Enabling real-time global planning through cloud transformation
Modernising Games Global’s planning and reporting environment with cloud-based IBM Planning Analytics and seamless ERP integration.
Games Global is a leading global developer and distributor of digital gaming content, specialising in online casino games, including slots, table games and live experiences. Formed following the carve-out from Microgaming (previously part of Derivco), the business operates as an independent entity with a complex international structure spanning dozens of jurisdictions. With multiple legal entities across regions, each operating in different currencies and regulatory environments, Games Global manages a highly distributed financial landscape that requires robust planning, consolidation and reporting capabilities to support its global operations.
“Moving to the cloud didn’t just improve performance for Games Global, it fundamentally changed the speed and confidence with which the business can make decisions.”
Stuart Morris, Games Global Senior Finance Manager
Real-time reporting
Frequent data refreshes enable faster, more informed financial and operational decision-making across teams.
Cloud-based performance gains
Improved speed, stability and accessibility after moving from on-premise infrastructure to a scalable cloud setup.
Seamless system integration
Custom APIs ensure reliable data flow between Business Central and Planning Analytics across all entities.
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Games Global needed to establish an independent, high-performing planning and reporting environment following its separation from legacy systems.
After operating within the shared infrastructure of Derivco and Microgaming, Games Global faced the complex challenge of standing up its own fully independent planning and reporting capability. This required more than a simple system migration. The business needed to disentangle itself from legacy, on-premise environments that were constrained by performance limitations, downtime issues and limited accessibility. At the same time, it had to support a highly complex global structure, incorporating dozens of entities across multiple regions and currencies, while enabling accurate aggregation, consolidation and reporting. Additionally, the transition to a new ERP system introduced further complexity, requiring seamless integration between systems to ensure consistent, reliable and timely financial data. The goal was to create a scalable, cloud-based platform that could improve performance, enable near real-time insights and support faster, more informed decision-making across the organisation.
Rebuilding a global planning platform for a new era
The implementation centred on migrating Games Global’s existing IBM Planning Analytics model from an on-premise environment into a modern cloud-based architecture, while simultaneously re-establishing key data flows that were disrupted during the separation from legacy systems. Venn Cubed rebuilt and enhanced the Planning Analytics environment in the cloud using IBM Planning Analytics as a Service (PAaaS), transitioning users from legacy Perspectives to Planning Analytics for Excel (PAfE) and Planning Analytics Workspace (PAW) to improve usability and performance. A key part of the project was the redesign of the data integration layer, particularly the development of custom APIs to connect Microsoft Dynamics 365 Business Central to Planning Analytics, replacing the previous NAV-based data pipelines. This enabled more stable and scalable data ingestion into TM1, supporting a consolidated model of approximately 46 global entities across multiple currencies. In parallel, the currency conversion logic was centralised into a dedicated cube capable of handling more than 30 currencies, ensuring consistent financial translation across all reporting dimensions. Extensive testing across both development and production environments ensured data integrity, performance stability and a smooth transition to the new cloud operating model.
From delayed reporting to real-time decision-making
The impact of the transformation was immediate and material. Games Global moved from a fragmented, batch-driven reporting process to a real-time planning environment, with data refreshed frequently, available on demand and even at an individual entity level, instead of relying on a single daily update. This shift eliminated the long delays previously caused by sequential data transfers between systems and gave finance teams access to timely, accurate information when it mattered most. As a result, reporting cycles became significantly faster, operational efficiency improved and decision-making across the business became more responsive and data-driven. Beyond speed, the new cloud-based architecture delivered improved stability, reduced downtime and a far more scalable foundation for future growth, ensuring the planning environment could evolve alongside the business rather than constrain it.
