Business Intelligence Competency Centers: A Team Approach to Maximizing Competitive Advantage

Chapter 10. Cases from the Field

This chapter provides you with information on how some companies have set up their Business Intelligence Competency Centers, what their motives were, and what they think is important to focus on while implementing a BICC. Read about their experiences in the cases they have written to share with you.

Insurance, South Africa: Mutual & Federal Defines Business Intelligence Strategy

This case concerns Mutual & Federal (M&F), one of the leading insurance companies in South Africa. M&F provides insurance service to the personal, commercial, and corporate markets. It operates in the marketplace through professional brokers who are able to offer clients personal service and advice when purchasing policies and practical assistance in the event of a claim.

In 2003, M&F together with SAS embarked on a strategic program that was tasked to implement an enterprise-wide management information solution using the SAS Insurance Intelligence Solution. Ownership for this initiative was held at top executive level. A project management board met every month to monitor progress on this strategic program. The board members were all individuals from the general management team representing the business units of the organization. The first deliverable consisted of implementing analytical solutions. During the first phase of the project, M&F realized that, in order to make its focus on creating both the infrastructure for reporting and the environment for building a strategic ...