Benefit Services: Performance Metric Re-engineering

Client Project

• As a component of PPI's work with the Benefit Services organization in 2009, PPI performed an analysis of operational metrics associated with key procedures and operations.
  
  
• In consultation with Benefit Services management, PPI analyzed key operating procedures and the corresponding metrics utilized by functional managers in assessing operating performance.

• In consultation with Benefit Services management, PPI analyzed key operating procedures and the corresponding metrics utilized by functional managers in assessing operating performance.
  
  
  • Different regions had different reports.
  • Different workgroups used different measurements.
  • Each department used different terminology.
    
    
• No comprehensive perspective was available on how the customer is being serviced, e.g.:
  
  
  • To obtain a consolidated view, it was necessary to obtain multiple metrics from multiple groups and manually assess the data.
  • No cross-team perspective was available; each workgroup was isolated and siloed.
    
    
• It was cumbersome and inefficient to get accurate information either to manage processes or to communicate with customers.

• By employing a more rigorous set of performance metrics and associated performance management system, the Account Management function would realize an immediate 10% boost in performance (~25 FTE boost). The solution elements that would comprise this new "system" included:
  
  
  • Performance measures that align with and drive Benefit Services organizational strategy.
  • Balanced set of input, process, output measures.
  • Proper mix of leading indicators (80%) and lagging indicators (20%) in conjunction with role-based and process scorecards.
  • Formalized performance management council to review/improve system over time.
    
    
• PPI designed spreadsheet templates to enable all work units involved in the implementation process to collect a standard set of metrics that will enable management and customer service staff to obtain a consistent and comprehensive view of implementation status and results on a customer level across all work units.
  
  
• The metrics standardized in the new spreadsheets should eventually be automated.
  
  
• All managers in implementation processes share a common daily report.
  
  
• Improved metrics and tracking enable better visibility of actual implementation status and increases the ability to effectively manage the process and tasks.
  
  
• End-to-end metrics allow management to track aspects of the business and process performance they could never track before.
  
  
• Other benefits included:
  
  
  • Improved decision-making and increased quality
  • Better hand-offs, either inter or intra-department
  • Elimination of duplications of effort
  • Identification/Implementation of client best practices