Third Party Administration
 

UTG's Approach to BPO Conversions...
the "Dream Team"

by Michael K. Borden, FLMI/M, CLU, ChFC, AIAF
Vice President, UTG

 

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:

 

 

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

 

 


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.

  • 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.

  • In phase two we invite the potential client company to conduct an on-site inspection where they can see our operation first hand.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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.

  • 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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