CIMdata PLM Industry Summary Online Archive
10 May 2005
Implementation Investments
IKON Implements Claims Management Solution for Atlantic American Corporation
IKON Office Solutions announced that it has implemented a claims management solution for Atlantic American Corporation, which the insurance company estimates is saving approximately $100,000 annually and resulting in an approximate 80 percent reduction in postage costs for claims scanning, imaging and payment. An insurance holding company involved in specialty markets in the heath, property and casualty insurance industries, Atlantic American collaborated with IKON to perform a Document Lifecycle Strategy Assessment, rendering cost-benefit recommendations designed to improve workflow, efficiencies and productivity. Conducted by analysts in IKON Enterprise Services--IKON's global services organization--IKON Document Lifecycle Strategy Assessments map the lifecycle of mission critical documents, from input and capture through to storage and archival.
Serving customers across the United States through 3,500 independent agents and brokers, Atlantic American utilized IKON on-site managed services at its Atlanta headquarters to process thousands of claims and response cards. Previously, dedicated staff members responsible for opening, sorting, recording and organizing claims were saddled with a multi-step, manual process, making the job time-consuming and inefficient. Complicating matters was an off-site, third party vendor that managed and scanned claims, adding processing time to the schedule and pushing Atlantic American close to a 15-day industry-regulated payment deadline. In addition, claims were returned to the company on un-indexed CDs, creating significant challenges for personnel searching for specific claims.
"Our business has changed drastically in the last few years and it wasn't difficult to see that our processes hadn't evolved at the same pace," said Barbara Snyder, vice president of human resources, Atlantic American Corporation. "IKON and its Document Lifecycle Strategy Assessment helped us through a complete overhaul of our claims processing infrastructure."
After following detailed workflow improvement recommendations provided through IKON's Document Lifecycle Strategy Assessment, Atlantic American reported a savings of approximately $8,000 per month with a web-based server imaging system that scans and stores completed claims, to help provide personnel with quick and easy access to documents. Manual check and mail labeling processes have been streamlined with a high-speed automated addressing system, saving valuable employee work hours and enabling Atlantic American to generate and send more than 50,000 pieces of mail per month. An approximate two-week turnaround on claims returns has been transformed to a nearly same-day process, and postage costs have decreased by nearly 80 percent. Further efficiencies were achieved by renovating and remodeling Atlantic American's IKON service center and mapping enhancements to IKON Service Excellence(SM), IKON's proprietary methodology designed to utilize best practices from across IKON's customer base and serve as the framework for IKON's on-site managed services engagements.
"IKON brought two very important components to the table: the IKON Service Excellence program that's second to none, and extensive industry know-how and expertise," added Snyder. "The IKON Service Excellence methodology had an immediate and positive impact in the support they provide, and IKON's knowledge of everything from the latest innovations in equipment to the intricacies of the insurance business ensures we're getting the best solution possible. IKON enables us to look forward to new opportunities for growth instead of resisting change."
Atlantic American's chief financial officer, John Sample, concurred. "IKON took the time to understand our processes so they could bring us solutions that make sense. Combine that with the incredible resources behind IKON, and they provide value that others simply can't offer."
"IKON's relationship with Atlantic American is a prime example of our approach to document management," said Terrie Campbell, vice president of managed services operations for IKON. "We start by working with the customer to assess their current workflow and business needs, and then design a solution to meet those unique needs. With Atlantic American, we were also able to bring our experience with the insurance industry and our powerful IKON Service Excellence methodology to bear, helping to yield significant time, cost and productivity savings for the growing insurance company."
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