French fintech modernizes its analytics approach with SAS^® Viya^®

As UTWIN’s insurance business grows, SAS^® Viya^® enhances efficiency and democratizes analytics among management, business teams and partners

UTWIN, a fintech startup in France specializing in borrower insurance, is making a name for itself through innovations in the digital subscription model. Its mission is to simplify the subscription process and make borrower insurance accessible to all by offering competitive, personalized insurance solutions. Its slogan? “100% digital. 200% human.” UTWIN is so committed to this approach that it created the UBOX simulator-comparator, which won the 2020 Argus d’Or award for innovation in personal insurance.

“Our business model combines strong expertise with a completely digital, fluid and easy journey, while preserving quality personal relationships with customers,” says Florence Vuillet, Data Director at UTWIN.

A large part of the expertise Vuillet is referring to is data. UTWIN was founded in 2015 and relied on SAS® Enterprise Guide® for data consolidation and analysis for years. But with a steady 20% annual growth rate, it outgrew that tool. In 2023, UTWIN decided to migrate to SAS Viya, which provides companywide access to data insights and data visualization for improved decision making – all while preserving UTWIN’s global data consistency.

Intensive data processing

“When I arrived five years ago, data processing was not carried out directly by UTWIN teams, which then only had about 20 employees, compared to more than 75 today,” Vuillet explains. “Aware that we needed data insights to grow, make better decisions and improve business performance, management recruited our first in-house data analyst.”

Today, the data team offers its services to management, business teams and UTWIN partners. To support decision making, the data team supplies key performance indicators (KPIs) that help senior leadership and managers make strategic plans for the company. From an operations angle, the team provides detailed follow-up with internal teams and partners.

Analyses and dashboards are set up in conjunction with users. “It’s important to understand what we’re doing, why we’re doing it and how it will help meet business needs,” Vuillet says. “A good data analyst must have an inquisitive mind. They must be able to understand the work of other teams and learn what can help them. They also need to understand what each field of a database corresponds to – for example, information relating to a contract, a customer, a premium or a claim.”

Analytics makes it possible to monitor KPIs specific to the world of insurance, such as the state of claims and the correlation with the premiums requested. As such, UTWIN works with its actuarial services and those of its insurance partners.

Analytics focused on data management

“Processing our data internally has made us more efficient because we have a better understanding of our portfolio and our past and present activities,” Vuillet says. “With this knowledge, we make more informed decisions.”

While more people at UTWIN have access to analytics, the data team remains instrumental in the company’s operations.

“Our data analysts ensure we get the most from our data and that we maintain the integrity of our data vision,” Vuillet says. “Any figure accessible within the company, regardless of management, comes from the same data repository and is in line with our global data vision.”

Continuing to grow

As UTWIN grows, the data team is looking for ways to open its analytical platform more widely to users while also preserving data consistency. The team is now exploring how UTWIN can use analytics to combat risk and fraud.

“Our move to SAS Viya represents a real leap forward in data visualization,” Vuillet says. “Now we can make analyses available to a wider audience without having to use third-party restitution tools, all while keeping the data analyst at the heart of the process.”