Turbocharging Insurance: How NCS Slashed Batch Processing from 14 Hours to 3
Overview
Imagine your critical insurance reports stuck in a 14-hour processing jam, derailing your day before it even starts. This was the reality for a global insurance leader using their DQPro application on Azure. With costly server upgrades looming and delays crippling efficiency, NCS swooped in with a more brilliant plan: precision database tuning. In just one move, we slashed processing time from 14 hours to 3 and cut costs by 50%. This wasn’t just a fix—it was a game-changer.
The Challenge: The client was battling a triple threat
This wasn’t just slow—it was a productivity killer, hindering decisions and eroding client trust.
- Slow System Performance:
Massive tables lacked proper indexing, and tangled queries led to erratic execution plans, dragging the batch process to 14 hours. - Resource Drain:
Inefficient queries consumed excessive CPU, hinting at a costly solution—doubling server cores—risking a significant increase in Azure costs. - Operational Disruption:
Starting at 5 AM, the process bled into office hours, delaying critical reports and disrupting other applications sharing the data.
The Objective
Our mission was straightforward
Accelerate Batch Processing
Cut processing time to 3 hours, freeing up time for critical analysis.
Optimize Costs
Reduce Azure resource usage without sacrificing performance.
Ensure Scalability
Build a solution that’s future-proof, stable, and scalable.
Our goal? To transform a bottleneck into a competitive advantage.
The Approach
NCS didn’t throw more hardware at the issue—we engineered a custom solution to meet the unique needs of the insurance sector:
We used AI-powered tools like Query Store and First Responder Kit to analyze queries and workflows, pinpointing inefficiencies.
Rewrote inefficient queries to enhance execution speed.
Implemented smart indexes to accelerate data retrieval.
Preprocessed key data to lighten the batch load.
Right-sized compute resources to optimize cost efficiency.
We rigorously tested every change in a safe environment to ensure speed improvements and cost savings before going live.
Tools & Methodology: The NCS Edge
We utilized the best tools to solve this challenge:
Query Store
Gave real-time insights into query performance.
First Responder Kit
Streamlined diagnostics to pinpoint issues quickly.
SQL Monitoring
Ensured the system remained stable post-deployment.
The Payoff: Rock-Solid Results
Here’s what they walked away with:
466% Faster
Batch processing plummeted from 14 hours to 3, finishing before the workday began.
50% Savings
Reduced CPU usage, cutting Azure costs by half each month.
Uninterrupted Performance
No query timeouts, with a system designed for scalability.
Reports arrived on time, teams stayed productive, and budgets were significantly improved. As the insurer’s team shared, “NCS didn’t just fix our process—they gave us a competitive edge.”
Conclusion
The insurer’s DQPro team now starts each day with reports ready to go, allowing them to focus on data analysis and client priorities. By slashing their Azure bill by 50%, NCS didn’t just fix a slow process—we turned it into a competitive edge, providing speed, savings, and stability. A quick performance check could’ve identified the bottleneck earlier, but smart SQL tuning, not more servers, saved both time and budget. As data volumes grow and the industry embraces AI, NCS is ensuring this client stays ahead with regular assessments and predictive tuning, keeping their system optimized for the future.
We turn challenges into wins
Ready to optimise your Azure setup?
Contact NCS for a free performance assessment, and let’s make your systems soar.