From Unstable Storage To Up-To-Date Data: The QuoteWizard Story

No one wants to spend time comparing a bunch of insurance quotes. They just want to know they’re getting the right benefits for the right price. Period. They’d rather spend their time with their family, friends, and other things they love.

QuoteWizard was designed to do one thing: give consumers that peace of mind. By making it easy for them to compare quotes from different carriers, they make the insurance buying process simple. 

But, when we started talking to each other, we discovered they had a big problem. They had no peace of mind about their data storage infrastructure. Their approach to storage was putting their ability to serve their customers at risk. They needed a clear path forward and a long-term, sustainable fix. We gave them both. 

Outdated Infrastructure and Increasing Data Loads

QuoteWizard’s data storage infrastructure relied on SQL Server databases that were starting to atrophy. The custom reporting solution they developed kept failing as the data loads increased. It could not handle the expectations being placed on it by the company as the company continued to grow.

QuoteWizard understood that they could not continue relying on outdated technology if they wanted their customers to stick around. After all, their customers expected on-demand, 24/7 service. Frequent delays in answering their questions could lead their customers to drop them entirely.

Stuck with Outdated Infrastructure...and SQL Servers

Their outdated infrastructure was not fixable in a way that it could reliably deliver the service QuoteWizard consumers needed. It was created when QuoteWizard only sold one product. Yet, the diverse line of products the company now handled required a scalable solution to manage the company’s data needs as it continued growing.

QuoteWizard needed a data platform capable of delivering fast, reliable data 24/7 without any significant downtime. Any attempts to go in and modify the current architecture inevitably led to a cascade of other problems due to the rigidity of the outdated structures.

Furthermore, issues arose when they tried to build up support to move to a new cloud-based data platform. The company’s information culture made it difficult to push users beyond their reliance on the old way of accessing data. They had come to see the SQL Server setup as ideal. Attempts at adoption fell back to merely recreating the old way of doing things, rather than taking advantage of the full scope of infinitely scalable capabilities.

QuoteWizard’s Clear Path Forward

QuoteWizard chose Redapt because of our experience in building out cloud architecture. They knew they could not get through their transition to a cloud-based SQL Data Warehouse on their own. That’s where we came in. We incorporated data integration and advanced analytics into one Platform as a Service (PaaS) solution.

Expanded Data Capabilities

QuoteWizard’s new enterprise data warehouse (EDW) currently handles over 4 billion records, with more being updated and loaded hourly. It came into existence thanks to our in-depth knowledge of DevOps and cloud technology. Our teams worked together to map out the data that needed to be cleaned.

We placed the information into a star schema, allowing us to manipulate the data into the desired arrangement. Our team helped QuoteWizard create a data platform with increased dynamic capabilities. Data refreshes could now be done every hour, allowing for faster running of business processes while presenting users with the most current information.

Incorporating Business Intelligence (BI) to Enhance Reporting & Analysis

Having a faster, more responsive data platform gave them the power to leverage more information. With this information in hand, QuoteWizard could now create accurate, more visually appealing charts for presentations, giving them the tools they need to make more impactful business decisions.

We provided QuoteWizard with Power BI to use as their analytics tools. Our team also provided them with a series of customized reports for executives that matched the original reports that they previously relied on. Additionally, we made sure that the QuoteWizard staff had the access needed to create, customize, and publish new reports in the future.

Adding Power BI capabilities made the report creation process simpler for QuoteWizard. They can now create reports tailored to different individuals and business areas. We finished by providing them with thorough training to ensure the QuoteWizard team would be well prepared to take over report creation.

Positioned for Expansion

QuoteWizard modernized their data storage infrastructure through the Microsoft technology stack. We supported them in completing everything from data migration to integrating new visualization tools. 

They now has the freedom to make an impact and continue expanding their line of offered products. The one thing that continues to stand out for QuoteWizard in their alliance with our team is the array of technical resources provided to maximize their system capabilities.

Their new PaaS, including modernized reporting tools, allows them to be agile as they pursue new markets. The guidance they received from our partnership broke them free of their old way of doing things and put them in a position to handle vast amounts of data needed to remain competitive.

Redapt remains a valued resource, making sure that QuoteWizard has what it needs to stay confident in its new technology platform.

We would love to talk to you about your data storage infrastructure to see if there are ways that we can drive value for your business. Request a free consultation with a data storage expert today.