Johannesburg, 31 May 2011
Infinit Group Risk Solutions, a specialist Sanlam distribution company, has seen benefits - ranging from the consolidation of data and faster information searching functionalities to improved access to information - with the implementation of Profitbase business intelligence software and Microsoft SharePoint.
The project was completed by black empowered provider of high performing and secure ICT solutions, Datacentrix.
According to joint MD of Infinit, Jennifer Masterson, the company opened its doors in October 2007, projecting a growth of R192 million in annual premiums over a five-year period. In reality, Infinit made it to R100 million within its first 12 months of operation, and is almost on the R300 million mark, well ahead of projected figures.
“This exponential growth meant that we needed to expand our staff numbers, and so our IT needs also grew. We increased our staff count to 20 members, each with their own individual protocols for saving documents. For future growth and to meet promises made to its clientele and to Sanlam (which owns 50.1% of the company), Infinit therefore decided to invest in a robust IT system.
“Datacentrix won this contract based on its expertise levels, particularly within the desktop space, advanced after sales support, key clients and number of staff members. Sanlam, along with the Infinit board, took a keen interest in the selection of our IT solution provider, and we adhered to a highly structured due diligence process, the outcome of which led to our selection of Datacentrix,” she says.
Peter Norris, Infinit operations manager, explains that the organisation's business requirements for SharePoint were threefold - to consolidate folders on the shared drive, to combine information on Infinit's intranet, and to allow for a simple and fast searching functionality that would allow employees to access information within the company's more than 300 000 files.
“Prior to the implementation of SharePoint, we purchased and used physical files which are now no longer necessary. The cost saving realised on this side alone has already enabled us to pay for the new system.”
From a search perspective, Infinit has a far clearer picture of where the data resides. Information covering 100 000 lives can now be searched within seconds rather than hours. Not only this, but information from the company's Cape Town office has also been consolidated.
Infinit has also implemented SharePoint Workspace, a client application that provides fast, anytime interactive access to document libraries and lists on SharePoint, for consultants who are on the road needing access to the most current information.
“Prior to our implementation of Profitbase, Infinit was always more geared towards chasing up new business. We realised, however, that not only did we need to focus more on existing customers, but our management team also needed fast and regular access to business information,” Norris states. “The deployed Microsoft Reporting Services reports and dashboards provide concise and easy to use graphical information, making a way for Infinit to check on the overall status of the business, where all metrics can be seen and the current state of the business can be tracked against performance last year.”
“Profitbase allowed Infinit to consolidate different databases at the backend, meaning that the company can now run reports within seconds,” says Reinald Bormann, business development manager: Business Intelligence at Datacentrix.
“The data warehouse, which was built by Datacentrix within a week, consolidated Infinit's two existing systems and is now refreshed every hour with updated information. The company can now track its consultants more closely relative to targets, and information is always available to all employees,” he says.
Masterson explains that Infinit looked at what type of information each individual within the company would need in order to work more efficiently, and different reports can now be pushed to different areas of the business as well as individual teams on a daily basis. “Before the Profitbase rollout, we entered information into an Excel spreadsheet and are very happy to report that time and human error have now been effectively removed from the equation.
“We like the way Datacentrix operates,” she adds. “They work hard and they work fast and Infinit has certainly been proven right in our choice of partner.”
Says Ahmed Mahomed, Datacentrix CEO: “Datacentrix's focus on driving business value for clients through end-to-end technology solutions and its reliable, consistent service offering have allowed us to make a success of Infinit's project. Datacentrix will continue to make investments in critical expertise in order to remain South Africa's IT partner of choice.”
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