CONTEXT

Business Sector: Services

Business Expertise: Data Analytics

OBJECTIVES
  • to boost business process efficiency against the context of activity growth – increasing processing capacity with no parallel resource consumption increase
  • to capitalize on knowledge to stimulate the dissemination of know-how
  • to develop business independence while managing current changes
SOLUTION
  • implementation of a data file anomaly detection tool based on the Drools open-source BRMS
  • a project rolled out applying the SCRUM agile method that encourages close collaboration between the business experts and the DSI
  • user guidance
RESULTS
  • optimized data quality and responsiveness
  • reorientation of work towards high value-added tasks
  • team member commitment and motivation
  • systematic documentation of control procedures

Our EURODECISION counterparts are highly qualified and their expertise transcends the BRMS context, so we had no qualms about involving them more extensively in the transformation of our processes so that we can benefit from their opinion on the organizational aspects of our projects.

François DANGUChief Information Officer of AAA-Data®

Over and above the ROI, BRMS were a platform for change for AAA-Data® … apart from gaining productivity these new technologies forced us to reconsider how we process information. By delegating the application of business rules to BRMS we are free to concentrate on their design and development to maximize the value we deliver to the end client.

Emmanuel LEPRATStudies and Statistics Director - AAA-Data®

AAA-Data®, the DATA AUTO expert since 1959, occupies the center-stage of the automotive sector thanks to its automobile consumption data expertise. The company’s business lines revolve around four key areas – automobile market statistics, direct marketing operation data and tools, primarily for the automotive sector, and paperless car registration. The company has been optimizing its processes at root level for a number of years to enhance its quality and performance.

In 2010, this exercise combined with the growing demands of its customers, prompted AAA-Data® to change the dimension of its data governance. It had a pressing need to find solutions to make the most of the knowledge base and boost the industrialization of data processing.

The AAA-Data® DSI thus proposed business rule management systems solutions as part of its innovation approach. The company decided to call on the advisory services of EURODECISION which is renowned for its technical expertise and acuity in understanding its clients’ business challenges.

The DSI took its time to define the scope of action, starting with a three-month feasibility study that occupied much of the business teams’ efforts. The upshot was the selection of a first low-key subject in the IS that represented high added-value for the company. The ORION project, dedicated to data control by the Quality Cell, was launched.

From the outset it was decided to roll out this project using the agile SCRUM method, which operates over short cycles and makes for transparency for users and cost control.

This was in keeping with the AAA-Data® intention to associate the Studies and Statistics Division (business) and DSI teams with the project from the word go. Furthermore, the project team was formed by paired AAA-Data®-EURODECISION developers supervised by a EURODECISION expert so that they would become competent then self-sufficient on the BRMS that affected core business subjects.

In very little time, the first ORION results were tangible. The system alerts enabled data correction practices to be systematized and standardized: thanks to the BRMS, the Quality Cell “detects more inconsistencies in less time”.

Over and above the initial aims, BRMS quelled the employees’ fears that the IT tool would replace them. Quite the contrary applies, as the solution enabled them to focus on higher value-added tasks.

The EURODECISION partners displayed real perception in understanding the company’s business issues. They came up with proposals at every stage of the project, building a climate of trust that was central to the operation’s success.

AAA-Data® decided to deploy BRMS in its core business on the strength of the results it achieved on the ORION project. MENSA, a second, more ambitious project, directly connected in the IS will automate the reconciliation of data issued from multiple sources with the baseline data.

These solutions are now used every day by the Studies & Statistics Division staff (of 25) that endorses them “with a year’s experience, the rules have become our file processing reasoning mode. Sheer delight!”