Making Data Understandable and Actionable
Through what means does a self-described introvert find herself playing a significant role in ClearConnect Solutions’ foundational mission – providing end-to-end risk mitigation and regulatory compliance solutions for companies across the transportation industry; and providing insurance underwriters with a more complete picture of their insureds? The answer is the love of working with data and getting her kicks from “delivering what all the extroverts need.”
“Data is chaos,” said Camille Arts-Lawrence, Business Intelligence Analyst at ClearConnect Solutions. “We can be drowning in data. But making sense of it so we can make confident decisions, that’s another matter. It’s a big need.”
Whether for insurance underwriters seeking greater visibility into risk loss probability; or compliance, risk, and onboarding support for the transportation companies they serve; providing data-based visualizations that translate into great solutions is what Camille does best. “Aggregating all that data and making pretty graphs and charts is so satisfying,” Camille said. “We can find data in maybe ten sources and present it in concise, understandable ‘pictures’, so they don’t have to dig for it. If you don’t know what’s going, on you don’t know what to fix.”
From Quebec to Arizona – Camille Finds Data is Her Passion
Born and raised in Montreal, Quebec – and fluent in both French and English – Camille’s education led to an early career in Human Resources. She moved from Canada for a job working for the state of Arizona and lived there for twenty years. “I got into data analytics as it related to HR,” commented Camille. “I discovered that was my passion.” Camille soon mastered Tableau and completed Python and SQL boot camps, developing her data visualization skills.
Eventually Camille retired and returned to Montreal. “I organized my house to the extreme,” she said. “I took pictures of all my shoes, put the shoes in boxes and attached the pictures to the boxes. I painted the whole house and did all kinds of home improvement projects. I binged watched TV and swam laps in the pool. After about six months of that, I was done with retirement.”
Data Visualization Points the Way
Fate connected the then bored-with-retirement Camille with ClearConnect Solutions’ search for a data analyst. Camille’s best friend was the wife of ClearConnect Solutions’ President and Co-founder Scott Grandys. She jumped at the opportunity to help ClearConnect Solutions better serve their insurance and transportation clients.
“Because it was analytics, the work would be super interesting. I could help turn their data into understandable and useful information for their clients,” said Camille.
“I’m energized when we can present a dynamic but understandable graphic spreadsheet,” she continued. “We can click and drill in. It elicits the “what if?” questions. You can sense the light bulb turning on in their minds. There are so many things we have feelings about, but are these backed up by the data? When we make the data visual and understandable, the feelings are either confirmed or the question becomes ‘what’s really going on?’ It’s a way to the truth.”
ClearConnect Solutions’ data analytics demonstrates to insurance and transportation providers alike that, based on tendencies, a driver is heading toward an accident. The analytics opens the door for high-level, accurate, and accessible risk management reviews.
For transportation providers, ClearConnect Solutions can make a strong case to act BEFORE something happens. “Unfortunately, sometimes a driver doesn’t tell management everything,” Camille reports. “But through telematics, as an example, the data can tell a fleet operator there is a pending brake failure. The data can be used to coach and train fleets. Same for the insurers, the graphs tell the story. They can see the trend.”
The benefits range from the dramatic to the routine, from saving lives to saving money:
- Repairs
- Maintenance
- Insurance premiums
- Compliance
- Regulatory issues
- Claims
Camille points to the advantages of ClearConnect Solutions’ ClearTrac service. “The dashboard’s red, yellow, and green paint an easy-to-understand picture,” she said. “If we study accidents that led to fatalities, the data identifies the common factors. I put the data together and build the dashboards. Our clients get a subscription to the dashboards and can see their data in real time.”
Camille clearly loves her job. “Although I’m an introvert, I thrive on people. Nothing pleases me more than when someone realizes what the data tells them, and then asks more questions.”
“A great example we had recently is the common assumption that accidents happen in bad weather, rainstorms, and snow,” she continued. “But when we ran the analytics the assumption was wrong. More accidents happen in the daytime in good weather. Why?”
Answering the why questions through a data-based analysis and data visualization approach is what drives the ClearConnect Solutions team with Camille. “The ‘why’ is what we try to find through analyzing and organizing the data. I find that exciting, being the total nerd and data geek that I am.”
At home in Quebec, far from the desert heat of Arizona, Camille relishes the role she plays in ClearConnect Solutions’ services. She, her husband, and their three dogs enjoy the peaceful nature of their recently purchased three-acre property outside of Montreal. “I’m a country girl at heart,” she said. “Our Saint Bernard and the two rescue mutts we currently live with have free run of the place.” Camille and her husband make it a point to rescue senior dogs and provide them with a few years of the good life. “It’s hard sometimes,” she lamented. “But seeing them living happily later in their lives warms the heart.” She said that next year they look to add some goats, ducks, and perhaps a few chickens to the fold.
Camille and her husband frequently enjoy the company of their three adult children and 9-year-old grandson. “Everyone is five minutes away!” she exclaimed. Clearly it’s a great life – family, dogs, and helping so many by painting the data picture.