In today’s specialized world, the adage “If you want something done right, you have to do it yourself” couldn’t be further from the truth. As customer needs become more complex and the insurance industry continues to evolve, tapping into vendor expertise is vital to remain competitive in the market.
If an insurance company will invest the time, money and attention into its outbound customer communications strategy, partnering with an expert to ensure maximum efficacy just makes sense.
Let’s explore some key advantages Docufree’s insurance customers have experienced by outsourcing the print and mail function.
The True Value of a Vendor Partner’s Expertise
Cost is, of course, a significant consideration when deciding to outsource any business process. Still, one of the most often-times overlooked pieces of the discussion is the actual value of a vendor’s expertise.
When you think about building a house, would you download plans from the internet, gather a few friends, watch some YouTube videos, and try your best? You’d save a lot of money, but the exercise would be a colossal waste of time, resulting in a sub-par, unsafe space to live.
Similarly, Docufree’s insurance clients know that handling outbound, customer-facing communications in-house is not typically the best course of action. Our skilled experts can enable efficiencies and cost savings that our clients might not realize alone. As insurance companies aim to reach their target customers and drive a faster response rate, reputable Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firms like Docufree provide the perfect blend of advice, expertise and resources to reliably deliver.
A seasoned print and mail partner specializing in the insurance industry can enhance trans promotional statements with color and targeted one-to-one messaging; tap into postage discounts; and even enable parallel digital delivery of printed insurance-related messages and documents.
Outbound communications partners are prepared and ready to absorb production peaks. When an experienced vendor partner handles supplies, personnel, scheduling, and processing, you can focus on your core processes instead.
Shifting Consumer Expectations and Compliant, Responsive Delivery
The music industry continues to adapt to the times. Think about the transitions from 33s to 45s and tapes to CDs. While those changes were massive, they all created a one-dimensional experience. With the introduction of DVDs, the viewer experienced something even more influential — two-dimensional delivery of sound and imagery.
Outbound customer communications are no different. Consumer-facing communications have evolved from the monospaced, line generated document to the proportional, colorful, and graphically enhanced messages we know today. Even those big changes still deliver a one-dimensional touchpoint.
Smartphones have changed the game in regard to customer preferences, expectations and experience. For insurance companies with in-house outbound communications operations, adapting to e-delivery and abiding by all security and compliance requirements for data sharing can be daunting. Conversely, outsourcing firms consider it a natural extension of their service offerings. A partner with insurance-specific experience can help you integrate digital delivery, data/insights, and custom messaging to drive a two-dimensional experience. Merging electronic touchpoints and physical delivery of mail to stretch your outbound communications budget further is more manageable with a partner than handling it all in-house.
Some Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) firms also offer digital mailroom solutions, enabling insurance clients to manage their inbound and outbound messages through a seamless platform.
Traditionally change-averse industries like insurance can tap into vendor experts and outsourcing partners to reach customers through their preferred medium — whether it be via hard copy, printed communications or digital delivery. Look for a partner that can securely and reliably deliver your messages through print and electronic means, with a commitment to keeping abreast of evolving technology.
Technology Advancements and Equipment Upgrades
Keeping pace with the technology, equipment and upgrades needed for more effective outbound communication programs is expensive. Unless you’re continually cycling equipment in and out and maintaining appropriate software, your operations could become obsolete sooner rather than later. Over time, many companies with in-house facilities find themselves outsourcing more work to avoid investing in costly but necessary technology and specialized equipment.
Outsourcing firms have a distinct advantage over in-house facilities regarding technology and equipment — the ability to spread large-scale investments across multiple customers. By outsourcing, you select the appropriate service provider without any significant hardware, software, or personnel investment. Let your partner keep up with technology and equipment needs, and you don’t have to worry about it.
Business Continuity and Proven Ability to Deliver as Promised
Business continuity and risk mitigation keep many executives awake at night. A well-documented and up-to-date business continuity plan should cover a simple short-term power outage to more complicated events such as catastrophic fire, natural disaster or — of course — a global pandemic. In some industries, regulatory agencies mandate monthly statements and other historical type documents, making delivery an essential component of day-to-day operations and compliance. A non-compliance event could trigger regulatory fines or, worse, consumer dissatisfaction or distrust. A vendor well-versed in the insurance industry will have a documented and responsive business continuity plan to ensure your operations stay on track despite unforeseen events. They’ll also be able to showcase specific instances when challenging circumstances did not prevent service delivery.
When deciding to keep print and mail operations in-house or outsource to a vendor partner, unknown factors can steer business leaders into gray zones. Questions like “What is the ROI of outsourcing print and mail?” “Does it make sense to give up control of this business process?” and “Is now the right time to make a change?” come to mind. Sometimes, the outsourcing conversation is simply met with, “We’ve always done it in-house. Why change now?”
Docufree’s print and mail experts can provide answers to all of those questions and more. Through an initial assessment, we can look at your current processes — as well as your short- and long-term goals — and provide insights for your specific organization.
Let us put our expertise to work for you.
