Johannesburg, 14 May 2018
Hollard Namibia, the largest privately owned insurance group in the country, has contracted SilverBridge Holdings to implement a Microsoft-based business intelligence (BI) solution and enable it to extract meaningful insights from its data to help drive business strategy.
"Previously, Hollard did not have access to dynamic information, despite the wealth of data at its disposal. The SilverBridge approach focused on integrating both the people-centric and data-rich elements of insurance, which placed us in a strong position to assist them in taking the next step," says Kelly Preston, Data Analytics Manager at SilverBridge.
SilverBridge customised a dashboarding solution by using Microsoft PowerBI as a tool to fit in with the client processes and provide a real-time view of its business position. This meant decision-makers could focus on delivering unbiased insights by having access to trusted data in an efficient manner.
"We wanted to help transition Hollard to be more proactive in its decision-making process. As such, the project started with a strategic consulting session to ensure that the solution was aligned with the objectives of the business," adds Preston.
Data warehousing and modelling, as well as the design of the business intelligence (BI) solution were implemented through Visual Studio SSIS packages, Azure SQL, and Microsoft PowerBI. Frequent collaboration sessions were held with key members from Hollard to keep the solution aligned to the unique requirements of the organisation.
"Hollard now has a bespoke solution that is always available and provides real-time monitoring of its data. Information can be extracted as and when required, empowering the business to make better informed decisions instead of assumptions based on a gut feeling. The data warehouse makes sure no strain is placed on the production environment to maintain business as usual processes."
The reporting capability of Hollard has also been streamlined to provide the insurer with information designed to give them a competitive advantage.
"Without pertinent data/information, no strategic decisions can be made," says Francois Nel, Operations Manager at Hollard Life Namibia.
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