Gissings

Introduction

Established in 1970, Gissings is an independent firm of employee benefit advisers and actuaries that designs total packages for pensions, healthcare and flexible benefits with a range of innovative products. Located in the City of London, Gissings is at the heart of the financial sector. The company's 300 employees are dedicated to delivering first-class service to its 600 clients.

This case study explains why Gissings is committed to implementing Electronic Document Management (EDM) technology, in order to drive automation into its business and thereby ensure future growth and unparalleled customer service. The company's existing EDM project within Pensions Administration is described, together with the solution benefits and Gissings' future plans for expanding EDM technology into other areas of its business.

Gissings' Vision

Gissings is a £30m turnover company, with a growth rate of over 25% per annum since 1995 which has been achieved through consistent investment in resources and personnel. Implementing the right technology plays a crucial role in meeting these growth targets. Graham Wiskin, IT Director for Gissings says, "Gissings is committed to automating key business processes, so that any impediments to its future growth are minimised. In the area of information management, we are continually looking for IT solutions that unlock the hidden value of the information we hold - turning all our documents into electronic resources".

Pensions & Administration EDM Project

Gissings adopts a multi disciplined approach which provides clients with instant access to a range of named actuarial advisers and specialists. These include investment advisers and skilled administrators - all of whom are experts in their field. Regular servicing and day-to-day issues are dealt with by dedicated staff, supervised by a client relationship manager who maintains overall direction. Pensions Administration is one of several disciplines, and there are approximately 100 team personnel responsible for this particular discipline.

Gissings had been using a leading pensions administration software package for some years when the company initially identified a need for EDM and workflow functionality in 2001. Gissings' current UK headquarters, Finsbury House, has a basement which held over 80,000 paper documents, and operated a Mastertrak logging system. If any member of staff needed a document, they sent down a request for it - leading to delays in responding to client queries, difficulty in retrieving and accessing documents (especially out of normal office hours), and the risk of lost documents. The volume of paperwork and filing causes a significant drain on resource, and it is difficult to ensure that the latest or correct version of a document is being used. Fire issues and recoverability of documents was also a concern.

Graham Wiskin explains, "Relying on a paper-based system had led to issues that could severely impede our growth targets. Added to this, a paper system placed us in a position of vulnerability".

Aims and Objectives

Gissings defined the following aims and objectives of implementing EDM technology:

Turn all documents into electronic resources
Enforce consistency of storage
Enable direct access, to authorised staff
Enable flexibility of work patterns and locations (e.g. twilight shift, home workers)
Enhance business continuity

Open Connections, a FileNet ValueNET Partner, conducted a presales System Evaluation Review on behalf of Gissings, and Gissings approved Open Connections' recommendation to install a pilot system across the Pensions Administration discipline, with an easy expansion route to take in other disciplines in the future.

Graham Wiskin comments, "Gissings had been considering EDM for a period of years. Given the immaturity of the EDM market and the business critical nature of such a software solution, finding strong players was essential. FileNet's solutions are market-leading products with a long pedigree. All Gissings then required was a good supplier with suitable and proven expertise. Open Connections fitted the bill".

Solution Implementation

Gissings ordered a 90-user license of both FileNet Panagon Content Services and eProcess software, together with Kofax Ascent Capture for the scanning software solution. Open Connections also provided consultancy and support services including business/system analysis and design, implementation testing and training. The system went live in February 2002.

A decision was made to scan all 80,000 existing files and index them to pension scheme members' records. Incoming post is scanned and automatically transferred into a Panagon CS library, with separate folders organised by the type of work or team. Information is accessed through document property searches, and a manager assigns Work In Progress to a team member using eProcess.

User Benefits

Initially there was some user reluctance to use the new system as pensions administrators had to adapt to a change in their work patterns. However, users have come to appreciate the benefits of the new system as they have become more familiar with using it. Graham Wiskin explains, "Our pensions administrators can now deal with a client telephone query there and then, without any delay in getting the relevant file sent up to them, and in the knowledge that they have all the correct and current information they need to hand - leading to improved service and satisfaction from both Gissings' and the client's point of view".

Corporate Benefits & Business Impact

The new system ensures greater control over incoming and outgoing post, e-mails and faxes, so that all documents are filed within a structured Panagon CS repository as `objects', and indexed in line with meaningful and consistent business rules.

Graham Wiskin comments, "Implementing Open Connections' solution has resulted in real improvements in our business processes, through better accessibility of information and greater control of document storage".

Future Plans

The first priority is to finalise and optimise usage of the EDM system in Pensions Administration, before analysing and testing the EDM requirements of the other disciplines at Gissings.

Graham Wiskin concludes, "FileNet's solutions were chosen to deliver EDM beyond our Pensions Administration discipline, and needed to fit with other areas of the business. By adopting the concept of a document repository, with its ability to store electronically all inbound and outbound documents, the possibility of remote working and concurrent access enables us to grow our business in new and diverse ways".

(Since the original publication of this item FileNet has become part of IBM's Enterprise Content Management Division)