Manomay Archive- Case 3

To do or not to do, that is the question.

 

There seems to be an inclination toward our Case Studies for the CXOs, we don’t know if it’s because of the ground realities, thought triggers or approach that we present but we do know that you have to give the audience what they want…

Considering that it was our Cause & Effect case that got your attention, we are back with another one from Manomay’s Archive. This one’s a real time example of the Current State Review & Way Forward https://www.manomay.biz/manomay-archive-case-2/ on how understanding THE CAUSE made the biggest difference

Case 3

John Doe Insurance company (JDIC) is one of the prominently emerging Mid-Sized Insurance companies based out of the Americas, servicing customers for over 3 decades now. They pride themselves in providing consistent customer service & wished to go beyond by expanding into new markets, territories & product lines etc.- to stand out amongst their competitors. And of course, IT was in the mix, as they saw huge empowerment through tech for achieving these business goals.

With a tight budget for their plans, a high ROI was not an option but a necessity, especially when their P&C IT vendor started pushing them for a mandatory major upgrade – the version that they were currently using was no longer to be supported. Now, JDIC was at a crossroads – do we upgrade (is it worth the investment?) or do we replace (we always had issues with this system, will this align with our big plans?).

Unsure of what to do, they reached out to us to help them decide- what next with their “IT”.

So, diving deep into the Crux of the matter, we mapped out all the key focus areas of Current State review before moving on to the subsequent course of action. Here’s a quick peek at our approach…

Fast Forward, we had a lot of findings that helped us understand the WHYs of the Current IT State. Let’s take a look at a few of them:

The Key Findings-

People –

  • Overlapping responsibilities with no clear segregation across roles
  • Limited empowerment for Agents – dependency on Company, even for simple transactions.

Processes –

  • One size fits all approach, with a lot of legacy
  • Limited use of System Capabilities
  • Lots of repeat work. For example: Data from agents came in as applications & manually fed into IT systems

Data –

  • Spread across IT system & spreadsheets.
  • Inconsistent & incorrect data with key customer data points missing
  •  Basic Reporting, primarily ad hoc

Technology –

  • Users unhappy with Core Transaction Processing System – ease of use, communication methods etc.
  • Integration challenges with MGA’s Tech Platforms

Others –

  • Customer Web portal focused on quotes & new business but not on self-sufficiency & empowerment.
  • Dissatisfactory customer feedback. Example: Lack of updates from JDIC, high wait time, & multiple walk-in situations

Based on our findings & discussions with JDIC around their future expectations we started to share our recommendations on the Way Forward.

The Way Forward/Solution-

Manomay didn’t see the need for a replacement as the Current System capabilities were in alignment with their business requirements – it just needed the RIGHT implementation strategy/ usage for deriving higher value at lower costs, so we recommended they continue with their current IT, with simple addons for the missing aspects, & plan for the upgrade with minimum scope.

And that’s the difference our Cause – Effect Methodology makes so, let’s stop reacting to the effects & start working on the causes!

You do not want to write off your current investments, without giving it a thought 🙂

With this, we come to an end of yet another Case Study, but we leave you with a question – What if JDIC had taken a hasty decision of completely replacing the IT keeping its Approach same/vintage, where would they be today?

We would love to know your response, send them at inquisite@manomay.biz

Biz Tech Insights Team Manomay

Disclaimer: The views and findings expressed in this material are for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended as a guideline, recommendation, or substitute for any form of Professional (Consulting or Technology) advice. Under no circumstance shall we bear legal responsibility for using or relying on any information mentioned in this article. Unless otherwise specified, the views, case studies, and findings expressed herein are our own. The content displayed here is the Intellectual Property of Manomay Consultancy Services (India) Pvt Ltd. You may not reuse, republish or reprint any of the aforementioned content without our written consent.

 

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