Event-driven document generation for an enterprise benefits platform

The Problem

A pensions and benefits administration platform serving major UK employers (including McDonald's) had document generation scattered across multiple manual processes.

The Situation

• Separated file feeds: Data arriving from different sources in different formats
• Console scripts: Manual execution of transformation processes
• Fragmented distribution: Separate paths for print services and email senders
• No coordination: Each step operated independently with manual handoffs

The platform was first-to-market in the benefits space (before competitors like PerkBox and PensionBee), but operational complexity was limiting scalability.

The Need

Consolidate disparate processes into a single automated workflow that could:

• Handle multiple data sources
• Transform data for document generation
• Coordinate distribution across channels
• Scale with enterprise client growth

Our Approach

We designed BizTalk as an event pub/sub hub to orchestrate the entire document generation pipeline.

Architecture Design

• Event-driven coordination: BizTalk acted as the central message broker
• Payload translation: Data transformed into StreamServe-specific contracts
• Unified distribution: Single workflow for print and email channels
• Automated orchestration: No manual intervention required

StreamServe Integration

StreamServe handled the actual document generation:

• Template-based document creation
• Multi-format output (print, PDF, email)
• Client-specific branding applied automatically

White-Label Support

The architecture supported approximately 10 enterprise clients with:

• Less CSS JIT compilation: Client-specific branding generated at runtime
• Feature toggles: Different functionality per client
• Document customisation: Branded templates per organisation

This was implemented before CSS variables existed, using Less CSS just-in-time compilation to generate client-specific stylesheets.

Outcomes

Process Consolidation

• Multiple manual processes unified into single automated workflow
• File feeds, transformations, and distribution coordinated through BizTalk
• Eliminated manual handoffs between steps

Enterprise Scale

• ~10 enterprise clients supported in beta release
• Major UK employers including McDonald's served through the platform
• White-label architecture maintained code quality across all clients

Operational Efficiency

• Document generation automated end-to-end
• Distribution coordinated across print and email channels
• Scalable foundation for client growth

Quality Foundation

The platform operated within exemplary Scrum practices:

• BDD using SpecFlow required as definition of done
• Full story point scale (1-100) for genuine complexity estimation
• Enforced definitions of ready and done

This project marked the first substantial architecture leadership role, establishing patterns for distributed systems thinking applied in subsequent engagements.