The year 2006 was very successful for Zwitserleven’s Corporate Client unit, with several large employers choosing Zwitserleven as their pension insurer. As a result, Zwitserleven is currently working on the transfers of eight pension plans from other carriers, a process that usually takes six months or more. To ensure smooth transition, Zwitserleven has now introduced ‘Team-wise Implementation’, a new way to put pension schemes into the Zwitserleven administration system.
A team for each client
Zwitserleven has established separate implementation teams for every client. Nine different disciplines are represented in each team, including relationship management, finance, customer services, actuarial, Swiss Life Asset Management (SLAM) and sales. Working closely together, representatives from each area ensure that all the administrative elements of a transition are carefully managed and followed up.
Implementation plans - with milestones
The transfer of a pension plan from one carrier to another is a complicated and labour-intensive process. So Zwitserleven always starts by setting up an implementation plan. This provides a full overview of the necessary activities and tasks, and is shared with the implementation team as well as with the client and its advisors.
To ensure good communication, the plan also appoints contact persons for all the parties involved. Milestones are set for important deadlines and goals, and these are continuously monitored. Possible changes in the plan are communicated immediately to all team members and the client. Once an implementation plan is finished, the execution of the transition is ‘ready to roll’.
Handover following transition
After the transition is finished and all the activities and tasks in the plan have been successfully carried out, the participants receive their benefits statements. From that moment on, the Relationship Manager is responsible for the overall relationship with the client for the duration of the contract. Since solid contract administration is of the utmost importance for the quality of the relationship, the implementation can only be reported as ‘ready’ once it has been proven to have been carried out correctly.
Transparency and clarity through the new process
'Team-wise Implementation' makes the transition of a pension scheme clearer and more transparent for all parties. Although the current level of client satisfaction is already the highest in the market, Zwitserleven is convinced that this new method will increase client satisfaction even further.
Zwitserleven has established separate implementation teams for every client. Nine different disciplines are represented in each team, including relationship management, finance, customer services, actuarial, Swiss Life Asset Management (SLAM) and sales. Working closely together, representatives from each area ensure that all the administrative elements of a transition are carefully managed and followed up.
Implementation plans - with milestones
The transfer of a pension plan from one carrier to another is a complicated and labour-intensive process. So Zwitserleven always starts by setting up an implementation plan. This provides a full overview of the necessary activities and tasks, and is shared with the implementation team as well as with the client and its advisors.
To ensure good communication, the plan also appoints contact persons for all the parties involved. Milestones are set for important deadlines and goals, and these are continuously monitored. Possible changes in the plan are communicated immediately to all team members and the client. Once an implementation plan is finished, the execution of the transition is ‘ready to roll’.
Handover following transition
After the transition is finished and all the activities and tasks in the plan have been successfully carried out, the participants receive their benefits statements. From that moment on, the Relationship Manager is responsible for the overall relationship with the client for the duration of the contract. Since solid contract administration is of the utmost importance for the quality of the relationship, the implementation can only be reported as ‘ready’ once it has been proven to have been carried out correctly.
Transparency and clarity through the new process
'Team-wise Implementation' makes the transition of a pension scheme clearer and more transparent for all parties. Although the current level of client satisfaction is already the highest in the market, Zwitserleven is convinced that this new method will increase client satisfaction even further.