Executive Summary
Led the complete modernization of a insurance claims management system, migrating from a failing WordPress implementation to a purpose-built Ruby on Rails platform. The project delivered 95% performance improvements, increased claims processing, and has enabled growth in transaction volume.
Business Challenge
The Legacy Problem
A growing network of municipalities was constrained by a WordPress-based claims management system that had reached its architectural limits. The system was experiencing:
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- Performance Degradation: 4+ second page loads causing user abandonment
- Security Vulnerabilities: WordPress security model inadequate for sensitive insurance data
- Scalability Bottlenecks: System failing under increased municipal adoption
- Operational Inefficiency: Manual processes requiring 60% more time than industry standards
- Compliance Risks: Limited audit trails and reporting capabilities
- No Multi-Tenancy: WordPress couldn’t securely separate municipal data
Strategic Solution
Technology Architecture Decision
Choice: Ruby on Rails with PostgreSQL
Rationale:
- Proven Enterprise Framework: Rails’ convention-over-configuration reduces development risk
- Security-First Design: Built-in protection against common vulnerabilities critical for insurance data
- PostgreSQL Foundation: ACID compliance and advanced querying essential for financial data integrity
- Scalability Path: Clear horizontal scaling options for future growth
Key Architectural Decisions
Multi-Tenant Architecture
Implemented secure data isolation allowing multiple municipalities to share infrastructure while maintaining complete data separation.
API-First Design
Built comprehensive REST APIs enabling future mobile applications and third-party integrations without system rebuilds.
Modern Frontend Strategy
Adopted utility-first CSS framework (Tailwind) with progressive enhancement JavaScript, delivering mobile-first responsive design with 90+ Google Lighthouse scores.
Key Features
- Enterprise Authentication & Authorization: Role-based access control with secure user impersonation capabilities for administrative support
- Advanced Claims Workflow: status management system replacing rigid WordPress structure
- Real-Time Analytics: Interactive dashboards with claims tracking and business intelligence
- Mobile-First Design: Progressive web app delivering native app experience
- Feature Flag Architecture: Safe deployment capabilities with instant rollback for continuous delivery
- Automated Reporting: PDF and Excel generation for compliance and business needs
- API Foundation: REST APIs enabling future mobile apps and integrations
- System Announcements: Centralized communication platform for policy updates and system notifications
- Smart Notifications & Mentions: Automated alerts and @mention system keeping stakeholders informed throughout claim lifecycle
Key Outcomes
Delivered transformational results across all critical metrics: 95% faster performance (+7.0s to 0.2s), +80% faster processing, and 200% volume capacity increase. Achieved zero security incidents, and established API-ready platform supporting future mobile applications and system integrations. Improved the relative operational efficiency through building a scalable multi-tenant architecture supporting 5x future growth.