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Third Party Administration
UTG's Approach to BPO Conversions...
the "Dream Team"
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by Michael K. Borden, FLMI/M, CLU, ChFC, AIAF
Vice President, UTG |
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 Successful
BPO requires a connecting strategy, enabling an integrated, yet
distributed process. Though some view it as controversial and others
consider it mandatory business strategy, outsourcing is here to stay.
And it is no longer strictly about reducing costs, it's about doing things
better, quicker and more efficiently.
At UTG, we have recognized that even
after the decision has been made that BPO makes economic and business
sense, management is often resistant to taking the plunge when faced with
the issues of converting administrative systems. UTG has
successfully completed over 30 conversions.
We have learned to front-end load the process by conducting in depth
implementation studies reviewing all aspects of product and processes.
UTG has developed a "Dream-team" concept to minimize risk and minimize
benefit to our client companies. The team has four major goals:
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1. Reduce the pain for the client company
2.
Maintain transparency to the client company's customers, at a minimum
maintaining the current relationship and ultimately improving the
relationship between the client company and its customers
3.
On time
4.
On budget
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Each of our BPO Implementations is coordinated by a model office team that
includes Business/Administrative Analysts, Programmer Analysts and Senior
Administrators. Once important concept we have used is to include
our senior administrators early so that they are extremely familiar with
the products, implementation process and administrative procedures.
These administrators stay with the business when it is transferred from
our implementation environment.
UTG utilizes a phased approach to implementation.
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The first phase begins with our
response to the Request for Information. In this early stage we
develop competitive pricing as well as initial service level assumptions.
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In phase two we invite the potential
client company to conduct an on-site inspection where they can see our
operation first hand.
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During phase three we conduct an
implementation study. This study usually last between three and five
days depending upon the complexity of the products and procedures.
As part of this process we will interview key client company employees and
review of a standard questionnaire; as well as pursue additional
information provided during the interviews.
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We then review the materials developed
in phase three to produce the final study and service level agreement as
well as the implementation time-line.
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Once the companies have agreed, we
begin the actual implementation. Key to this phase is a weekly
meeting we conduct with the client company to insure that we are on time
and that there are no issues that need to be addressed. This phase
is managed to our base time-line with resource allocations and any
slippage issue reviewed.
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The final state is roll-out, when our
senior administrators return to the line departments and business begins
being processed at our site.
Michael K. Borden is one member of our successful UTG Dream-Team.
Mike, like many other employees of UTG, is part owner and takes pride in
UTG's success. He has been involved in 16 conversions to date and
has held management positions in every administrative department except
accounting at UTG including new business, claims, agency, underwriting,
customer service and information technology. Taking the "pain" out
of the conversion experience is Mike's top goal. "We'll do whatever
it takes to make the customer feel comfortable with the process.
From the surveying process to the follow-up weekly meetings, we'll be
there as long as it takes to make the process as smooth as possible."
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