Case Study
RAK PSD Unified Data Lake
20+ Public Sector Departments, One Governed Analytics Platform
Overview
Executive Summary
Challenge
Over 20 departments reporting independently, creating data silos and slow, unreliable cross-department analysis
Solution
A Data Lakehouse on AWS Databricks with Medallion Architecture, Unity Catalog governance, and Power BI Copilot
Outcome
A unified, governed data repository with real-time operational insight in place of weekly manual reports
The Problem
The Challenge
RAK PSD comprises over 20 distinct departments — including Traffic Management, Waste Management, and Toll Management — each generating substantial operational data and reporting independently. This created data silos, inconsistent formats, duplicated effort, and cross-departmental analysis that was slow, unreliable, and manually intensive.
| Pain Point | Impact |
|---|---|
| Departments reporting independently | No single source of operational truth |
| Inconsistent data formats across departments | Inconsistent, hard-to-combine outputs |
| Duplicated data preparation | Wasted effort and rework |
| Manually intensive consolidation | Slow, unreliable cross-department analysis |
| Manual reporting processes | Weekly lag in decision-making |
Our Approach
The Solution
Qrestik implemented a Data Lakehouse on AWS Databricks, applying Medallion Architecture (Bronze, Silver, Gold) to progressively refine raw data from each department into business-ready, analysis-grade datasets. Databricks Autoloader handled incremental ingestion with automatic schema evolution. Unity Catalog delivered centralised governance, role-based access control per department, and complete data lineage tracking. Power BI Copilot and AI Visuals were integrated to enable natural-language querying and automated narrative generation.
Data Lakehouse implementation on AWS Databricks
Medallion Architecture (Bronze / Silver / Gold) refinement
Databricks Autoloader incremental ingestion with schema evolution
Unity Catalog governance, RBAC, and data lineage
Power BI Copilot and AI Visuals for natural-language insight
Transformation
Before vs. After
Before
- Data siloed across 20+ departments
- Inconsistent data formats
- Duplicated data preparation effort
- Slow, manual cross-department analysis
- Weekly manual reports
- No governed data foundation
After
- Unified governed data repository
- Standardised, business-ready datasets
- Automated incremental ingestion
- Department-specific Power BI dashboards
- Real-time operational insight
- Foundation for predictive analytics
Outcomes
Results & Impact
Waste Management Dashboards
Collection volumes, route efficiency, and incident tracking surfaced in real time for operational teams.
Toll Management Analytics
CCA transaction analysis, vehicle categorisation, and revenue visibility consolidated into a single view.
Violations Management Insight
Violation type, location, and processing-time analysis available on demand instead of in manual reports.
Unified Leadership View
Leadership across all departments now look at the same numbers at the same time.
Governed Data Foundation
Unity Catalog established role-based access, lineage, and governance per department.
AI-Ready Platform
The lakehouse established a governed foundation for predictive analytics in future phases.
Performance
Operational Improvement Metrics
Percentage improvements across key operational metrics
“Qrestik transformed how our departments share and act on data — what took days of manual consolidation now happens in real time. For the first time, leadership across all our departments are looking at the same numbers at the same time. — Director of Technology, RAK Public Services Department”
Impact
A Governed Foundation for Public Sector Intelligence
By consolidating 20+ departments onto a single governed Data Lakehouse, RAK PSD replaced fragmented, manually intensive reporting with real-time operational insight. The platform — built on AWS Databricks with Medallion Architecture and Unity Catalog — gives every department business-ready data while preserving strict role-based access and full lineage, and establishes the foundation for predictive analytics in subsequent phases.
Deliverables
Key Capabilities Delivered
- Data Lakehouse on AWS Databricks (Delta Lake, Unity Catalog, Autoloader, Delta Live Tables)
- Medallion Architecture (Bronze / Silver / Gold) data refinement
- Department-specific Power BI dashboards with Row-Level and Object-Level Security
- Power BI Copilot and AI Visuals for natural-language querying
- Centralised governance, RBAC, and complete data lineage
- Scalable foundation for predictive analytics and AI
Client
About RAK Public Services Department
RAK Public Services Department (RAK PSD) manages public services across the Northern Emirates through 20+ internal departments, including Traffic Management, Waste Management, and Toll Management. RAK PSD continues to invest in data and digital capabilities to improve cross-department coordination and citizen service delivery.
Partner
About Qrestik Technologies
Qrestik Technologies delivers data platform and analytics solutions for public sector organisations. Specialising in Databricks and Microsoft Fabric Lakehouse platforms, data governance, and Power BI, Qrestik helps government authorities turn fragmented operational data into governed, AI-ready intelligence.