First Mutual Life (FML), one of the leading financial services institutions in Zimbabwe, has bought Hyperion Essbase and Hyperion Analyser from Global Technology Business Intelligence (GBI) in SA.
This investment reinforces an existing strategic partnership between FML and Global Technology, GBI`s holding company.
FML is a multi-faceted organisation with a wide range of products and services, including asset management and life insurance. Norman Sachikonye, CEO at FML, believes that in order to deliver value for money to policyholders, the organisation should manage available information effectively.
There are a number of diverse systems throughout the organisation, many of which do not interoperate, necessitating the implementation of one platform to integrate management information for analysis by the business. This ability to integrate information from multiple sources, the user-friendly nature of the solution, and its orientation towards empowering the business people were considered critical criteria by Sachikonye.
"This is a business-driven initiative, with business and IT partnering internally to ensure the enablement of decision-making for the benefit of the business," says Sachikonye.
The first project will be undertaken in Asset Management, and is expected to take less than three months, including training. Thereafter, the Life and Pensions business will implement its requirements, which will be defined by the business with the assistance of GBI.
"GBI is managing this process and collaborating with us to ensure the delivery of quality business models, information and reports within First Mutual Life."
Hyperion Essbase and Hyperion Analyser will also be used as a basis for supporting customer relationship management at FML, allowing for a holistic view of customers so as to understand and satisfy their needs, and to facilitate cross selling. In addition, the organisation intends to use this solution to provide information to manage its current manual performance scorecards, which are planned for automation in a later phase.
Marc Scheepbouwer, marketing director at GBI, summarises the significance of FML`s vision for information management across the organisation: "It is important that organisations differentiate between an initial business intelligence solution and an ongoing strategic initiative to build an intelligence foundation for the organisation."
First Mutual Life is planning to do exactly that.
Share
Editorial contacts