Parnasse-MAIF

Thanks to flows handled by DataStudio, Parnasse-MAIF improves management of its life-insurance products

It took several years for the MAIF subsidiary become familiar the ETL tool embedded in its software package for managing insurance products. But from the very first contact with DataStudio, the company was won over. Easy to use, cost-effective and reliable, DataStudio helped IT teams to access the software data more easily and to very quickly implement new interfaces to enhance the information system.

With insurance products going beyond the simple compensation for damages of an accidental nature, MAIF decided in 1984 to develop life insurance through a dedicated subsidiary: Parnasse-MAIF. Targeting primarily MAIF members, the subsidiary registered 430 million euros in receipts in 2007 and presently manages over 5 million euros of assets and accounts for 250,000 subscribers.

Gradual familiarization with the ETL
In agreement with the MAIF, Parnasse-MAIF built an Information system whose main activity is independent from the IS of the parent company, in particular because of the life insurance product management software package, MASTER i, published by Linedata services. An OEM agreement between Linedata Services and Data led to Parnasse-MAIF adopting DataStudio. ?But to be totally honest,? explains Eric Breuillon-Grisez, IT Systems Manager for Parnasse- MAIF, ?we did not have the time to work on the ETL embedded in the solution. We were all too busy handling the migration of subscribers' policies from the old to the new system.?

When the company adopted MASTER i in 2002, it automatically handed over the implementation task to the publisher, including the ETL part, and focused on migrating some 350,000 subscriber policies. The operation took several years and was finally finished in 2007. During these five years, Linedata Services used DataStudio to set up a data warehouse and several loading flows per activity: management, inventory, accounting, etc. At this point, Parnasse-MAIF already had different reports, such as for weekly receipts, to help monitor its business. These reports were produced using Business Object business intelligence solutions integrated into the overall solution that the company purchased when it migrated to MASTER i.

Once the work load let up slightly at the end of 2007, Parnasse-MAIF had the time to take an interest in the DataStudio ETL. ?By then we had taken care of migrating all policies and were thus able to free the resources needed to look at the peripheral solutions to the software package, in particular DataStudio. We gradually mastered the skills and, in the end, quickly had good command of DataStudio.?

An extremely positive effect on developers
Used to developing in COBOL, the Parnasse-MAIF IT team had some adapting to do when confronted with a market software package to manage life insurance products. ?Since the migration, we had more or less lost contact with developing. DataStudio won developers over immediately since it gave them a chance to get back in touch with developing and, more generally, it had a terrific effect on the IT teams.?

The DataStudio repository makes it possible, in fact, to immediately visualize the system's data as well as the associated processing. After only three days of training, the developers were able to begin designing new interfaces for loading the data warehouse.

Some of these interfaces provide for transmitting sales data to the IT system of the parent company; others for extracting, consolidating and formatting new reports. It only took the company a few days to set up seven new interfaces.

?We were novices when it came to ETL. Before, we preferred developing our own batch programs rather than investing in a tool, in particular because most of the ETL tools required an investment in man hours and we had none to spare. Apart from being so easy to learn, allowing for rapid developments and its great reliability, DataStudio offers an undeniable advantage for IT teams who are used to working with databases. Developers appreciate how easy it is to use since it's based on SQL language, and they also enjoy the possibility of working in teams with tools to manage project life cycles. These conditions considerably facilitate the control of the platform as well as its development.?

?It only took the company a few days to set up seven new interfaces.?

Since these seven first interfaces have been implemented, Parnasse-MAIF has continued to enhance its load flows. ?In fact, the current difficulty lies more in sorting through the projects suggested by the developers. They are so won over by the tool that they regularly suggest solutions using DataStudio to meet new user needs...? concludes Eric Breuillon-Grisez.

About Parnasse-MAIF

A subsidiary of the MAIF created in 1984, Parnasse-MAIF specialises in life insurance. The company thereby complements the line of products and solutions offered by its parent company and today accounts for some 250,000 subscribing members. In 2007, Parnasse-MAIF registered 430 million euros in receipts and managed 5.3 billion euros in assets. It currently employs 141 people.

www.maif.fr