In 2005, Joe Plumeri, chairman and CEO of the global insurance brokerage Willis Group, commissioned an initiative focused on improving Willis’ operational capabilities in the US retail offices. The goal was to improve the company’s ability to provide superior client service while maintaining a keen focus on reduced operating costs. The existing operating procedures were varied and cumbersome: document creation was manually intensive, required multiple handoffs, and required users to re-key data into multiple systems.

By the end of 2006, those inefficiencies will be gone and Willis brokers will be generating proposals in minutes using a single database that enables them to service clients from anywhere at any time.

After deploying a multi-functional team to determine scope and business requirements, Willis began to assess potential technology solutions. Developing an internal solution would have required significant design and development effort, and taken years for the business to see results. Adopting a third-party package would allow Willis to quickly deliver needed functionality with a substantially smaller investment.

“While several insurance brokerage solutions were identified in the market, most were not sufficiently sophisticated or robust to address the complexity at the higher end of our commercial insurance business,” explained George Stephanos, project lead and a vice president of Willis global operations. The team ultimately selected the Nexsure insurance agency management system developed by XDimensional Technologies (XDTI), a founding member of the Microsoft Insurance Value Chain.

“Nexsure was selected due to its ability to be extended and tailored to Willis’ business needs,” said Stephanos.
 
Nexsure is a Web-based agency management system that is built on Microsoft’s .NET technology and XML. Its application service provider (ASP) model, with the application residing in two XDTI data centers, provides users with real-time access to data via the Web at anytime from anywhere in the world. This uninterrupted access to client data enables Willis to serve customers from remote locations in the event of closed offices or local disasters.
Willis and XDTI collaborated on adding features such as supplemental Willis templates and functions to complement the general ACORD templates already found in the Nexsure system.

 “Willis appreciates our ability to react quickly,” comments Robert Juracka, XDTI’s president.  “Even before they inked their contract, many of the enhancements they wanted were in the product.” 

Testing scripts were run to ensure that the system would handle Willis’ volume correctly.  The resulting solution is a Nexsure system that is tailored to Willis’ business and is scalable for enhancements and additional lines of business that will be added over the next few years.

Prior to finalizing a technology solution, Willis developed standard operating procedures based on best practices from across its offices.
“This is not a technology rollout as much as it is a revamping of our business process,” said Stephanos. “We are establishing a consistent and efficient way of doing business that will be the same from one office to the next.” This combination of a new centralized policy management system and new workflow processes is called the Willis Client Platform (WCP).

“This platform automates a large part of our business lifecycle,” explained Jeanette Scampas, executive vice president in charge of global information technology and global operations at Willis. “It eliminates the manual efforts and costs that today are associated with shared drives, hard files, and re-keying of information into multiple systems. It will allow us to accomplish what no other brokerage firm has accomplished – build economies of scale and dramatically increase the value delivered to clients.”

Realizing the impact that this system and operating procedures will have on its business, Willis has embarked on a very aggressive deployment schedule.  After conducting three successful pilots last fall, Willis is now deploying the system to more than 50 US offices and more than 800 associates in 2006.

To achieve its ambitious timeline, Willis engaged Diamond Management and Technology Consultants. “Diamond brings a combination of strategy and execution skills that enabled us to rapidly customize and pilot the Nexsure product,” said Stephanos.

With its fast rollout, Willis is going to reap the benefits of a new system while competitors are still studying alternatives.

 “While other top-tier national brokerages are now exploring the necessity for platform modernization and the benefits of a consolidated database, Willis is already implementing,” said Juracka. 

Early feedback has been positive.  

“We are very excited about the reactions we have seen in the field, but we understand that it takes time for our associates to become truly comfortable with a new system and work processes,” said Stephanos. “By partnering with XDTI, Willis greatly reduced the time needed to deploy a client management solution to professionals across the US. Deploying Nexsure allows our highly knowledgeable employees to spend more time working closely with clients to develop optimal risk management solutions,” said Scampas.

http://www.willis.com/
http://www.xdti.com/
http://www.diamondconsultants.com/