RGA’s Journey into the World of

Master Data Management

David Heilig

Rob Horner

December 12, 2014

Table of Contents

2

Who is RGA

How did we get here

Governance Process

Lessons Learned

Where we are…where are we heading

Who is RGA

3

A Global Life and Health Reinsurer

U.S.

Canada

U.K.

Australia

Japan

South Africa

Mexico

Spain

Hong Kong

Malaysia

Taiwan

Reinsurance Group of America, Incorporated (NYSE: RGA) is a Fortune 500 (274) company with

approximately $2.9 trillion of life insurance in force and assets of more than $40 billion. RGA is the second-

largest life reinsurer in North America and the third-largest in the world.

India

South Korea

Ireland

China

Poland

France

Germany

Italy

New Zealand

Netherlands

U.A.E.

Singapore

Turkey

Represents offices opened since 2001

RGA began as a division of General American Life Insurance Company in 1973.

Through 41 years of steady global expansion, RGA has grown to become one of

the leading life reinsurance companies with more than 1,500 dedicated associates

worldwide. RGA continues to seek opportunities for further expansion, leveraging

extensive mortality experience and insights gained in existing markets to the

benefit of new clients.

5

RGA was rated “Best Overall Life Reinsurer” in the 2013 Flaspöhler Survey

(Direct Writers Evaluate Reinsurers / Life N. A.) by cedants. This is the fifth

consecutive time RGA has been rated best overall in this biennial survey.2013 Flaspöhler Survey (Direct Writers Evaluate Reinsurers / Life N. A.)

In 2013 NMG Consulting studies, RGA was ranked #1 globally on the

Business Capability Index. In national studies, RGA was ranked #1 on the

BCI in the Canada, Hong Kong, Indonesia, Italy, Malaysia, Mexico,

Singapore, South Africa, Taiwan, Thailand and Vietnam markets.

2013 NMG Consulting studies

“Life Reinsurance Company of the year” by the 2013 Worldwide

Reinsurance Awards, sponsored by Insurance Day magazine

Recognized by A.M. Best’s Innovation Showcase for RGA’s Underwritten

Annuities solution in the U.K., featured in the January 2014 issue of Best’s

Review

“Best Life Reinsurer” by the 2014 Reactions North America Awards

Recent Awards and Recognition

The overall Information Management Organization supports many of the transformational programs

and corporate initiatives, as well as provides critical IT capabilities including Program / Project

Management, Business Analysis, Architecture, and Development (BI / IM, .Net, Mobile, Imaging,

others)

Over 80 Associates and

consultants / contractors

Utilize leading vendors like

Microsoft, ORACLE,

Informatica, Open Text

(Imaging), and others

Introducing newer technologies

and concepts (mobility, Big

Data, etc.)

Enhancing delivery methods

and processes

Building RGA IT brand thru

local groups, events, and

universities

Information Management Organization

Oracle is primary RDMS

Combination of .NET and Java AppDev

Informatica is primary data integration tool

Microsoft BI stack is primary BI/Reporting

IT Landscape

Overall Technology

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MDM Technology

Microsoft MDS 2012 (Master Data Services) is Enterprise MDM

solution

Profisee Maestro is user interface

Markit EDM is point solution for Investments MDM

Rob Horner is MDM Lead/Architect

2 MDS (Microsoft’s MDM solution) administrators

3 MDM Business Analysts

MDM at RGA

Organization

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Cost Model Budget is part of overall IT budget and is allocated back to all

applications

With the exception of Transformational projects, MDM is not a cost to each

project to make sure applications/projects don’t opt out.

How did we get here

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CFRi Project – Background

Prior General Ledger was implemented in 1998

It was heavily tied to the US based administrative system

CFRi was a $20 million project to implement an enterprise general ledger and accounts payable system

Integration point for 5 major administration systems, one valuation system, and investment entries

Plan and budget numbers also loaded over from two additional systems

52 different source systems listed in MDM

CFRI Project – Need for Data Governance

MDM was needed to master the chart fields

Book Code (12)

Business Unit (295)

Portfolio (487)

Client Company (2713)

Department (2946)

Account (4421)

Enterprise Key (224,702 reinsurance blocks)

Several hierarchies / trees built on top of the charts fields

Reference (Industry)

Country

Exchange Rates

Currencies

NAIC Company

Master (Simple)

Account

Business Unit

Client Company

Department

Portfolio

Master (Complex)

Enterprise Key

Mapping(Cross reference)

Account

Treaty Type

Business Type

...

Reference

(RGA)

Treaty Type

Reinsurance

Risk Basis

Age Basis

...

Key attributes of the business serving as reference data shared across

subject areas and systems (non transactional data).

Master Data Management – People, Processes and Technology for creating and

maintaining an accurate, current and authoritative view (single version of the

truth) of master data.

MASTER DATA

MANAGEMENT

Master Data Management

CFRi Project – Need for Software

Originally there was no plan for MDM software

After seeing a new hierarchy / tree was going

to require another table to house it, we

reconsidered

It wouldn’t be acceptable to require an IT

enhancement for a each new hierarchy

52 different hierarchies managed

66 different report basis managed

Governance Process

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MDM Website

Data Governance – Request Form Stats (2014 YTD)

279 Account Requests

37 Business Unit Request

245 Client Company Requests

220 Department Requests

149 Portfolio Requests

15,042 Enterprise Keys added

Data Governance - Process Blueprints

Data Governance – Process Blueprints

Data Governance – Process Blueprints

Data Governance – Process Blueprints

Data Governance – Business Rules

PEOPLE: MDM Organization

ED Finance/ VP Finance(Account)

VP, Asst. Controller/ VP Finance(Business Unit)

Director Reg. Reporting(Client Company)

Director(Client Company – Ultimate Parent)

ED, Expense Management(Department)

Business Analysts

ExecutiveSponsor

Data Stewards

Operations (Admin)

MDM Governance Council

Senior Managers /LOB Leaders

IT Functional Teams / Data Custodian

ValuationFinance

SEVP/COO

EVP/CRO

SVP Global IT

EVP, Global Accounts

VP, Asst. Controller

SVP, US COO

VP, Global Accounts

CFO/COO Canada

VP, Business Operations

SVP, Valuation

SVP, International

Claims

VP, International Finance

Technical Analysts

Esca

lati

on

s

Dir

ect

ion

an

d g

uid

ance

DataAnalysts

Marketing Other

Provides strategic direction and guidelines on Data Management policies. Resolves issue that can’t be resolved by Data Stewards

Responsible for supporting processes and data integrity rules for their assigned subject area.

Role / Person with the “hands on the keys” who has

the security and authority to use ERP transactions

which update master files. This role performs the

data maintenance

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Lead Data Stewards

• Gaps in Business

SMEs beyond the

Finance domain.

• That “Go-To” person

for each subject area:• Finance

• Legal

• Treaties

• Admin

• Investments

• Valuation

• Strategic vs Tactical.

Higher level than

day-to-day data

steward.

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Select

Entity to

Master

Governance

& Business

Rules

Define

Process

Implement &

Test

The backwards

movement is an

indication for

revisiting and

adjusting the elements

as more information

becomes available.

The steps must happen

in this order as each step

builds on the previous

one.

This model will be our

guideline for all sprints

so the work performed is

more easily managed

and as efficient as

possible.

Identify,

Prioritize &

Analyze

Attributes

The Data Mastering Process

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The Data Mastering Process

The Information Analytics team developed a repeatable process to identify data to

be mastered, how it will be used across the enterprise, and who will manage from a

governance perspective

Lessons Learned

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CFRi Project – Things to do Differently

Data Dictionaries Keep them up-to-date and in one spot

Don’t cut a new version on a monthly basis

Hurts system performance

Non-quarter months have little value

Traditional SCD in data warehouse is a much better way to go

Should have used the versioning to have a published model

Currently ETL and system read from an open model

Where we are…where are we

heading

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MDM Strategy

MDM Roadmap

Our MDM Roadmap began with Financial and Organizational data,

currently adding new assets like Investments, Customers, and

Treaties, and plan to add Claims and Valuation data.

• Financials (Ledger, Enterprise Key, Portfolio, Account, etc.)

• Organization (Business Unit, Department, Client Company)

• Quote Attributes (Quote Type, Quote Status, etc.)

Productionized

• Treaties

• Investments (Security, Rating, Party)

• UnderwritingIn Progress

• Administration & Valuation (Cession level attributes)

• ClaimsFuture Assets

Federated DW

Information Layer Presentation LayerSource

Systems

Enterprise Information Architecture

GARe

Investments Program

Master Data

Management

(MDM)

MarkIT

Operational Data

Store

(ODS)

MarkIT

PAM

Aladdin

GAReGAReGARe

• Federated Model

• Over 10+ Years of History

• Functional / Departmental

and Enterprise Information

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FDWMaster Data

Management

(MDM)MJE

JSE

Reuters

Reports

Analytics

Reports

Analytics

• Integrated, Operational

Data

• Limited History

• Near Real-time

Operational Data

Store

(ODS) People

Soft

Financi

al

Investm

ents

Thank you for your attention.

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