An Independent Insurance Agency Network, which is comprised of over 2,000 independent agents, with representation across 180+offices in 30+ states. The agents have access to more than 300 carriers, an expansive network of local experts, and comprehensive financial and insurance-related advice.
Challenge
The Agency was struggling with excessive costs and delays associated with its current mail operations. Important, time-sensitive policy information and other mail was being delivered by multiple carriers to a centralized PO Box. Once received at the PO Box, the mail then had to be sorted and re-routed to agents located in one of 190 offices. As a result, Agents waited an average of three to five additional days to receive critical information, while the Agency incurred costs for additional resources, supplies and postage. Reducing the risk of un-deliverable or lost mail; and ensuring the delivery of mail to the correct recipient; were other considerations for the Agency when they began their search for an alternative mail solution. Increasing pressure to comply with government privacy regulations only added to the Agency’s decision to make a change.
Solution
After researching potential vendors on the web, and considering their options, they elected to outsource all of their mail operations to Exela, based on the company’s 30-year mail management expertise and customer footprint, and advanced digital mail platform. As a result, Exela became responsible for handling all mail processing and delivery operations. It created a more cost-effective, streamlined mail delivery process by digitizing manual, paper-based workflows, and eliminating extra time spent remailing paper to the intended recipients. As part of the new solution, Exela:
- Established a P.O. Box with caller service in Carson, CA (in close proximity to one of Exela’s many scanning facilities)
- Scanned documents and extracted data (sender/receiver address, date, etc.) from digitized images via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) and Intelligent Character Recognition (ICR) engines.
- Logged any checks received and returned them to the agency
- Routed each PDF electronically to one of the over 2,000 agents based on business rules
- Original documents are stored for a predetermined period of time before they are safely destroyed
Results
The entire digital mail solution was implemented in less than 30 days. By automating its mail operations, the Agency realized a huge decrease in spending and time. Not only was it able to eliminate postage costs; it also minimized spending on supplies such as, envelops and labels, as well as necessary reprints. Sophisticated scanning and data extraction technology ensured the delivery of mail to the correct recipient; while turnaround times improved dramatically. Members also greatly appreciated receiving their mail in a timely manner. Outsourcing its mail operations to Exela and digitizing key workflow components enabled the Agency to:
- Reduce remailing times from 3-5 days to same day
- Reduce mail supply/postage/human capital costs by 46.5%
- Minimize risk caused by human error
- Improve member satisfaction
