of the Netherlands, is responsible for financial stability, monetary policy, payment systems and finance sector supervision. Under its domestic reserve management mandate, DNB handles over EUR 50 billion in investments across a wide range of asset classes. As a member of the Eurosystem of euro-zone central banks, DNB also manages the European Central Bank’s Japanese yen reserves and the euro reserves of certain non-euro central banks. DNB uses Wallstreet Suite 7.4 (WSS) to run its reserve management operations.
