The 10 Best Business Intelligence Solution Providers 2021 October2021

Hélène Clary Co-founder and Director of Sales

Telmo Silva Founder and CEO

Thepowerofdataforoptimizingprocesses,

enhancingcustomerexperiences,andscaling abusinesscannotbedenied.Butgiventhe mammothdataavailablewitheverycompany, processingthemforpowerfulanalyticstoimprove day-to-dayoperationsandexpandingcustomerbaseis impossibleforbusinesses.

Hereiswherebusinessintelligence(BI)solution providerscometotheaid.Theycollect,retrieve, process,andanalyzedatatomakeinformedbusiness decisionsnecessaryforitsgrowthandcompetitive advantage.Theyautomateinternaldataasperthe businessneedsandboostitsperformance.

Gonearethedaysofspreadsheetsandothertoolsthat companiesusedtostoreandanalyzedata.Today, businesshousesunderstandthebenefitsofdigital toolsandarepreparedforthemakeover.Making impactfuldecisionswithoutdataisdifficultina power-packeddataworld.Companiesareoutsourcing datatoBIsolutionsproviderswhosimplify complicatedtasks.

IncorporatingBIsoftwareisanintegralpartascompanies undergodigitaltransformations.BIsoftwareisthefastest growingsoftware.UsingvariousBItools,thesolution providersunderstandthecompany’sdataandsourceitinto asingleplatformbeforeanalyzingthemforbetteroutcomes andscalingbusinesses.

Bigdata,artificialintelligence,machinelearning,data warehouse,andanalyticsarebeingusedinabigwayto provideBIsolutionstoentrepreneurs.Soon,BIandAI wouldbeworkingintandemforeasy,quick,competitive, andaccuratesolutionstobusinesses.

ThoughthereisahugedemandforBIsolutions,thereisa dearthofskilledpersonsprovidingbusinessintelligence. Thosewhohavegatheredtheexpertisehaveestablished theirfootholdinthedomain.Wefeaturedfewsuch exceptionalBIsolutionprovidersinourlatesteditionof InsightsSuccess,The10BestBusinessIntelligence SolutionProviders2021.

Wearesurethiseditionwillopenthegatewaysof opportunitiesforBIseekers.Readthisinterestingeditionto learnaboutBI’ssignificance,developments,andadvantages intoday’sdata-drivenworld.

Haveanexcitingread!

Sumita Sarkar

Editor-in-Chief Sumita Sarkar Anish Miller Senior Editor Kelly, David Business Development Executives

Managing Editor Sherin Rodricks Business Development Manager

Abhishaj Sajeev

Assisting Editors Trishika, Vinayak

Visualiser David King Co-designer Art & Picture Editor

Art & Design Head Art & Design Assistant Mrunalinee Deshmukh

Rohil Shinganapurkar Paul Belin

Technical Head Jacob Smile Assistant Technical Head

Priyanka Rajage Marketing Manager Joseph D'souza Technical Consultants Pratiksha, Aditya, David

SME-SMO Executives Gemson, Renuka

Circulation Manager Tanaji Research Analyst Eric Smith

sales@insightssuccess.com

October, 2021

Ofce

Featuring Brief CompanyName

AbsolutData absolutdata.com

Antivia antivia.com

AUREUS ANALYTICSLTD. aureusanalytics.com

AnilKaul CEO

MarkHudson CEO

Absolutdata-anInfogaincompany,itsproducts,andservices deliverscalablebusinessimpactacrosstheenterpriseby combiningcuttingedgeAIandMLwithitsheritageinanalytical frameworks,businessunderstanding,andtechnology

Antiviabyinsightsoftware.comisabusinessintelligence(BI) softwarecompanythathelpsorganizationsrealizemorevalue fromtheirdatabygettinginformationintothehandsoffrontlinedecision-makers.

ClicData clicdata.com

CloverleafAnalytics cloverleafanalytics.com

AnuragShah CEO TelmoSilva

AUREUSisaCustomerIntelligence&Experiencecompany thatenablesInsurers&Agenciestodeliversuperiorcustomer experienceleadingtogreatercustomerretention,loyalty,and lifetimevalue.

Ducen ducenit.com

NeenerAnalytics NeenerAnalytics.com

SGAnalytics sganalytics.com

SIBIAAnalytics sibiaanalytics.com

Simplify360 simplify360.com

CEO

and

Founder RobertClark President

ClicDataisaleadingproviderofcloud-baseddashboard systemsthataredesignedtoimprovebusinessefficiency throughbetterreporting.

and

CEO VishRamesh Founder

CloverleafAnalytics’end-to-endinsuranceBIsolution improvesaninsurancecompany’sprofitabilityandreducesrisk byconsolidatingdataacrosstheenterpriseforadvanced analysisandcutting-edgevisualizations.

ASryasCompany.Ducenisatrustedtechnologysolutions providerthataimstoempowerFortune1000companies throughqualitysolutionsandservices.

JeffLoCastro

CEOandFounder SushantGupta CEO Angshuman Bhattacharya

FounderandCEO

RohitGupta

FounderandCEO

NeenerAnalyticsprovidesalternativeriskassessmentand marketingconversionsforLending,Insurance,Product Leasing,RealEstateTenantManagement,Marketing,Human Resources/Hiring.

SGAnalyticsisaleadingproviderofdata-centricresearchand contextualanalyticsservicesgloballytocompaniesacross BFSI,Media&Entertainment,Technology&Healthcare sectorsincludingFortune500companies.

SIBIAprovidespredictiveanalyticsanddecisionsupport solutionstoadiversesetofindustrychallenges.The customizableservicesarecuratedtosolvecorebusiness concernsthroughthemosteffectiveuseofbigdataanalytics.

Simplify360isanAIpoweredomnichannelcustomer experienceplatform,withasocialfirstDNA.

Hélène Clary Co-founder and Director of Sales

Telmo Silva Founder and CEO

Withtheconstantevolution oftechnology, entrepreneursarerealizing thattheyneedtobecomemoredatadriventostaycompetitive.

Impactfuldecision-makingwithout dataonhandisgettingcomplicatedby theday;thus,deemingitimportantto haveadata-drivengameplanifyou wanttobesuccessfulintoday’s market.

Whetheryou’rerunningasmallor largebusinessorlookingfornew opportunitiesinthemarket, understandinganalyticsiscritical.This iswherebusinessintelligencesolutions comeintoplay

Businessintelligencesolutionshave becomeacriticalneedfor entrepreneurs.Theyarejustas importantashavingtherightproduct andmarketingstrategiesifyouwantto succeedintoday’scompetitive marketplace.

The 10 Best Business Intelligence Soluon Providers 2021

TheideabehindBIisthatbyanalyzingdatacollectedfrom multiplesources,youcanmakemoreinformeddecisions abouthowbesttogrowyourcompanyanddevelop productsthatconsumerswilllove;however,many entrepreneursdon’tknowwheretheyshouldstartwhenit comestochoosingtherightBIsolutions.

Pertainingtothis,weatInsightsSuccesscameupwiththis edition–The10BestBusinessIntelligenceSolution Providers2021.Throughthiseditionwebringinto spotlight,exceptionalcompaniesthatstrivetodeliverthe bestBIsolutionsandtrulyempoweryourbusiness.

Featuringonthecoverofthiseditionisonesuchprominent playerintheBIsolutionsniche–ClicData,anext generationplatformforBusinessIntelligence,Data Warehouse,andAnalytics.

ThousandsofbusinessesaroundtheworlduseClicDatato connecttheirdatafromhundredsofsystemsanddatabases, createdataflowstomatchandcleansedataandtoperform analysisandproducedashboards.

ClicDataisa100%cloud-basedplatform,availablefor Windows,Linux,andMacOS,withanintuitivebrowser drivendesignandnoinstallationrequired.Itsinnovative architecturecanprovisionprivatedatawarehousesin7 countrieswithinminutesofcreatinganaccountand managesallsecurity,backup,andmaintenanceofthedata.

Theplatformoptimizesdatainverticalandin-memoryso thatitsreadyforanalytics.Byamalgamatingthe connectivity,loading,transformation,datawarehouse, visualization,andpublicationallinoneplatform,ClicData providesallthenecessaryfunctionsforanytypeof business,allowingforsmarterandfasterdecisionswhile maintainingasinglepointoftruth.

Inaddition,forthoseusersrequiringmoreadvanced functionality,thecompanyprovidesdirectaccesstothe dataforadvancedstatisticsandMachineLearningusing Python,R,andmanyothersviaitsAPIorDedicated Databaseoffering.

Withthebaseplatform,customerscanalsotakeadvantage ofotherfeaturessuchas:

Ÿ Alerts:Monitorkeyindicatorsandbealertedtowhen theycrossthresholdsbyreceivingadashboardoran email.

Ÿ White Label:IfcustomersareprovidingClicData’s platformtotheirclientstheycanmakeittheirownby enablingtheWhiteLabelfeatureandusetheirown colors,logos,andURLs.

Ÿ Data Stream:Pushdataouttothirdpartysystemswith ourDataStreammodule. Noteverythingisabout visualization.Sometimesisjustaboutpushingsmalland largedatavolumesfromonesidetoanother.

Ÿ Security:Ensurethatdashboardsanddataissecuredby teams,roles,andusers.Includedintheplatformisan extensivesecuritymanagementsystem.

Ÿ Embedded Visualization:Ourdashboardscaneasilybe embeddedintoanywebsite,portal,orapplication simplybyaddingalink.

Ÿ Mobile:OurfreetouseAndroidandiOSmobileapps canbeusedtoaccessanydashboardordashboardsin seconds.

Ÿ low-Code Data Entry:Insteadofembedding visualizationindashboards,embeddataformsin dashboards.Enterdataandimmediatelyseetheimpact onyourKPIs.

Alltheaboveadvantagesandmorearechanginghow ClicData’scustomersworkbycreatingmoreadvancedand interactivereportingandanalytics.“Traditionaltools, typicallysplitintoETL/ELTandDataVisualization,Editor andViewer,ClientandServerarenotabletoachievethe samethroughtheirnumberofinterfacesandscripts.And thisistherealkeyimpacttoClicData’scustomers,”says TelmoSilva,thefounderandCEOofClicData.

“

“

We provide direct access to the data for advanced statistics and Machine Learning using Python, R, and many others via our API or via our Dedicated Database offering.

ExemplaryExpertise

TelmoSilva—throughhisroleastheCEOandfounderof ClicData—hasbeenpivotalindrivingthecompanytowards zenithsofsuccessalongwiththeCo-founder,andDirector ofSales(Europe),HélèneClary

Telmo,havingexperiencedthepainsinsmallandlarge companiesofimplementinglocal,regional,andglobaldata centricsystems,mostlyinretailandpharmaceutical,sawan opportunitytotacklethisproblemthatevenafter25years, ‘BI’vendorswerestillnotabletosolve.

“Thechallengeofimplementingefficient,simple,andrapid BusinessIntelligencesolutionscompletewithaData Warehousewasapparent.Afteryearsofimplementing differenttypesofenterprisesolutionsandobservingthatthe end-userwouldstillgobacktospreadsheetexportswasa clearsignthatthesolutionisnotjustprettychartsand expensiveservers,”Telmoexpressed.

Thosechallengesinspiredhimtocreateaplatformwhere youcanconnectexternaldataandcentralizeitandprovide immediateaccesstoit.“Theconceptwasmoreambitious, asinsteadofdefiningdatamodelsandcataloguespreemptively,webuiltfixeddataflowinterfacesbetween systemsandscriptingormodellingtodescribedataflowsin

differenttools.Doingitallinoneplatformthatisawareof changestothedata,thatdoesnotpre-aggregatemetrics basedonpre-definedsetsbytheeditorsordevelopers,and thathasallthetoolsrequiredtonotifyuserswhendata changesbyimmediatelychangingdownstreamviewsand dashboards,wastheoutcomeweachieved.”

“Maintainingthedatalineageandbeingsmarterby knowingwherethedatacomesfromandwhereitgoesis partofthesolution.Theotherpartishowtomakeit availablewithinsecondsorminutesandhowtoscaleacross theworldandacrossalltypesofdataandconnectors,” Telmoadds.

Asexcerptsfromhisprofessionaljourney,sharingvaluable piecesofadvicetoentrepreneursaspiringtoventureinto theBIsolutionsmarket,Telmosays,“Donotbeafraidof thestatusquo. Companieswillalwayslookforsimpler, better,andfasteralternativestotheheavyduty,20-year-old playerssuchasTableauandPowerBI,Talendandeven olderInformatica,BusinessObjectsandCognos.Anewage ofworkersandmindsetwilllookformoreintelligent solutionsnottraditionalsolutions.So,iftheconceptis soundandvolume,security,andperformancearepartofthe offer,thendon’tworryabouttheothersthatarethere today.”

AsforHélène,sheisaseasonedMarketingandSales professionalwithmorethan20yearsofexperience.Shehas workedforpharmaceuticalorganizationsasBrandManager andProductManagersbeforesheco-foundedandtookover ClicData’sglobalbusinessdevelopmentandgrowth strategy

OvercomingAdversities

Talkingabouttheinitialchallengesthatheandhisteam facedduringthepandemicandhowtheymanagedto sustainoperationswhileensuringemployeesafety,Telmo says,“AtClicData,weworkwithourcustomersremotely, andsomeofourteamswerealreadyworkingfromhome evenbeforethepandemic,sofromalogisticalpointof view,theimpactwaskepttoaminimum. However,many membersofourteamdostillwantthesocialcontextofan ‘office’andthatpresentedaproblemnotonlybecauseof

differentrulesbyofficeregions(UnitedStates,Canada, France,India)butalsobecauseoftheever-changingrules.” “Assuch,duringthelockdownperiod,westrongly encouragedourpeopletoworkfromhome,wepurchased additionalequipmentwheneverneeded,westarteddoing MondayMorningMessages,whereTelmowouldbroadcast topofmindtopicsgoingonwiththecompanyorsimply justsharethoughtsonwhatwasgoingonplustipsondoing someworkbetterornewtoolsorevenwhatisinstorefor thereleases,”saystheteam.

OpinionsthatMatter

WeaskedTelmoforhisopiniononwhatimpacthasthe adoptionofmoderntechnologiessuchasAIandmachine

learninghadontheBIsolutionsnicheandwhatmorecould beexpectedinthefuture,towhichhesaid,“AIand MachineLearninghaveaplaceintheindustryfroma consumerperspectivespecificallyforthosecompaniesthat haveachanceofusingitinadynamicway Today’s challengewithML/AdvancedStatisticsisthatitremainsa verytopic-orientedsubject,requiringadeveloperwith strongstatisticalskillstocontinuouslybuildandproveor disprovemodels.”

“Indata,segmentation,trending,andpredictionareusedto forecastandmakeassumptionsastothefuturebutoftenwe seethatcustomersdonotvalidatetheoutcomeofthe modelsmonthsoryearsaftertheywereproducedandused fordecisionmaking.MuchliketherestofBI,MLneedsto

beembeddedinthedatamanagementandanalysisprocess inatighterwayandcan’tbetheseriesof‘one-offs’thatitis today,”headds.

TowardsaMoreIntelligentFuture

SharinghisvisiononscalingClicData’soperationsand offeringsin2021,Telmosays,“Weareplanningtoadd morefunctionalitiessuchasareportdesigner,aninsights dataplayground,DataFlow,asimplewaytomanageyour dataprocessing,morevisualization,morelow-codescreen dataentryandmoreautomation,andcustomization. Buildingagreatproductisourpriority.”

“Wearenowconcentratingouroperationswhereour ProfessionalServicesteamisclosertoourcommercial teamstobetterassistcustomersbyensuringtheyare pickingusfortherightreasonsandthatwecansolvetheir businessproblemsfaster.”

“WeareexpandingintoIndiaandLatinAmerica,wherea

asoursisidealbothfromacostperspective butafunctionalandregionaldataprotectionperspective,” concludesTelmo.

“

“

Anew age of workers and mindset will look for more intelligent solutions.

productsuch

Artificialintelligenceis impactingthefuturevirtually foreveryindustryandevery humanbeing.AIandMLhaveactedas themaindriverofemerging technologieslikebigdata,robotics, andIoT.Itwillcontinuetoactasa technologicalinnovatorforthe foreseeablefuture.Cloudtechnologies arebringinginmoreagilitytobusiness processes,whileAIandMachine Learninghavethepowertoinfluence businessoutcomes/decisions.

Theartificialintelligenceandmachine learningdrivenplatformworkswith datafromcarriers,agents,brokers,and MGAsthatallowsthemtoknowtheir clientsonadeeperlevel,predictwhat islikelytohappennext,andhelpthem actonthosepredictionsattheright pointintime.

The Right Technology to Grow your Business

AureusAnalyticsprovidescustomer experienceanalyticssolutionstothe insuranceindustry Thecompanyoffers customerintelligencesolutionstoits wideinsuranceclientbaseandenables themtodeliverthebestcustomer experiencethroughcustomerretention, loyalty,andlifetimevalue.Thisisdone byleveragingAIandMachinelearning technologiesanddeliveringactionable insightsinnaturallanguageatthepoint ofdecision.

Thesetechnologicaladvancementsare lookedafterbyAshishTanna,COO andCo-founderofAureusAnalytics. Inadditiontohisdeepdomain expertiseandanalyticsexpertise, Ashish’spassionforbigdataanddata sciencehelpshimdrivethecustomer experiencebusinessfortheinsurance industry.

EmbracingTechnological Advancements

CRUX-Insurance-specificAIpoweredplatform.AIplatformlearns andbuildsmetadataacrosscustomers. Areal-timeAIplatformthatuses predictiveanalyticsandmachine learningtoprovidebusinessand analyticsuserstheabilitytocapture datafromavarietyofbothinternaland externalsources.Theapplicationis availableacrossalldeviceform factors.Hence,itgivesanybusiness

usertheabilitytoaccessinsightsthat thesolutionproducesatanytimeand onthedeviceoftheirchoice.

TheAIplatformCRUXhasprocessed morethan65millionpoliciesforkey customersinIndiathatincludeSBI Life,BajajAllianzLife,TATAAIA Life,BhartiAXALife,andKotakLife.

SentiMeter®-Astandardizedmetricto calculatethecustomerexperienceand understandthesentimentofall policyholdersonascaleof0-100 acrosstheentirecustomerjourney. Aureus’sproprietaryalgorithm

SentiMeter®usesdeeptextanalytics andartificialintelligencetomeasure thecustomerexperienceinreal-time forallpolicyholders.TheAureus SentiMeter®solutionhelpsthecarrier defineessentialinsightsforeverystage ofthepolicyengagementworkflow

Predictivemodels-Predictthe consumers’behaviorinreal-timeand identifythenextbestactionfor policyholderretention,cross-sell,and up-sellopportunities.Thetypicaluse casespredictandidentifypotentially fraudulentclaims,improvecrosssell/upsell,andbuild persistence/retentionanalytics.

CustomerOneView(COV)-Single viewofcustomer’sentireportfolio throughoutthecustomerjourney.

Aureusproprietarypersonde-dupe logichelpscreateperson-levelrecords anduniquecustomeridentitiesby clusteringmatchingrecordsacross enterprisedatabases.

HouseholdAnalytics-Thepatentpendinghouseholdingalgorithm providesinsurancecarrierswiththe abilitytoviewandunderstandthe portfoliodynamicsatahouseholdlevel insteadofjustattheindividuallevel. Proprietarypersondedupinglogic, whichincludesarobustname matchinglogicandmulti-parameter matchingalgorithmtoidentify differentrecordsforthesameperson. Proprietaryaddressmatchinglogicfor Indianaddresses.

EruditeMentor

Ashish Tanna COO and Co-founder

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Aureus Analytics receives 2021 CT Entrepreneur Honorable Mentions Awards. ◆

◆

Aureus was featured in India's Dynamic InsurTech Map produced by The Digital Insurers in collaboration with India InsurTech Association. ◆

Aureus Analytics was named a Top Data Science Service Provider in India in 2019. ◆

Aureus Analytics included in Singapore's Top 10 High Growth Analytics & AI Startups with the Highest Funding.

AshishTanna,currentlytheCOOand Co-founderofAureusAnalyticshas previouslyoccupiedthepositionof VicePresidentatCBaySystemsIndia Ltd.,wherehewasmanagingglobal operations.Havingworkedin industriessuchasITES,healthcare, andsteelforovertwodecades,heisa seasonedentrepreneur,whohasstarted andexitedpreviousbusinesseswith success.

ExpertAdvice

AIandMLtechnologiestodaycan predictthebehaviorofacustomer, whichhelpsbusinessestoactin advanceandgiveasuperiorcustomer experience.Usingmachinelearning andArtificialIntelligence-driven models,Aureushasbeenabletohelp insurersreduceearlyclaimsbymore than50%,improveretention,and cross-sellby5%.

PiercingthroughthePandemic

Thebiggestchallengewastoensure employeesafetywithasmooth

transitionfromphysicalworking environmentstovirtualworkstations. Besidesalsomaintainingthebest standardsofclientservicesand businessdeliverableswithminimal disruption.

WithHRsupport,allemployeeswere movedtoworkfromhomewhile takingcareofalltherequired infra/supporttoworkefficientlyand servicetheclients.Keepingtheteam motivatedandvirtuallyconnectedwith weeklycatchupsessionswithdifferent agendas.

Atownhallmeetingwassetwithtop managementexecutivesatleastonce everymonthtosharecompany-wide updatesandconcernswiththeentire team.Finally,psychological counselingandtrainingsessionswith expertcounselorsweredonetoshare helpfultipsonhowtomanagemental andphysicalhealthindistressedtimes.

ValuableGuidance

“Iwouldsaythisisthebesttimeto startyourventureifyouhavean idea/product,whichsolvesabusiness problem.Todaytheentrepreneurshave afull-fledgedecosystemwherethe governmentishelping/creatingpolicies tofosterentrepreneurship,venture fundsareavailable,andtopofitthe availabilityofskilledresourcesand technology”,saysAshish.

“Keeppatiencewhilerunningyour ventureasitisgoingtotaketimeand youwillfacemanyhurdles.Always keepyourcostincheckandthinkfrom thecustomerperspectiveandthe differentiatedvalueyoucandeliver”, addsAshish.

JourneyAhead

AureuslaunchedtheDONNA (www.donnaforagents.com)platform

inApril2020.ThisAI-drivenplatform isfocusedontheIA(Independent Agency)marketintheUS.Sincethe launch,theplatformhasseenrapid acceptancebythemarketevenwith minimalspendinginmarketing.Within thepast14months,thecompanyhas onboarded70+agencies,1Carrierand 1AgencyAssociation;integratedwith 3ofthetop5AMSsystemsand processedmorethan$1.6Bof premium.Sinceitslaunch,theproduct hashad1majorrelease(DONNA2.0) andthelatestrelease(DONNA3.0)is currentlyinitsfinishingstages.

Currently,intheUS,therearemore than38,000agencies.Thiscombined withthecarriersrepresentsahuge marketopportunityforDONNA.The firmstronglybelievesthattheproductmarketfitisnowestablished,andthe nextphaseistoscalethebusiness significantly.

ForIndia,italreadyworkswith10-11 topinsurersanditsfocuswouldbeto godeepwithinexistingclientswhile focusingonacquiringnewlife insurers.

Aureus’ network analysis algorithm is able to connect customers based on multiple configurable parameters and traverse large datasets eciently.

Milestones and Achievements

Product Milestones:

◆ 15+ active insurance customers that are on the full commercial stage of business. Most of them working on multiple use cases and associated with Aureus for over 5 years. Focus Oerings include Sentiment Analytics, Customer One View, Predictive Analytics – Retention, Claims and Fraud, Cross-sell, and Advisor Analytics.

◆ 65Million+ policies processed for mid-sized and large insurers.

◆ Platform capability for large Enterprise Network, deployed for 300+ branch users.

◆ 100% Conversion from Paid POC to Production.

◆ Zero Customer Churn till date.

Aureus celebrated the 1st year anniversary of DONNA, an Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics Platform for Independent Agents. DONNA’s mission is to enable independent agencies to leverage vast data sets that they already own and deliver a superior customer experience to their policyholders.

DONNA is an example of how expensive and complex artificial intelligence technology, previously only accessible to large players in the insurance industry, is now available to agencies of all sizes. DONNA is integrated with leading Agency Management Systems, thereby eliminating the need for complex IT integration to get started.

Business Achievements

◆ 536.7 crore fraud saves through proactive identification using early claims fraud predictive model

◆ 37% reduction in early claims frequency for a large insurer within a year

◆ SentiMeter® has helped 600+ customer service representatives of a life insurance company improve customer interactions and experience they oer their customers

◆ Improved retention rates by more than 3% pts, cross-sell by 5% pts, and NPS by more than 30 points in less than 6 months.

Brand Innovations

From time to time, Aureus has collated the views of industry think tanks and published them with in-house expert and SME opinions. One of these eorts was Aureus Insights, an oine/online yearbook series featuring incisive views from senior executives across the insurance value chain.

Is

Automation Really the Answer for Businesses Post-COVID-19?

Theautomationtechnology,whichwasalreadybeing adoptedbymanylargecorporationsgradually worldwide,hasaccelerateditsgrowthduetothe COVID-19pandemic.Companiesthatreliedalmost entirelyonhumanlaborbecamevulnerableasaresultof theCOVID-19outbreak.Entirecompaniesandbusinesses hadtoshutdown,andthosethatwereconsiderednecessary hadtofacetheriskofspreadingthedisease.Productivity wasdown,unemploymentwasup,andtheeconomywas almostonthevergeofcollapsing.Thesefactorsledtothe increasedadoptionofautomationtechnology,whicheased thebusinessprocesses.

Whenitcomestotesting,tracking,andtracingthespreadof thevirus,robotsarecurrentlyassistingwithtesting, sanitization,surveillance,andmore,allwithoutputting anyoneindangerofinfection.Theyare,however,helping firmsgetbackintotheswingofthings.Evenwhen employeesarenotintheofficeorfactory,automationkeeps businessesrunningandensuresasmoothflowofsupply chains.Roboticautomationisexpectedtoplayasignificant roleinacceleratingmanufacturingprocessesandassisting post-Coronareboundeconomies.Robotswillalleviatethe presentlaboravailabilityissueswhilealsoenhancing precisionandimprovingquality

Althoughautomationisn'tnew,theneedtoinvestin, acquire,andintegratenewautomatedsystemsandservices hasneverbeengreaterthanitisnow Thekeytoour economicrevivalmaybeautomation.Let'stakealookat howroboticscanhelpbusinessesadaptandgrowinthe post-COVIDera,possiblysavingorcreatingnewjobsin theprocess.

ChangingPriorities

Companiesrealizedtheneedforroboticandautomated projectsevenbeforetheCOVID-19pandemic.Automation boostsproductivitywhileminimizingharmfulandtimeconsumingchores,benefitingbothfirmsandemployees. AccordingtoareportofMcKinseyGlobalInstitutethat wasreleasedinlate2017,automationwilldisrupt400 millionto800millionemployments.Recentevents, however,mayonlyservetoexacerbatethistrend.Evenif thereisn'tarecession,therateofautomationrises. AccordingtodatafromtheNationalBureauofEconomic Research,overthreerecessionshaveoccurredinthelast30 years.

Businesseslookfavorablyonautomationandrobotics—92 percentofbusinessleadersagreethattheyarenecessaryto surviveandthrive.Still,only51percentofbusiness processesareautomated,accordingtotheK2study With COVID-19affectingvirtuallyeveryindustry,companies havearenewedsenseofurgencytoacceleratethe Automationoftheirbusinessprocesses.

AdoptingAutomation

Automationboostsproductivityandmakestheworkplace saferandlesstedious.Duringeconomicdownturnsand timesofcrisis,automationsuffersthebruntofthedamage.

Mostcorporateleadersmayhavebeencaughtoffguardby COVID-19,whichforcedthemtoshutdownwarehouses, factories,andofficestoprotecttheiremployees.Thosethat hadautomatedsystemsortechnologyinplace,ontheother hand,wereabletomitigatetheeffectsoftheglobal epidemic.CouldtheeconomicdamagecausedbyCOVID19pandemichavebeenavoidediftheworkforcehadbeen moreautomated?

Yes,accordingtotheresearch.Todealwiththecurrent COVID-affectedreality,astaggering60%ofbusinesses saidtheyneedtoadoptnewwaysofworking.Almostthe samenumberofpeoplearehavingtroublemakingthe necessarychanges.Investinginfutureoutcomesmaygo

againsttheinstincttostayputandwaitoutthestorm,butit couldbeamissedopportunity.

AccordingtotheInternationalFederationofRobotics (IFR),thecostofrobotshasreducedandiscontinuingto decrease,allowingforwidespreaduse.SouthKoreanow hassevenrobotsper100workers,withChinaaccounting forone-thirdofallnewrobots.AccordingtoOxford Economics,Chinaisexpectedtoautomate12.5million manufacturingjobsby2030.Thisnumbercouldrise dramaticallyintheCOVIDera.

Companiesemphasizetheabilityto"respondswiftlytoany scenarioandreuseanycurrentproductionlines,"andasa result,theyareinthesearchforadaptableAutomationthat allowsthemtomaintaincompanycontinuity.

TheSynergyofHumansandRobots

Robotshavebeenasourceofconcernforworkersinthe past,withalarmistsforecastingcompleteautomationofthe workforceandwidespreadunemployment.While automationisintendedtostreamlineoperationsandsave costs,employmentthatdemandsanadaptableandcreative mindwillcontinuetoexist.

Manybusinessesareexperimentingwithwaystomix roboticsandmanpowertoimprovewarehouseoperations, suchasintegratingcollaborativerobotsintoDMS warehousemanagementsystems.Collaborativerobots typicallyhavelimitedcapacity,buttheycanbetaughtto carrypackagesswiftlyandeffectivelytoaprecisearea, whereahumansubsequentlyrunsaforklifttostockthe product.

Conclusion

Intimesofcrisis,theflawsofanon-automatedsocietyare alsoshown.Thisambiguityisparticularlycrucialinthe eventofaglobalpandemicwhensafetyprotocolssuchas socialdistancing,masking,andhandwashingare recommended.Robotsdonotneedtotakeprecautionsand canperformthingsthatwouldbedangerousforhumanson aregularbasis.Meanwhile,thoseemployeesmayfocuson safe,interesting,andadaptablework,allowingthemto workfromhomeorfromadistantlocationwhennecessary Buildingasymbioticrelationshipbetweenhumansand machineshelpskeepemployeessafe—andthecompany runningsmoothly—forthesereasons.

-Trishika Rokade

Architecting the Best Business Intelligence Solutions

RecentlythewordBusinessIntelligence(BI)has poppedoutfromthedictionaryofB2Bworld, whichisnowwell-knownintheB2Csectoras well.BIhasevolvedwithtime.BIisamulti-facetedword, itisanumbrellatermthatcomprisesdatamining,reporting, visualanalysis,datapreparation,statisticalanalysis,etc.BI eliminatestheinadequaciesinthebusinessandletsitadapt tothemarket.Ithelpscompaniestocreateacomprehensive viewofthemarket.

BIprovidessolutionstocompaniesbydeliveringthe presentandtheprecedingdatawithinthebusinessframework.Inthisfast-pacedworld,companiesaredependenton valuableinsightsfortheirgrowth.Lookingatthedemand forBusinessIntelligence,manycompaniesstartedtheir endeavor.

OnesuchcompanyisCloverleafAnalytics,whichis dedicatedtoprovidinganaffordableandend-to-end insuranceBIsolution.Inourquestfor'The10Best BusinessIntelligenceSolutionProviders2021',we collaboratewithRobertClark,CEOandCo-founderof CloverleafAnalytics,whereheshedslightonhiscompany's journey,itsservices,andthefutureprospectsofthe company.Followingarethehighlightsoftheinterview:

PleasebriefouraudienceaboutCloverleafAnalytics,its USPs,anditspositionasaleadingplayerintheBusiness Intelligencesolutionsniche.

Wearethefirstandonlyinsurance-specificBIprovider We competeagainstlargehorizontaltechnologycompaniesthat

We bring decades of insurance and technology expertise coupled with advanced machine learning to give insurers a fresh perspective on how to increase revenue, profitability, and reduce risk.

focusonmultipleindustrieswiththesameproductinstead ofbeingexpertsatinsurancedata.However,webring decadesofinsuranceandtechnologyexpertisecoupledwith advancedmachinelearningtogiveinsurersafresh perspectiveonincreasingrevenue,profitability,andrisk reduction.

Whatotherproducts/solutionsdoesCloverleafAnalytics offer,andhowaretheseimpactingtheindustryand yourclients?

Wecombinemachinelearning,predictiveanalytics,and otheremergingtechnologieswithourinsurance-specific datamodelinaplatformthatfeaturesdozensofcustomizablereportsandvisualizations.Oursolutiongivesinsurers thebestclearpictureofhowtoimprovecustomerrelationships,products,andinternalbusinessprocesses.Wegive insurersacompetitiveedgebyefficientlyunifyingdisparate

policyandclaimssystemscomprisingthousandsofdata pointsintoonedataplatformwithinweeks.Thishas enabledtherapidcreationofnewinsuranceprogramsand productsthathaveopenedthedoorfornewrevenuestreams thathadneverbeenconsideredbeforeusingCloverleaf.

Beinganexperiencedleader,sharewithusyouropinion onwhatimpacthastheadoptionofmoderntechnologies suchasAIandmachinelearninghadontheBIsolutions niche,andwhatmorecouldbeexpectedinthefuture?

AIandmachinelearninghaveacceleratedinterestinBI acrossmanyindustries.Astheseandothernewtechnologiesareusedtogether,Ibelievethesetechnologieswillbe intertwinedlikearope.Intheinsuranceindustry,weare nowapproachingapointwheretheindustryistakingAI, ML,andBImoreseriously Afterthelastfewyearsof havingnewinsurancetechnologyentrantsfromwithinand outsideoftheindustrylaunchinginnovativeproducts leveragingthesetechnologies,thetraditionalinsurerhas takennotice.

Unfortunately,priortoCloverleaf'slaunchingin2015,there weren'tmanyotheroptionsforinsurersthatwantedtobe aheadofthecurveotherthantryingtodoitthemselvesor applyahorizontalBIsolutionfromamulti-billion-dollar companythatdoesnothavedeepinsuranceexpertiseto derivemeaningfulinsights.

Takingintoconsiderationthecurrentpandemic,what initialchallengesdidyouface,andhowdidyoudrive yourcompanytosustainoperationswhileensuringthe safetyofyouremployeesatthesametime?

Cloverleafwasdesignedtomakethemaximumimpact throughthepowerofourtechnologyandindustryexpertise withouthavingtohiredozensofemployees.Thishas enabledustooperateleanwhilerapidlyscalinggrowth. Whenthepandemicstarted,weweren'tconcernedasmuch aboutourbusinessbutaboutifcarrierswouldrealizethat BIcouldhelpkeeptheirdoorsopeninthecurrentenvironment,wheretraditionalinsurancelikeautohasnotbeenin usemuch.

Sincethepandemicbegan,insurershavebecomeincreasinglyconcernedwithoperatingmoreefficiently,improving pricing,andcreatingnewproducts.Alltheseareasweren't infocusasmuchbeforethepandemic.So,smaller,and mid-sizedinsurerswerenotproperlypreparedforhowto growandincreasemarginswhenthischallengingtime began.

Robert Clark CEO, and Co-founder

About the Leader

Robert Clark is an insurance BI and advanced analytics expert, a successful entrepreneur, and a trusted senior executive respected by some of the top insurers in the world. In his 25+ years of insurance industry experience, Rob has served in technology leadership roles for AXA, including being a virtual CIO, and founded three successful technology start-ups, including Cloverleaf Analytics.

Throughout Rob's career, he has been an active advocate and partner of senior insurer leaders, helping to identify how to solve some of the insurance's toughest problems with his mastery of insurance data. Rob's passion for all things insurance gives him a unique perspective in this new decade to guide insurers in how the power of BI can give insurance intelligence and flexibility to meet rapidly changing insurance customer needs.

However,webelievethechallengesfacedduringthe pandemicareonlyasymptomofabiggerproblemthe insuranceindustryhadinbeinghesitanttousepowerful technologytotakeanhonestlookattheirbusinessoperationsandcustomerrelationships.Thestatusquocanbe comfortablewhilerevenueisbeinggeneratedandcashflow ispositive.

Today'senvironmenthasopenedtheeyesofinsurance executivestorealizewhethertheirbusinesswasalready strongorlikeahousebuiltwithabadfoundationduetonot havingahandleofhowtounderstandthedatainan insurancecarrier

IntermsofCloverleaf'soperatingmodel,wealreadyhada structurethatencouragedouremployeestoworkremotely Thishasbeeninplacesincedayone,andsotherewasn't muchpivotthere.Wherewehavebeenimpactediswhere almosteverycompanyhasbeeninthepastyearandahalf withthelackofin-personengagementatannualtradeshows tomeetcustomersandprospects.

Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintotheBIsolutionsmarket?

Beinganentrepreneurrequirespouringyourheartandsoul intoyourcompany,employees,customers,partners,and mostimportantly,yourfamilyastheysupportyouinyour venture.Surroundyourselfwithtalentedindividualsthatare excitedaboutyourcompany'smissionandthatcanplay multiplerolesintheearlydaysofyourbusiness.

Nowmorethanever,bemindfulofcashflowandprotectit withgreatfinancialdiscipline.Getoutandbeproactiveat in-personandvirtualindustryeventsandmeet-upsforlikemindedentrepreneurs.Findtherightmentor,someonewho hasdonethisbefore,toguideyouthroughtheinitialstartupyears.Lastly,havefunasthisisajourney,nota destination.

Howdoyouenvisionscalingyourcompany'soperations andofferingsin2022?

Wewillcontinuetoscalebybeingactiveinstrengthening relationshipswithinsurersacrosstheUSandbyexpanding ourpartnershipswithexistingrelationshipslikeGuidewire andlookingfornewalliancesthatcanaddvalueforthe insured.Additionally,wewillcontinuetodriveinnovation withourinsightsgleanedfromhelpinginsurersto strengthenoursolutionfeatures.

Jeff LoCastro Founder and CEO

The 10 Best Business Intelligence Soluon

Providers 2021

Neener Analytics

Enabling Financial Risk Decisioning with Superior Accuracy

Sincetheriseofthesocialmediaplatformssuchas Facebook,Instagram,Twitter,peoplearemore connectedtoglobaltrends.Previously,these platformswerethemediumsofcommunicationand explorationofpersonalviews.Talkingaboutthebusiness perspectives,theywereonlylimitedtothebrandawareness ofbusinessorganizations.However,theincreasingnumber ofsocialmediausersopenednewdoorsforbusiness.These platformsbecametheadvertisementboardsforthe companies,throughwhichtheywereconnectingtotheir audience.

Buttounderstandtheexactapproachofconsumers,itwas importanttoreadtheirminds.Thisnecessitywasfulfilled bysocialmediaanalytics.Inthisprocess,thecustomer's socialactivitydataiscollectedandusedtomakedecisions forthecompanies.Byanalyzingthisdata,companiescan selltheirproductsaccordingly

Realisingtheimmensescopeinthisfield,Neener Analytics,acompanyspecialisinginmediaanalyticswas formed.NeenerAnalyticsisspearheadedbyJeffLoCastro, theFounderandCEOofthecompany.

InaninterviewwithInsightsSuccess,Mr.JeffLoCastro sharedhisjourneyandfutureperspectivesaboutNeener Analytics.Followingarethehighlightsoftheinterview:

Jeff,Pleasetakeourreadersthroughyourjourneybeing atthehelmofNeenerAnalytics.

Thisanswercouldbeitsownbook!Butlook,wearea start-up.Andwearestillsmallbutgrowingfast.Iamnot

onlytheCEO,butIamalsothefounder.So,Iweara hundredhats.OneofthebestpiecesofadviceIevergot was,"Youhavetobeconstantlyreadytoswitchgears."So, onanygivenday,Iwearthehatsoffinance,bookkeeper, controller,HR,strategy,governance,productdevelopment, businessdevelopment,sales,pressagent,fundraiser,chief negotiator,teamaker,soothsayer,evangelist,andfortune teller

Constantlyswitchinggears,tryingtomoveseamlesslyfrom onedisciplinetotheotherandthenbackagain.Itisathrill everyday,andIdon'tknowhowtodoanythingelseexcept buildingthestuff.

Describeyourcompanyanditsproducts,whichaddress alltheneedsofyourcustomers.

Wehavecomeupwithasolutionfor1-clickAI-based financialriskdecisioningtechnologyusinghumandata;a regulatorycompliantAI-basedfinancialriskdecisioning technologyusingsocialmediaoranymediausedsociallyto helplenders,insurancecompanies,andallrisk-based businessestomakebetterdecisionsandunderstandspecific, individual,riskoutcomesforthin-file,no-file,andcreditchallengedconsumers.

Whatmakesyourorganizationapreferredchoiceof yourclientsoverthecompetition?

Therewasalwaysalotoftalkabout'BigData',and everybodycheeredit.Butbigdataisnotanewconcept.It's beenaroundforahundredyears,anditisprettybasicstuff. Butmostpeopledon'treallyknowwhatitis.Essentially, bigdataareaggregationsorbinsofmotivations,behaviors, oraffinities.Everyoneyouthinkwhoexhibitsthose motivations,behaviors,oraffinitiesgetstossedintothatbin.

Butwhatdoesitmean?Well,youarenotreallysure,soyou needmoreaggregationsandbinstotosspeopleinto. Basically,bigdataisthepracticeof,"Idon'tknowyou,but Iknowpeoplelikeyou."Whatahorriblewaytomakea decisionorformanopinionaboutsomeone! Infairness,bigdataisaperfectlyacceptablewaytomake, forexample,marketingdecisions.Butitisaterriblewayto understandauthenticoutcomes,especiallyfinancialrisk outcomes.Bigdata,byitsverynature,createsdisparate impacts.Therehadtobeabetterway.

Beforebigdatamodels,howdidpeoplemake(accurate) decisionsaboutotherindividualhumanbeings?Howdid mygrandfathergethisfirsthomeloanbackin1940?He justwalkedintothebank,saidhewantedahomeloan,and thebankersaid,yes,Iknowyou."Thekeywordsare'I KnowYou'.Buthowdidheknow?Thebankerdidn'thavea lifetimerecordofallmygrandfather'stransactions.Andhe didn'thaveacollectionofhiscompletepaymenthistory.

We are pioneering the idea that the consumer is their own data, and the consumer as their own source of data is the future of all consumer engagement.

Butheknewmygrandfatherwouldpayhimback.That bankerknewthisbasedontheconversationsandcommunicationshehadwithhimovertime.Heknewthisbyhaving listenedtohowmygrandfathertalkedaboutthethingsin hislife,hiswords,andhiscommunications,exactlywhat humanbeingsdowithotherhumanbeings.

Thisistheinnovation,exceptnotusingbigdata.Thisisnot sentimentanalysisorlikes&friendsorkeywordsor phrases.Wehavecrackedthecodeon Small Data And Small Data = I know you

Whatisyourideaofimpactfulleadership?Whatstyleof leadershipdoyoupersonallypreferandhaveimplementedatNeenerAnalytics?

Leadersdon'tleadbythemselves.Leadersleadpeople.So,I thinkthemostimportantjobofanyleader,andCEO,is buildingthatteamtolead;thepriorityisputtinggreat peopleintherightplacetosucceed.Greatleadersattract talentedpeopleandputtheminapositiontowin.

Idon'tliketoputtoomanyboundariesonpeopleandwhat wedo.Peopleshouldnotbeafraidtomakemistakes.When yourdailytaskisinnovationandnotcaretaking,ifpeople areafraidofyouatworststagnate,anddieoratbestmove super-slowandfallbehindanddie.

1.Hireonlypeoplethathavesharedvalues.I'dratherhave thesecond-bestplayerwhosharesourvaluesthanthebest playerwhodoesn't.

2.Givepeoplethefreedomtomakemistakes.Encourage failure(so-to-speak).Whenpeoplearen'tafraidtofail,they tryallkindsofcrazythings.

GiveyouropiniononDataScienceafterthepandemic.

WhatisatthecoreofwhatCOVIDexposed?Itexposedthe horrificnatureofbigdata'shistorical,transactional,and relational-basedcreditdecisioningsystems.Itexposedthe uglinessofthedefinitionofbigdata:"Idon'tknowyou,but Iknowpeoplelikeyou."

Itexposedtheclearneedforhuman-basedAIsolutions, individualdecisioning;SmallData,notbigdata,andthe clearneedtouseauthenticAI(notmachinelearning)tosay tosomeone,"Iknowyou.”

Whatwouldbeyouradvicefortheemergingand aspiringbusinessleaders?

I’llgivethesameadviceIalwaysgive–findsomethingto leadandleadit.Leadershipcanbepracticed.Yes,some peopleareinnateleaders,andsomepeoplearejustbetterat it.Butyouwillneverknowuntilyoustartpracticingit. Formagroup,joinaclub,learntoorganize.Dintwaitfor yourjobtodeliverleadershiptoyou.Doityourself.Andbe preparedtomakemistakes.

Whatwerethechallengesyoucameacrossinyour careerasabusinessleader?

Thisisahugequestion.Thiscouldbeanentirebook.But oneofthebiggestisfacingjusthowdifficulttochange otherpeople.AndIthinkitisbecausetheyareconditioned toavoidfailureortotalkaboutfailure.Changecanleadto failurebecauseitisabigunknown.Ifindthathugely frustratingandisadailychallenge(outsideofmy organization).

ExhibitingBrilliance

Chris Barry, Product Innovation Manager, FIS Global - "Neener Analytics is a FIS portfolio company. We invested because they are solving a fundamental problem faced by virtually every one of FIS's global customers: how to say yes to more borrowers without increasing their risk threshold. We hadn't seen anything like them before. They are receiving a ton of positive attention from internal lines of business as well as from our client base. Jeff LoCastro as a founder and CEO, is highly innovative, and along with co-founder & CTO Marc Thomlinson, CTO, we don't see a ceiling on where this could go.”

Mahesh Raghavan, Associate Partner, Digital Strategy and Innovation at Infosys - "We partnered with Neener Analytics because they have solved the most fundamental aspect of banking that is broken - assessing a person's financial risk. Current FICO-based models are backward-looking and do not enable lenders to really know their customers. Neener Analytics fills this whitespace bringing back a person's worthiness based on their unique characteristics and ability to pay in the future, and not a series of past payments like FICO does.”

Whathaveyouenvisionedforyourcompany'sfuturein termsofexpansion,theintroductionofnewservices, andtalentacquisition?

Wearereallypioneeringtheideathattheconsumeristheir owndata.Andtheconsumerastheirownsourceofdatais thefutureofallconsumerengagement.Wearecurrentlyin 11countries,andIseeusowningspecificmarketregionsin thenexttenyears.We'vealreadybuiltouttwoproduct lines,eachdeliveringfivedecisioningproducts.Wehave anotherlineslatedfor2021andareontrackforanewline eachofthenext5-yearswhilecontinuingtoexpandour decisioningcapabilities.

We'vebudgetedforglobalofficestoconnectbanks,lenders, insurancecompanies,realestatecompanies,andotherswith 4billioncurrentlyinvisibleconsumersglobally

Inthisfast-growingworld,technologyisontherise withaplethoraofinnovations.Asaresult,wecan experienceimprovementinthevariousindustries globally,throughadvancedtoolsthataredrastically improving.Soonerorlater,thenewandevolvingtrendsin technologywilldiversifythemarketingindustry The currentbackgroundofmartechaidswithagamutof marketingactivities,includingmarketingattribution, contentmanagement,andcustomerrelationship management.

Technologyhasmanagedtoprovidetheindustrywithevery essentialrequirement.Sofar,technologyhastransformed marketingbymakingcampaignsmorepersonalizedand efficientandhascreatedamoreintegratedsystemforthe customersandthemarketers.Newemergingtrendsinthe technologyinmarketinghaveinfusedtheinfrastructureand thesystemsonwhichthecompaniesarebuilt,givingvalue totheprocurement,andaddingtothebottomline.Martech hasintroducedengagingwaysbetweenbrandsand customers.Thisisthecrucialreasonwhymarketersrequire acorrecttoolandunderstandthefundamentalsof technologiestowardsthebusinessgoals.

Lookingatascenarioaroundafewyearsback,thiswasa criticaltasktoexecuteasmartechwasintheinfancyphase withfewtoolsavailableatitsfingertips.Themarketing

industryhadamassivedevelopmentwhenthe software-as-a-servicemodelwasintroduced.Later,CRM systemsdevelopedandincreasedtheirefficiency.Since then,manytoolshavebeenintroducedandcateredto diversecompanieswithvariousmarketingroles.Therapid growthofmartechempoweredmarketerstoautomate, enhance,andreorganizemanycharacteristicsoftheir day-to-daymarketingactivities.

Astechnologyupgradestonewzeniths,brandsareadopting newstandards,settingupcontemporarytrendswiththe customerswiththeirloyaltyandtransactionhistory.Itwasa challengingtaskbeforethesemartechtoolsexisted.Itisthe effectofthetechnologythatmarketerscannowlookatthe insightsanddatarelatedtoaparticularfieldprovidedby people,andmarketerscanseethatifthepeopleareclicking adsandgettingdistractedbyaninaccuratecalltoaction (CTA).

Withthisdata,marketerscanmaketherequiredchanges, observetheresults,gainefficiency,andimplementtheir marketingstrategiesaccordingly Also,theycancontinueto refineandpersonalizetheircontent.Themorerelevanttheir messages,theircustomersaregoingtoengageina conversation,whicheventuallycanleadtoagood connectionbetweenthemarketeranditscustomer.

Thetidewillsoonchange,fromsoftwaretoenhancedallin-onesolutionsthatwillempowernewtoolsand coordinatetheteamsaltogether.Martechisquicklycatching upwiththedevelopingbusinesses.Ontheotherhand, innovationindigitalmarketingtechnologyisontheclimb sharplyasframeworksandtechnologiesmakeiteasierto build,integrate,andoperateplatforms.

Codelessplatformsareontherisenow,whichisenabling non-developerstobuildandscaletheirsolutions.Thisisan accessibilityofthemartechwithenhancementsforthe innovativemarketingplatformswithadvancedfeaturesand progressivecapabilities.Freshmarketingsolutionsand platformspopupeveryday,asthesesolutionsarebuiltwith personalizationoptions.

Additionalusageofartificialintelligence(AI)andhigh-end automationplatformscangeneratethepreciseinformation anddatarequiredtoenhancethemarketingefficiencyand insightsontheoverallbuyingjourney.Thishelpsthe companiesmanageandfindoutwheretoputeffortsand whatwouldbetheoutcomeofacquiringnewcustomers.As thesesystemswillgetsmarterovertime,asanadvantage, theywillofferenhancedautomationthatmarketing

companiescouldapplyfortaskexecution,andmarketing professionalscanrectifythetoolsforthemarketinganalysis withcreativeandinnovativeexperiencesthatcandrivethe engagementandprovidevaluetowardstheprospectand customers.Itwillalsoprovidethemwiththefollowing capabilities:

Ÿ

Attribution:Theabilitytounderstandhowevery marketingandsalesinvestmentisimpactingcustomer retention,customervalues,andacquisition.

Ÿ

Real-timedatamonitoring:Observeeveryinteraction andactivityinreal-timeratherthanwaitlongerto generateappropriatereportstooptimizemarketing efforts.

Ÿ

Easycommunication:Marketingprofessionalscan speaktotheircustomersviaamediumorchannel throughanintegratedsystem.Thiscanreducetheefforts andtimerequiredforthisprocess.

Ÿ

Enhancedintelligence:Throughthenew,improved machinesthatcananalyze,summarise,personalize,and executetherightmessagetotherighttimeandplacefor theircustomers,marketerscanexecutethisprocessina brieftime,withimprovedaccuracy.

Ÿ

Improvedmonitoring:Withthesesystems,the marketerscanobserveeveryinteraction,canservetheir customersaspertherequirement,throughaneffortless process,withimprovedefficiencyandproductivity.

Thrustingtheconstraints

Withthemartechleadingthemarketingindustryintoa developmentera,itisforsuretoexperiencethelatesttrends andhigh-endtoolstoactandredefinethestructureofthe sectorsignificantlyovertime.

-Abhishek Joshi

SG Analytics

Theleadingbusinessintelligencesolutionproviders

catertotheirclients’requirementswithbetter planningandanalysisoptionsalongwithincreased accuracy.Thesecompanieshelptheircustomerswith increasedsalesforecastingandenhancedpricingandoffers.

Onesuchdominantcompanymakingamarkowingtoits dedicatedeffortsisSGAnalytics.Establishedin2007,itis aleadingproviderofdata-centricresearchandcontextual analyticsservices.

Inthefollowinginterview,wegettoknowthecompany’s journey,itsservices,itschallenges,achievements,andits futureplans.

Belowarethehighlightsoftheinterview:

Pleasebriefouraudienceaboutyourcompany,itsUSPs, andhowitiscurrentlypositionedasaleadingplayerin theBusinessIntelligencesolutionsniche.

Foundedin2007,SGAnalyticsisaleadingproviderof data-centricresearchandcontextualanalyticsservicesto Fortune500companiesacrosstheglobe.Headquarteredin Pune,thecompanyhasitspresenceacross7locationsin India,theUSA,theUK,andSwitzerland.

AtSGAnalytics,weunderstandourclients’businesses.We offerresearchandanalyticsservicesthatdeliverholistic ratherthanjustfunctionalsolutionstoourclientsacross BFSI,media&entertainment,technology,andhealthcare sectors.Ourcontextualunderstandingofourclients’ businessesanddataandsectorexpertisehelpsusprovide actionable,‘differentiated’insightstoourclients,which helpthemscalefaster.

SGAnalyticsisaspecialistinservicingglobalclientsin dataanalytics,businessintelligence,datascience,and engineeringspaces.

Foracompanylikeours,itisthemeaningfulmixofour brightestandbuddingtalentwiththatofglobal,multidisciplinary,seasonedexpertsthatbringtogetherbest-inclassexpertiseinanalytics,businessintelligence,data engineering,andvisualization.Ourexpertsnotonly developsolutions,butalsoconsumeandimplementthemto solvereal-worldbusinessproblems.

Wespecializeincreatinginteractiveuser-centric dashboardsbyimplementingbusinessintelligence expertise,therebyenablingourclientswithimpactful,realtime,andscalablesolutions.However,whatreallysetsus apartisthatweleadwithbusinessoutcomes:wetaketime tounderstandthebusinessgoalsofourcustomers,andthen applytherightsetofintelligenceandengineeringsolutions coupledwithbusinesscontextbroughtinbyateamof domainexpertstocreatecompellingbusinessoutcomesfor ourglobalcustomers.

Wehavebeenservingourclientsacrossseveraldomains includingBFSI,automotive,media&entertainment,and technologysectors.OurpartnershipwithaleadingUS media&entertainmentconglomeratewithaglobal footprinthasnowstrengthenedwiththesealofour excellenceindataanalyticsandengineering.Speakingof partnerships,werecentlyonboardedthelargesttechnology companyintheworldasourclientandwillbepartnering withthemintheareaofcustomizedreportingand visualization.

Wehaveremainedfocusedinsharpeningourcapabilitiesin thefieldofbusinessintelligenceandaredeterminedto strengthenourpositioningasthemostcompetentyet enrichedplayerintheBIsolutionsniche.

Whatothersolutionsdoesyourcompanyoffer,andhow arethesemakinganimpactontheindustryandyour clients?

Viswanath Global Lead for Analytics

Withbusinesseshavinganendlessstreamofunorganized dataflowingintotheirsystems,companiesneedtobuild strategiestocontroltheirdataandmarketitefficiently

That’swhereSGAnalyticscomesintoplaybycombining data,machinelearning,andsoftware&engineeringtobuild intelligentapplicationsinwhichourteamshavedeveloped authorityandexpertise.

Wecombinethisexpertisealongwiththelatesttechnology frameworksandtoolssuchasPython,Oracle,MySQL, Databricks,Informatica,MicroStrategy,Tableau,PowerBI, andD3.JSandcloudproviderssuchasAWS,Azure,and GoogleCloudPlatformtobuildanddeployrelevantdata analyticssolutions.

Weuseourcustomers’datalakesandcombinedatathrough MLandsoftwareengineeringtobuildintelligent applicationstoachievemonumentalchangeinspecific focusareas.Theyareourexpertswhocreateactionable insightsbyusingevent-baseddataandregulatereports, makingtheprocessrunsmoothlywithoutaglitch.

Weaimtohelpourcustomers/clientsevolvethroughtheir journeyofdigitaltransformationstartingfromincubationto thefull-fledgeduseofbusinessintelligenceandvaluedrivenanalytics.

Rajesh

Beinganexperiencedleader,sharewithusyouropinion onwhatimpacthastheadoptionofmoderntechnologies suchasAIandmachinelearninghadontheBIsolutions nicheandwhatmorecouldbeexpectedinthefuture?

BIhasbeenpartofeverycorporatediscussionoverthepast manyyears.Andyet,challengespersistindemocratizing advancedAIinsightsacrosslargesectionsofemployees.As newAI-poweredBIproductsemerge,siloswillbebroken, andeveryuserwillbeabletoleveragedataanalyticsand findinsightseasily

Simpleinterfaces,personalizedinsights,andengagingdata experienceswillbecomethehallmarksofdataanalyticsin 2021andbeyond.Wearegoingtoseesmart,intelligent storytellinginthecomingdays.

AIwillimprovedecision-making.BIisshiftingtoanew paradigmofadvanceddataanalyticswiththeintegrationof naturallanguage,naturalsearch,AI/ML,augmented analytics,automateddatapreparation,andautomateddata catalogs.Thiswilltransformbusinessdecision-making processeswithhigh-qualityreal-timeinsights.

TraditionalBIsolutionsgiveanswertothequestion“What happened?”byprovidingefficientanalyses.Today,modern BIsolutionsaregivingtheanswerfor“Whatishappening, whatwillhappen,andwhy?”Asanexample,adigitalnews companymaybelookingatadashboardthatgivesthe predictedtopicsandassociationsacrossvariouscustomer segments.

TheFutureofBusinessIntelligenceisn’taTool.Rather, organizationsarelookingforasolutiontosimplifytheendto-endworkflow-fromdataprepandgovernanceto visualization,delivery,andaction.Twoimportantthemes thatwillgainattentionareAugmentedAnalyticsand AutomatedInsights.

AugmentedAnalytics

Inthecomingyears,wewillbeabletoseeBIandAI workingtogethertocreateaugmentedanalyticsand augmenteddata.Augmentedanalyticswillhelpbusinesses toautomatetheidentificationofdatatypes,modeldata fromasource,andautomatesuggestions.Wearegoingto seemoresmart,automatedanalyticsworkflows,andnatural languageprocessingmakesitpossibleforallbusiness stakeholderstomakeconfidentdecisionsbasedondatadriveninsightsanddrivethebestpossibleoutcomes withoutrelyingonITordata&analyticsexperts.

ThecombinationAI&BIwillallowuserstocompletejobs withoutdifficulty,quicklyandeffectively.Conversational analyticswillgainmoreandmorepopularityandbereadily adopted.Businessuserscansimplyaskquestionsjustlike youwouldinanormalconversationandgetinstantanswers explainedinanaturallanguage.

AutomatedInsights

Inthecomingyears,storytellingwiththehelpofautomated systemswillbepopularandhelpbusinessesderivevalue outofthedatarapidly Automatedinsightsuseartificial intelligencetodynamicallyspotpatternsandtrendsinraw dataandthendescribethosefindingsinplainEnglish.Such solutionsauthorinsightful,personalizedreportsarounddata atscale.

Insteadofusersspendingtimedeterminingwhichinsights aremoreimpactfulfortheirbusiness,intelligentstorytelling willhighlightkeyfindingsforthem.Thesystemwillbe abletotrackchangesandbuildanarrativethat’sdigestible totheuser,pointoutkeyfindings,andmakeiteasyto deliverthroughplatformsthatareconsumedthehighest. AlltheBIproductproviderswilladdnewexciting capabilitiesinthisspace,andwearegoingtoseeenormous changesinthecomingyears.

Takingintoconsiderationthecurrentpandemic,what initialchallengesdidyoufaceandhowdidyoudrive yourcompanytosustainoperationswhileensuring safetyofyouremployeesatthesametime?

Thecoronaviruspandemichasbeenquitedevastating,atall levels.Everyorganization,smallorbig,hasfaced challengesinrunningtheiroperationsandmaintaining businesscontinuity Wehaveallbeeninthissituationfor

We understand our clients' businesses and offer research and analytics services that deliver holistic rather than just functional solutions

almostabout18monthsandcounting. AtSGAnalytics,we allmovedintoaWFHmodesuddenly,whichledtosome challengesinadaptingtoremoteworking.

However,intheanalyticsspace,sincethereisanywaya higherincidenceofindividualsandgroupsworkingfrom variedlocationsacrosstheglobe,thetransitiontoremote workingwasn’treallyachallengeforourteam.

Weadoptedmorecollaborationtoolstoenableseamless communicationbetweenteams.Ourexecutiveleadership teamhadregular,informalcatchupswithteamsacrossthe organizationtostayconnectedandinvolvedwitheveryone withinthecompany.Likeothers,theanalyticsteam membersenjoyedtheseinteractionsthoroughly Theyhad manylivelydiscussionsanddebatesregularly,andTeams andZoomhelpedalotthroughoutthisphase.

Gainingmomentumwasachallengeinitially,owingto technicalissueswiththeinternetandmanagingsystem issuesduringthelockdown.However,thesewereresolved overtimegivingwaytoaveryefficientremoteworking experiencefortheteamoverall.

Intimesofgreatadversity,SGAhasstriventoalwaysbe present,toalwaysbethereforitsemployees,itspartners, andeveryonewhoispartofourfamily.So,duringthe pandemic,facingthemostadverseofadversities,weknew wehadtodouble-downonourefforts.

Afundamentalaspectofouremployee-firstphilosophyis ensuringtheirsafety,bothphysicalandmental.Especially duringtheroughtimesoftheCOVID-19pandemic,our companyhasbeenproactiveinprovidingallourpeople withtheconnectionandnurturingthatishardtocomebyin suchtestingtimes.

HRleadership,forexample,activelyengagedinsocial mentoring,offeringconstantsupportandmotivation. Further,our‘ChaipeCharcha’initiativesawthesenior leadership,includingtheCEOandco-CEOthemselves, directlyengagingwithSGAites,listeningtotheirconcerns, addressingtheimportanceofsafetyandwell-being.

Indeed,data-driventhroughandthrough,webenchmark employeesatisfactionwithemployeeexpectationviaour company-wideannualEmployeeSatisfactionSurvey.The findingsaresharedopenlysothatsolutionsfor improvementcanbeidentifiedcollaboratively,nowin virtualmeetings.Becausethat,too,isfundamental. Transparency,thefreedomtoexpressyourself,let'snot

forgetthatasenseofcommunity,ofbelonging,issuchabig partofwhatconstitutesmeaningandwell-being.Before, SGAwouldregularlyorganizesportstournamentsand culturaleventstobolsterthatsense.

Thepandemicpresentedanunprecedentedchallenge.So, werespondedwithunprecedentedspirit.Wecelebrated festivals,heldyogaandmeditationsessions,tookbreaksfor coffee,together,online.Butwhat’ssupportifit'sonly suppliedatthebestoftimes?Intimesofdireneed,itwas movingtowitnesspeopleoffernotjustemotional,butalso financialsupport.Medicalexpenseswerepaidforbythe companyandourpeople.

Caregiverleavesweredonated.Onethingwasclear Withoutquestion,theemotionalbondweforgedduringthe pandemicwouldbetimeless.Atestamenttoour foundationalphilosophy.SGAisnotafirm.It'safamily.

Whatwouldbeyouradvicetobuddingentrepreneurs whoaspiretoventureintotheBIsolutionsmarket?

ThemarketsizeforBusinessIntelligence(BI)isatthetop amongthesoftwarecategories.

AsperGartner,globalrevenueofBIisexpectedtoriseto $22.8billionby2021andforeseesadditionalgrowthto $29.48billionby2022.Thebusinessintelligencemarketis boomingandwillcontinuetodosoasthemarketforBI solutionsgrowsastheoverallbusinessdynamicshave changeddrasticallyduetothepandemic.Itforesees additionalgrowthto$29.48billionby2022.Thebusiness intelligencemarketisboomingandwillcontinuetodosoas themarketforBIsolutionsisgrowingwiththeoverall changeinbusinessdynamicsduetothepandemic.

Hereareafewinterestingpointsworthconsideringfor youngentrepreneurswhoaspiretoventureintotheBI solutionsmarket:

1. Cloud-basedsolutions,increasingaccessibility,and steadilyimprovingbenefitsforusersaresomeofthe mainfactorsdrivingthegrowthofthebusiness intelligencemarket.

2. Datasecurityisandisgoingtocontinuebeingamajor concernforBIusersandprovidersinthenearfuture.

3. Thebusinessintelligenceindustrywilltransitionfrom traditionaltomodernwiththehelpfromML&AIand datascientistsarelikelytoexperienceroleshiftsbut willremainvitaltotheday-to-dayoperationofthis industry

Howdoyouenvisionscalingyourcompany’soperations andofferingsin2021?

Wearearesearchandanalyticsservicesproviderand continuetoremainsoin2021.Themarketisdefinitely challengingbutthenitiswideandlargeenoughforusto findourcustomerbase.Ourfocusisgoingtobehelpingour customersderiveinsightsoutoftheirdataassetsand improvebusinessoperationsandgeneratevaluefortheir clients.

Wewillemphasizeonhelpingtobuildcontextualanalytics solutionsthatareusefulandareconsumedbyourclient organizations.Certainprocessesneedtobelookedat regularlyinoperations.OurfocusisonutilizingMLto automatemanysuchprocesses.Plentyofsolutionsare availableinthemarketandmanyofourcustomersare usingthemtoo.

Ourgoalistogettheminsightsthatareundiscovered, increasethepossibilityofAItomakethedecision-making processsustainable.Ourfocusiscontinuouslyonthe followingkeyparameterswhiledevelopingandexecuting BIorAIsolutions:

• Businessvalue

• Easeofuse

• Agileandflexible

• Reducedtimetoinsight

Weaimtooperateatscale,andwewillconcentrateonthe company’scorecompetencies.Thisiswhereweofferthe mostvaluetoourclientsandcustomers.Themost importantaspectofourbusinessishiringprofessionally traineddatascientistsanddataengineers.Wearelaser focusedandcontinuetoinvestintrainingourgroupinthese skills.Todayisnotonlyaboutbigdata,butalsoabouta widevarietyofdatasources.

AboutRajeshViswanath

RajeshViswanathistheGlobalLeadforAnalyticsat SGA.Asanalyticscontinuestoevolve,SGA’smission remainstoprovideitsclientsstate-of-the-artscalable solutionsthatsimplifythewaytheymeettheirbusiness obligationswithoutburdeningtheiroperationalflexibility. Withnearlytwodecadesintheanalyticsindustry,Rajesh hasprovenknowledgeoflarge-scaleimplementationofBI andpredictiveanalyticssolutions.Heandhisteam designedanddevelopednumerousanalyticsandBI solutionsacrossdomains.Presently,heisservingglobal M&Egiantsontheirverycomplexandtransformative analyticsprojects.Aspartofhisjourneywiththeclients,he andhisteamworkedcloselywiththemforsuccessfully implementingBIsolutionsandgeneratingbusinessvalue.

Whatclientshavetosay SGAhelpedussaveasignificantamountannuallyby implementingML-basedautomatedclassificationtopredict remediationclassesbasiscontentofthecustomerfeedback. Automationofmonthlyandweeklyanalysisofkey businessmetricshelpedustaketimelydecisionsandsaved manualintervention.

Cross Platform Analytics Lead, Top American Television Network

SGAnalyticshelpedusintegrateandstreamlinethesales andmarketingcampaignmonitoringdataandcreateclear visibilityintosalesandmarketingeffectiveness,whichin turnhelpedachievehigherconversion.Turnaroundtimeto processsalesreportsacrossdifferentgroupsreducedby 50-60%andalsoresultedinlowersalesreportingcostby 60-70%.

Senior Director – Advanced Analytics, One of the leading news & business information services providers in the world