Technology's Changing Value Proposition: Securian Financial Group Given Customer Management Award

• Lori Chordas
• December 2005
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Securian Financial Group is the recipient of the 2005 E-Fusion award for Customer Management. The company was recognized for its ClientConnect full-service contact management system for the company's Securian Financial Network distribution channel.

Launched in early 2004, ClientConnect is a platform for successful client management and retention of advisers and firms, said Mary Anne Smith, director of individual business technology. The platform also helps product-line sales results and site usage, in addition to aiding firms' marketing strategies.

The Web-based system, based on E-Z Data's Smart Office program, includes contact management, householding, seminar tracking, opportunity management, call tracking and client reporting. It also supports full tracking of life insurance, annuities, investments, disability income, long-term care, medical, homeowners, and umbrella policies.

"We do a lot of data consolidation and aggregation, so the system is loaded with a rich amount of information about clients -- whether it's information about life, annuities, disability, investment accounts," said Smith. Advisers have the ability to track client communications and interactions on the platform, and the system allows multiple users to access a client record, she said.

ClientConnect's query capability helps users identify key marketing opportunities with more than 90 predefined queries set in the system. In addition, more than 100 compliance-approved letters can be automatically generated and printed, e-mailed or faxed to a client based on the client's preferred method of communication.

ClientConnect's goals include acting on cross-selling opportunities, establishing and tracking marketing campaigns, organizing and running seminars, and providing consolidated client holding reports.

The following companies were finalists for the award:

AmFed National Insurance Co.'s Claims Extranet provides online access to information for AmFed's insureds, producers and clients that have access to a secure site with a user-ID and password. The self-service site allows internal managers to provide reports to clients, independent agents to view their insureds' claims, and insureds to view their own specific claims. The most notable feature of the Claims Extranet is the graphing capabilities as graphs can be generated for "nature of injury," "body part," and "cause of loss." Users can display a list of their open claims or all of their claims by policy or fund year, showing such detail as date of loss, date reported, date closed, and total paid. The project has reduced the number of calls from agents and insureds regarding claims status. Promoting self-sufficiency, the project reduces expenses and improves customer satisfaction.

BlueCross BlueShield of South Carolina became the first Blues plan to offer Voice-over-Internet Protocol technology integrated in its secure provider portal when it launched STATchat in August 2004. STATchat serves an external audience of hospital, physician and other health-care professional managers and staff. Providers use STATchat without dialing any numbers by simply using an inexpensive headset with a microphone and a computer with Internet connection. Providers can push a button online and get the answer to their question from a representative in real time. STATchat increases the number of calls in which a provider tries Web-site self-service before "opting out" of the process to speak with a representative.

MetLife's End-to-End Technology-Enabled Service Solution incorporates multiple service channels for multiple audiences -- employer services (MetLink), employee services (MyBenefits) and dental provider services (MetDental). The three portals extract information from the same data source. Employers and brokers have access to employee and dependent benefit information. MyBenefits allows employees to check eligibility and plan details, print out a claim form, and check claims status. Employees have the option of viewing an explanation of benefits statements online vs. receiving a paper copy. MetDental gives dentists online access to pretreatment information as well allowing them to submit claims online and receive payment via electronic funds transfer.

By Lori Chordas, senior associate editor, Best's Review: Lori.Chordas@ambest.com and

Todd Dawson