Cisco Case Study

Overview

Cisco is a digital communications technology company that manufactures and sells networking hardware, software, telecom, and other high-tech services and products.
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Sigmasoft utilized its partnerships with Tableau and other technologies within the modern data stack to improve the extraction of data into usable, tangible, and relevant information while maintaining top-tier security across business strata. Sigmasoft has been providing developer services and operational technology services to Cisco for three years across various business functions and technology domains. Tableau is an interactive data visualization company focused on business intelligence, including relational databases, online analytical processing cubes, cloud databases, and spreadsheets.
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Cisco is a key strategic client of Sigmasoft ,and our knowledge of their relevant business processes, IT landscape, and technology services, paired with our technical expertise, made us the preferred partner for data integration and dashboard generation.

Digital Transformation

Sigmasoft engaged in technologies and partnerships: Informatica, Tableau, and Structured Query Language (SQL) to improve a variety of projects within the business systems of Cisco Corporation. These include Data Extraction Transformation and Load (ETL), Data Visualization, Lab Identity, Compliance Management, Digital Risk Assessment Reports (EDARE), Security Risk Posture (SRP), Vendor Security Assessment (VSA),and Operations, Governance, Risk Compliance (GRC), Science and Technology Outreach (S&TO), Modeling and Problem Solving (MAPS), and Zero Trust.   

Sigmasoft identified multiple entities of source data to develop the dashboard application. Using Informatica ,we could design database objects and map data extractions from upstream systems in ETL. We developed these transformations according to business needs and translated those data for easier visualization. We managed these manual uploads on daily and monthly periods. We implemented Change Data Capture (CDC) techniques to monitor any changes that can often occur at the database source.   

Sigmasoft designed, developed, and maintained Tableau harness metrics from data pools for easy access and understanding  and C-suite executives. These dashboard applications can  and data team interactions. The data visualizations help identify andanalyze data discrepancies and offer solutions to resolve them. Users and usergroups can be assigned permissions to organize project maintenance further.  

Sigmasoft offers periodic updates to improve dashboard function as new requirements emerge. Sigmasoft identified and sorted labs (study groups) based on a range of factors for analysis. We could ascertain where groups were active or inactive, in-scope or out of scope ,internal or external, compliance or non-compliance, and organize them for visualization across all business modules. Parameters such as LRT Non-Compliance, PIA Non-Compliance, VM scan statistics, and LRT/VM group categorizations were studied in this regard. Monthly and quarterly trends could be seen across group categories and for LRT/PIA. Easy visuals like a crosstab format make visualization of these groupings simple and desirable for the C-suite.  

Sigmasoft was able to discover a quarterly overall risk and maturity score (EDARE) and categorize sub scores over each business cycle. These quarterly trends could also be applied to users and sites for each business unit. A crosstab analysis of actionable risk creates a straightforward way to measure the risk score and current non-compliance factors at play. The tabular comparison of the visual data also offers remediation steps to return to compliance.   

Sigmasoft shows opened and closed cases for their resolution using Tableau. These are visually categorized by case type and incident and set in buckets based on latency to close. Again, the crosstab format allows these groups and cases to be analyzed easily by c-suite. This plays a hand in successful operations, governance, GRC, S&TO Modeling, and MAPS. Sigmasoft also employs Zero Trust ,an executive summary of all business applications at the highest level of categorization. We are able to categorize by both top N and non-top N and implement and update on a monthly timeline.

Business Impact

The Traditional Data Stack can often leave long recall times for specific questions and can overburden analysts with manual tasks when there is a more straight for ward way. Additionally, data can become vulnerable and needs to be kept secure.  

Sigmasoft’ s knowledge and implementation of Tableau of transformed Cisco’s data integration in several ways, making things more straightforward and accessible in the Modern Data Stack. 

Sigmasoft’ s deep domain expertise in security areas was also critical in Cisco’s organization across its global outputs. Overall, Cisco’s C-suite can now access its data pool with specific questions and filters to get needed information quickly to help make decisions

Client

Cisco

Partners

Informatica & Tableau

Tension

Business Systems analysis across departments can often lack cohesion and organization under the growing burden of massive data swamps and the added pressures of data security.