Working together on
microfinance and microinsurance
microfinance and microinsurance
BRS and the Filipino cooperative CLIMBS recently celebrated the first anniversary of their cooperation. That cooperation developed through telephone calls and online consultations, a short visit by the CLIMBS staff to Belgium in the spring, then even more online support, finally leading to a first on-site visit in the Philippines by the BRS volunteers. Kenneth Chua, Data Warehouse Manager of CLIMBS, and BRS volunteer Bernd Stienaers, head of the Data Insights Team at KBC, talk about their meeting in Cagayan de Oro City in June 2024.
Kenneth: “As a system developer at CLIMBS, I ran into problems processing our data for analyses. While we had a lot of data available, when someone asked me for a report, it was very difficult and time consuming to provide the right information. And often the numbers were too general or not exactly what the person asking for the report needed. Frustrating for all parties.”
Bernd: “As an organisation, you can store massive amounts of data, but to use them efficiently, you need a data warehouse system that systematically stores data over time. Only then can you start using the data. For example, you can compare the sales of February last year with the sales of February this year. And check whether a change that was implemented at a certain point in time is leading to better results. Now I’m not an IT person myself. But I know a lot about processes and I supported data teams. From there I assisted CLIMBS in setting up such a data warehouse system, together with Lieven Keppens of the BRS Institute and KBC volunteer Hilde Van Waelderen.”
Kenneth: “After a year of hard work, in June it was time to look at the results and present the data warehouse system to the CLIMBS management. Bernd explained to them in a very accessible way what it is, what problems it can solve and what is needed to make it work properly. This was an important moment for me because management understood that data management and processing not only concerns the IT department, but is a shared responsibility.”
Bernd: “That’s why we also talked to employees from the various departments. They too have to understand what this new system is delivering to them. And that it can only work if they enter all the data in their systems correctly. That is to say: completely and unambiguously. Names and terms, for example, must be understood and input in exactly the same way across the departments.”
Kenneth: “And when requesting a report, they must name the data as specifically as possible. Only then can we provide useful figures.”
Bernd: “It was great to see how this insight developed at the various levels. For me, that confirmed the value of our cooperation with CLIMBS.”
Bernd: “Throughout all this, I experienced the deep anchoring of the cooperative spirit among all the cooperative’s employees, from the highest to the lowest levels. The CEO doesn’t talk about more profit, but about a better quality of life for the members of the cooperative. In addition to their daily work, each employee also volunteers for the community. And a meeting invariably starts with the cooperative oath, which underlines their commitment to the benefit of the community.”
Kenneth: “As for me, it was special to hear how the BRS volunteers introduced the data warehouse system in very accessible terms. This really improved the mutual understanding between my department and the non-IT staff. Something I won’t forget!”
Bernd: “When I see where CLIMBS was a year ago and where it is today, I have to say: respect! To be clear, the lion’s share of all the work in this partnership is being done in the Philippines. BRS only provides advice and gives clarifications and support where necessary. Kenneth has got through a mountain of work over the past year and is now a real data warehouse expert himself!”
