How Appian Is Integrating Data Silos with Data Fabric for Faster Case Resolution

By Raju Indukuri, Director of IT Programs, APV

With data volumes now doubling every two years, the friction caused by siloed information has become a primary cause of failures. Government leaders are caught in a "Modernization Paradox" and under intense pressure to deliver rapid AI innovation, even as budgets are consumed by the annual costs of maintaining decades-old legacy systems. Leaders are faced with disconnected data sources from legacy applications that contain critical data points for processing cases.

A core challenge in government case management is that a “case” rarely resides in a single system. Critical information is typically fragmented across multiple disconnected legacy databases that are costly to rewrite, difficult to integrate, and constrained by federal privacy requirements and the need to preserve decades of historical records. This forces agencies to operate in rigid environments where analysts manually move data between systems, slowing case processing and creating tension between the demand for fast, accurate public services and technology never designed for modern data or AI-enabled workflows. Compounding this challenge is a common misconception that modernization requires a massive, upfront data migration. “All-or-nothing” approaches often drive multi-year delays and cost overruns, when moving government data is frequently riskier and more expensive than modernizing how systems are accessed and used.

Leading agencies are shifting toward “zero-copy” integration, moving away from data relocation and instead focusing on making data visible and usable. By deploying a virtual data layer, such as Appian Data Fabric, over existing systems, agencies can provide case workers with a unified, real-time view of a case within a single interface, eliminating the need to navigate multiple disconnected applications. This reframes modernization from a risky data migration effort to a data visibility challenge, enabling progress without a full system replacement. Appian’s Data Fabric addresses “invisible data” through synced record types that scale to 50 million rows, codeless data modeling that relates records across disparate databases, and row-level security that ensures access is tightly controlled. Supporting both analytical and transactional workloads, the platform enables users to view and directly create, update, or delete data in legacy systems while maintaining real-time synchronization and automated performance optimization, eliminating “swivel-chair” workflows and delivering the 360-degree case visibility required for faster, more effective service delivery.

The transition to data fabric-based case management in 2026 will require a fundamental change in how programs are managed and measured. For effective implementation, leaders should consider the following:

• Wrap and renew, don’t rip and replace. Modernize complex legacy systems with an agile, low-code layer rather than pursuing high-risk full replacements.
• Build security from day one. Start the Authority to Operate (ATO) early by using FedRAMP-authorized platforms so compliance is foundational, not a bottleneck.
• Fund evolution, not one-time builds. Treat case management as a living product with continuous, modular updates rather than a fixed IT project.
• Choose speed over endless customization. Adopt low-code platforms to deploy in weeks, accepting guardrails in exchange for faster service delivery.
• Consolidate, don’t silo. Invest in a unified low-code platform that supports multiple case types rather than managing costly, mission-specific tools.

My perspective is that the next major bottleneck for government agencies will not be technology, but data governance and process design. While platforms like Appian can rapidly connect silos, lasting success will come from leaders who use that agility to fundamentally rethink how work is orchestrated across the mission. As agencies move toward autonomous processing, the low-code platform must be treated not as a series of tactical fixes or “better forms,” but as a permanent, living foundation for operations and future AI capabilities. Ultimately, success will be measured not by the number of applications delivered, but by how effectively agencies have liberated and governed their data to serve the mission in ways that were previously unimaginable.

Please contact us on emergingtech@apvit.com, for further information.