Umbraco CMS Migration

Houlihan Lokey is renowned as the trusted advisor to more top decision-makers than any other independent global investment bank. They are dedicated to delivering superior outcomes for their clients, providing thoughtful, caring advice while acting with honor and integrity. With a strategic approach to growth, Houlihan Lokey is committed to creating lasting value for their shareholders. Houlihan Lokey approached Diagram to assist with migrating their primary website to a modern, composable CMS and incorporating new functionality with a focus on accessibility for their diverse audience. Plus, it needed to be completed quickly without an extended content publication freeze.

In the initial phase of the website development project, Diagram conducted a comprehensive analysis of various cloud-based Platform as a Service (PaaS) options. Our focus was to assess each platform's ability to integrate multiple software components seamlessly, known as composability, as well as the total cost of ownership (TCO) that would accrue over time. After an extensive evaluation process, we chose Umbraco CMS as the preferred platform. Umbraco stood out due to its exceptional combination of powerful features, high degree of composability, and cost-effectiveness, making it an ideal choice for laying a strong and scalable foundation that is primed to support the website's future growth and evolving demands. 

The development project harnessed an agile methodology, blending design, development, and testing into a unified, iterative cycle. This approach fostered the concurrent evolution of design aesthetics, content, and technical functionality, which in turn facilitated dynamic feedback and permitted real-time refinements. We initiated our journey with the deployment of core features, gradually introducing more complex functionalities in a series of phases. This strategy significantly enhanced our flexibility and adaptability to change.

In parallel, Diagram engaged in a meticulous collaboration with Houlihan Lokey's IT specialists to architect and execute a sophisticated, multi-tiered environment on Microsoft Azure. By utilizing the cloud's Infrastructure as a Service (IaaS) and pioneering a Continuous Integration/Continuous Deployment (CI/CD) pipeline, we crafted a strategic configuration. This infrastructure not only optimized the deployment process but also reduced the need for manual server oversight, while concurrently diminishing the errors frequently associated with rapid deployment cycles. 

With web accessibility becoming an indispensable facet for enterprise entities, this project offered an exceptional chance to fine-tune technical infrastructure and content creation strategies. We aimed to elevate web accessibility standards, ensuring a diverse, inclusive, and effortlessly navigable experience across Houlihan Lokey's digital platforms. 

In an era where data privacy is paramount, this website replatforming project allowed for an evaluation of data handling practices. This included implementing additional layers of user choice regarding data tracking and privacy, reinforcing Houlihan Lokey's commitment to safeguarding user information.