One of the major risks of unstructured operations that are not process-driven is the inability to perform the same activity consistently and without errors when the system faces a heavier workload. This is particularly frustrating when it means losing a specific business opportunity or, as in this example, missing out on a competitive advantage. Here is a practical example of why the scalability built into well-defined processes matters in field force management (FFM) systems.
Improving efficiency and ensuring quality under normal conditions
Our client, a leading player in the insurance market, first established standardized processes for its assistance service following a process analysis. With support from our experts, it then mapped these processes in xFLOWer, creating a comprehensive work management system. At the time, the volume of cases handled did not make this one of its highest-priority automation projects. However, it provided stability at a point that was particularly important to customers and had a decisive impact on their satisfaction: when something went wrong at their property, the system handled reports quickly and efficiently. Thanks to our development work, once an incident was reported, the automated assistance system assigned the right professional to the insurance event and dispatched them to the customer concerned. Naturally, this significantly accelerated and simplified case handling, eliminated much of the risk of human error and made the process easier for policyholders too. For services built on trust, there is no question that complaints and problems demand the most reliable operations and the fastest possible processing, while causing customers as little inconvenience as possible—after all, the incident has already given them enough to deal with. Thanks to the carefully structured and fully controlled process built into it, xFLOWer handled these cases for a long time. The workload was not particularly high, but the system was available and reliable when it mattered most. Its true advantage, however, emerged entirely unexpectedly…
An immediate response and a tangible competitive advantage when market conditions change
The most significant change affecting the insurance market was the introduction of a special, limited-time window for switching providers in March 2024. This naturally presented both a risk and an opportunity for every market participant: contracts that could previously only be changed at their annual renewal could now be terminated during the year—and, by the same token, competitors’ customers could potentially be won over. Unsurprisingly, this triggered intense competition, in which additional service features became just as important as the core offering. This brought the process supported by xFLOWer into focus: our client selected the availability of assistance as one of its distinctive offerings for its partners. Moreover, unlike before, it now included this service in its new packages at no extra cost. This pointed to a substantial increase in demand that only a robust, reliable field force management system could handle. The company was able to do this and make an innovative decision so quickly because the capacity of its standardized, digitalized process—and the number of cases it handled—could be increased immediately. Without an existing system, a lengthy development phase would have followed, with testing taking place in a live environment under increased demand. This would have posed significant risks, particularly when acquiring new customers. With the right system in place, however, decisions could be made very quickly, because it ensured the expected level of quality regardless of case volume. Naturally, we are delighted when one of our solutions makes such a significant leap up the list of operational priorities. However, we always emphasize that examples like this demonstrate just how important it can be to establish controlled processes even for the smallest subtasks. This is particularly true of repetitive tasks that require high precision and substantial staff capacity, or areas where expanding the workforce is not feasible in response to significant growth. These factors mean that neither a major market player nor a smaller SME can be adequately prepared without the right processes in place.
