The underlying Business Process Management solution was developed by Global 360 and implemented by Atos Origin. The new DIS/WFM system will allow the insurer to improve its customer service and save millions of euros annually.

Rob van Gennip, programme manager of Achmea said: "The project was started by a desire to streamline business processes and to optimise the complex work process in various aspects. We therefore created a digital environment with a digitally controlled workflow. This allows us to perform policy records management tasks more quickly, more efficiently, and with fewer errors."

The centralised processing of policy records for Achmea insurers is supported by the Shared Service Center Life & Pensions that operates from different locations in the Netherlands. Effective 1 April 2006, paper files will be eliminated and the work process on the 1,200 workstations will be fully digitised.

It starts right at the beginning: all incoming mail is scanned in the mail room and indexed by means of a link to the related policy records management system, and then enters a central work queue. E-mails, faxes and telephone notes are also indexed, and each record is then automatically forwarded to the appropriate location in the business process.

From now on, employees will process records in a skills-controlled manner, i.e. employees only get to see the work that is relevant to them and for which they have been authorised. For example, less experienced employees will only get to see simpler types of transactions, depending on their skills.

When performing their tasks, employees are furthermore supported by checklists that take into account product types, transaction types, tax rules, risk areas, and other aspects. The system has the intelligence to verify whether certain key documents are present. Defined and maintained by each individual department, these checklists allow us to greatly reduce chances of error.

Van Gennip says: "Overall, employees now spend considerably less time on overhead issues. This allows them to focus more on the contents of their work. This will increase our productivity by more than 20% and save us several millions of euros."

The sensitive point in the transition to a digital working method is employees' resistance to working without paper, says Van Gennip. "We therefore need to establish trust. This new method of working also means that employees themselves are now accountable for their work. They can no longer rely on planners. The work is allocated automatically, with the freedom to deviate. This change in thinking should not be underestimated."