How Progressive Insurance Got to the Heart of its Data Story (and Improved Business Along the Way)

The Progressive Group of Insurance Companies started as a small auto insurance company in Ohio in 1937. Since then, the amount of data that it stores and analyzes has grown. A lot.

Like many organizations handling large amounts of information, Progressive struggled to make the story behind its data clear. We recently spoke with Data Analyst Rohan Mandelia, who explained how his team is supporting the company's sales force by "showing a better way" to understand raw numbers.

Rohan is passionate about empowering people with their own skills and interests—and believes that "people people" should be free to focus their time on, well, people. "And when you give them something that strips away all of the stuff that you've traditionally associated with looking at data and you turn it into information," he explains, "that's when it's really helpful.”

So his team uses Tableau to share data with sales reps, allowing them to quickly reach actionable insights—rather than bogging themselves down with numbers that have no human impact on their own.

By distilling data to its essence—getting to the heart of the story that it tells—they're able to reach more people and develop deeper connections with their stories. "They have the information that they know the agency needs, they have the information to help them grow their business, and they have the information to help them really partner with the agency as opposed to just selling them stuff."

And this is doing more than just improving business. "What Tableau gives me is the ability to really create something that's game-changing," says Rohan. "It has changed the culture of how data is used at Progressive within the sales force. All of a sudden, it’s user-friendly, it’s approachable, and it’s helpful.”

"It makes my life a lot easier," he ends with a laugh. "It's a great feeling." And that's the heart of his story.

Hear more from Rohan here.