Overview

Different company departments of our client used many different applications to solve similar problems. The customer, a global IT provider, required a solution that could serve the needs of the entire enterprise.

Challenge / Task

Develop a scalable solution that unifies different corporate systems and collects data from 30 different data sources.

Project Tasks

• Migration of legacy systems to a modern platform
• Development of a unified solution

Solution

In cooperation with the customer, IBA Group developed a web-based information system that collects data about contracts and projects from various enterprise sources. IBA Group consolidated data, workflows, and reports in a single application. As a result, it became possible to integrate contract and account management into a Customer Management Application.

The solution provides customer’s project managers and partners with a key entry point to manage and control project information as regards financial data (planning, reconciliation, and forecasting), non-financial project evaluations, and integration with backend systems.

Technically, the integrated solution runs on a cluster of three web servers connected to three DB2 servers.

Disaster recovery:

In the event of failure, the application can switch operation to another application deployed in a different cloud region.

Project Results

The newly developed solution is a modern and scalable JEE application that interacts with 30 different data sources. To date, the solution serves more than 30,000 users worldwide.

The client achieved a many-fold cost reduction in maintenance costs because multiple applications were replaced with one solution that functions across all divisions and branches of our customer.

Author: Vitězslav Košina

Mobile devices, mobile technology and mobile applications are widely different. Every now and then, we see Android smartphones of various designs and sizes that are extensively used mainly for communication, entertainment, and sharing in social networks. In business, we come across legendary iPhones and iPads with advanced applications often tailored to the needs of a particular company. Windows Phones are gradually creating their segment in the mobile market. The spectrum of mobile platforms is even wider and a variety of using mobile devices is broad as well.

Entertainment and business are only two out of many aspects of mobility. Mobile devices are also of considerable practical importance. They are able to meet specific user requirements at the right time and place. Thus, mobile applications become the right hand in finance (smart banking) and insurance.

Think, for instance, of the mobile application Pojišťovna for an insurance company. It is a case of value added insurance services, a new channel to customers, an interactive communication tool, and a useful helper in crisis situations such as traffic accidents. The hybrid extension of the Pojišťovna application allows for the search of contracted services. The developers applied an innovative approach focusing on user-friendliness while minimizing the need of additional adjustments and costs associated with future updates. This part of the application for a Czech insurance company is developed by the IBA CZ team.

Usable application may be of help to everyone
Application Pojišťovna (Insurance Company) is available not only for the clients of Česká Pojišťovna. Anyone interested in practical assistance in crisis situations is able to download it. The number of downloads is the best evidence that it makes good sense to have the application and that it brings real benefits to its users. Currently, more than a hundred thousand users run the application on their mobile phones. And the download continues, as well as the app’s gradual improvement and its enhancement with new features.

Certainly, the application is available for download from the App Store and Google Play. It is possible to get the app for Android, iOS, and Windows.

Relevant help, no need to click to another application
Mobile application Pojišťovna provides much more than just a quick and easy access to information about products and services of Česká pojišťovna. As a bonus for current and future clients, the application offers assistance when in a car accident, when looking for contractual services or places of interest (including contacts and opening hours). Technical solution involves a combination of generally known mobile applications and a website built on the Liferay technology. The result is a hybrid application that is used as an easy-to-manage web application. The user does not need to visit the website because all the functions are controlled directly from the mobile application.

To view a website through the mobile application, the so-called Webview components are used. All standard operating systems are nowadays equipped with them. The benefit of this solution for the application owner is a significant reduction of time-to-market when deploying new or editing existing content in the mobile application and thus potential cost savings. In fact, the deployment is not subject to a regular release cycle of mobile applications (up to several days for iOS), yet it is subject to a regular web publication activity. In extreme cases, it can take a couple of minutes. At the same time, the website owner doesn’t have to maintain and publish several versions of the app (iOS, Android, Windows Mobile) when making changes in the content.

This technological approach may not be suitable for all mobile scenarios. However, for a selected set of scenarios it can significantly save costs and time of publishing new content in mobile applications.

Mobile web: advantages in many situations
Depending on the position context, a mobile application can provide relevant information associated with the situation. In case of Pojišťovna, it will specify the closest branch offices or available points of service. In case of the Bene+ loyalty program, it is the list of current rewards and discounts offered by GE Money Bank to its loyal customers.

Bene+ is a GE credit card loyalty program and is another example of using mobile web to increase customer comfort. In addition to general information about the loyalty program, the participants of Bene+ immediately get the list of places where their discounts and bonuses can be used and see their locations on the active Google maps.

Unlike the Pojišťovna application, Bene+ is not a genuine mobile application, it is a full responsive website. It is available for mobiles and desktops, although technically it is a different solution. The thing they have in common is that both the part of mentioned Pojišťovna application and Bene+ website are created by the IBA CZ development team and are built on Liferay technologies.

Author: Alexei Bolotin

A leading Europe-based insurer approached us, aiming to optimize processing of client requests. This company offers many types of risk protection, including medical, auto, cargo, mortgage/homeowner’s insurance, and property protection coverage.

The insurer sought to find a solution that would streamline their procedures and automate client request processing, reduce their error rate, and cut down on client request processing time. We offered a solution that was based on the Camunda platform and included our EasyRPA platform to optimize client request processing, significantly reducing the error rates and processing times.

Goals

Our goal for this project was to develop and implement a client request processing solution. The solution needed to streamline and automate client request processing while enhancing the system’s efficiency and accuracy. The ultimate goal of this endeavor was to strengthen the company’s competitive position in the insurance market.

Background and Challenges

When the insurance company approached us, they were grappling with inefficient client request processing (i.e., insurance policy request processing). Many client requests took 7-8 hours to process, often riddled with manual data entry errors.

Data discrepancies led to inaccuracies in customer information. Ultimately, these errors led to loss, resulting in the provision of erroneous insurance offers to clients. In a market like insurance, saturated with heavy competition, inaccuracies pose significant challenges and deter potential clients.

Project Stages and Implementation

Like many of our projects, we took the discovery and implementation process through several steps to ensure that IBA Group and the insurance company were on the same page.

Initial Analysis: We conducted a detailed review of the existing business processes at the insurance company so we could fully understand the functionality.

Bottleneck Identification: In a follow-up to the initial analysis, we identified in the processes and systems the weak points that were causing the slowdowns and delays in the client request processing. Core Issues Analysis: The project team also analyzed the issues that arose from manual data entry errors and led to the issuance of unattractive offers to clients.

Technical Solution Selection: Based on the identified bottlenecks and re-issuance concerns, the project team selected Camunda to orchestrate all process activities and RPA to substitute manual tasks.

Automation Using EasyRPA with AI Module: We implemented three robots that significantly expedited and enhanced the customer request processing procedure. They automatically processed the data, and recognized, classified and generated the necessary documents in the system.

Process Automation Using Camunda: Our team has created a new process using Camunda that orchestrates the work between humans, robots, and other customer systems in an efficient way.

• Integration with CRM: Camunda automatically transfers client data to CRM, where the new client is created or client data is verified. This significantly reduces the risk of errors.
• Integration with other client systems: Camunda calls the existing quotes calculation module and the module that creates client documents. This reduces the client documents preparation time and excludes human intervention.
• Approval and Notification Steps: Camunda creates tasks for the managers in the tasklist for final quote approval and notifies the client about the decision on insurance quotes upon the final approval.

Training and Demonstration: On project completion, we conducted a workshop for our client with a demo of the new application.

Solution Highlights

Ultimately, our solution met the needs of the client and was a successful choice. I would like to single out several highlights within the solution we implemented.

• Process Automation with Camunda: Camunda allows for process automation and different tasks orchestration, resulting in the reduced quotes preparation time and level of the human intervention.
• Integration: A wide range of Camunda connectors and APIs facilitate seamless integration between different systems. As a result, client data is synchronized with the CRM system, and EasyRPA robots are incorporated into the process without the need of human intervention.
• EasyRPA Automation: Incorporating three robotic processes improved and accelerated the client request processing mechanism. The deployed robots that use an AI module streamlined data processing with automatic data recognition, classification, and document generation capabilities.
• Process Conclusion: The entire process is complete once all stages are successfully executed and the client is duly informed about the outcome.

Benefits for the Customer

The solution presented several outstanding benefits for the insurance company, which they were able to experience right away.

• Faster application processing
• Personalized and appealing insurance quotes for customers
• Streamlined process with fewer forms to fill out and a hassle-free user experience

Results & Metrics

The measurable results of the project implementation speak for themselves. The Insurance company was extremely satisfied with the results, which included:

• The average processing time for an insurance application slashed from several hours to just 20-30 minutes
• The implementation led to a 12% increase in signed insurance policies
• A whopping 87% of documents are now accurately recognized and classified
• The error rate plummeted by 80% because of the automated data transfer

By focusing our solution on customer-centricity and integrating state-of-the-art technologies like Camunda and RPA, we were able to boost the profile of the insurance company. The company is now positioned as a premier choice in the market, with a reputation for providing swift and accurate service.

Lessons Learned in this Project

One of the best parts of any successful implementation is the ability to learn. We can often use similar solutions to assist customers in the future. Based on IBA Group’s research and experience from this project, we offer the following conclusions and recommendations for clients encountering comparable challenges.

Focus on Customer-Centric Solutions: Today’s clients value their time. Companies must immerse themselves in the customer’s perspective and ensure they provide services tailored to the needs of their target audience.

Quick Response to Inquiries: Clients expect speed and responsiveness. Potential customers want prompt answers to their questions. Aim to reduce waiting and processing times to meet clients’ desire for immediate feedback.

Business Process Automation: Leverage contemporary IT solutions and tools to automate business processes. Platforms like Camunda notably improve request processing efficiency and minimize errors.

Integration with EasyRPA: Robotic Process Automation (RPA) can dramatically lessen manual tasks and boost data processing precision. Think about weaving EasyRPA into your operational processes—how can automation help streamline your procedures?

Staying Up with the Latest Technologies: The service market is intensely competitive. Firms that keep pace with evolving trends and harness cutting-edge technologies position themselves at the forefront. Prioritize innovation to hold onto your market edge.

Staff Training: Ensure your team has the training, skills, and knowledge to navigate modern tech and automation systems.

Monitoring Feedback: Regularly collecting client and staff feedback is crucial for refining business processes and tools.

In today’s dynamic insurance landscape, the emphasis is on swift, tailored services and integrating the latest technological advancements. To keep pace and stay competitive, it’s essential to prioritize customer-centric solutions, embrace automation, and continuously update staff skills and company systems.

At IBA Group, we have successfully navigated these challenges and are ready to guide you through your next transformation. Let’s work together to shape a future that benefits your business and your clients.

The Big Data market has transformed how most IT services are bought and sold. Often the customer is a business leader, rather than the CIO, and services are already available, rather than needing to be designed from the ground up.

The Big Data market has transformed how most IT services are bought and sold. Often the customer is a business leader, rather than the CIO, and services are already available, rather than needing to be designed from the ground up.

IT leaders often look at other companies to see what they are doing, it’s usually known as best practice, but what if the entire market is in a state of flux? Some IT companies are now delivering radically different solutions to others. Innovations like the app store concept and cloud based solutions are changing the way that IT services are delivered globally, so how can changes in the Big Data market change how the entire IT industry behaves?

Techrepublic magazine recently outlined some important changes in how IT leaders think about their marketplace. Think of these 5 different changes as examples of what is changing and how it can influence the behaviour of IT leaders:

1.    Off the shelf analytic solutions like Watson from IBM have been customised to be used across many different industry verticals. It’s the same system, but modified for different environments and it can therefore offer immediate results. Everyone is looking for a rapid return on investment today.
2.    Commodity hardware offers a great platform for storage if you are going to keep your data and analytics system internal, rather than in the cloud.
3.    More companies are relying on their suppliers for expertise and innovation today. These are true partnerships now, not just outsourcing arrangements where the cheapest supplier gets the project.
4.    Analytics reporting systems like SAS are still important because they have been tested and developed over so many years, but also because the users are really familiar with the way these systems work. Familiarity is important.
5.    Real time processing systems are changing the way that physical infrastructure is designed and deployed. Look at SAP HANA for an example of how systems using memory in new ways are now feeding back into the design of the physical servers and databases.

What do you think about the lessons from Big Data? Have you seen other ways in which IT is more generally changing because of the way that Big Data is influencing IT strategy?

Author: Andrew Dvirnyk

Previously, we have talked about different designations for systems, applications, and solutions. Specifically, we dove into the differences between Blackbox and Whitebox approaches for evaluating, diagnosing, and resolving incidents and systems issues. Today, we are taking a closer look at applications. Specifically, we are looking at the following question: what is an upstream application; and what is a downstream application. Moreover, we are examining the difference between an upstream application vs. a downstream application and how to resolve issues efficiently for both.

These questions matter for developers, engineers, and other stakeholders who work with enterprise systems and who manage and maintain business applications running on mainframe. These rely on readiness, sustainability, and the ability to provide services and deliverables without interruption.

Upstream vs. Downstream Applications

When we talk about upstream vs. downstream, we are talking about the direction of the flow of data.

To get at what is flowing where, we look at upstream vs. downstream in the context of systems. In the case of upstream, we are looking at the application sending the data to another application. On the other hand, in the case of a downstream system, we are seeing that data flow in a different direction. In the case of downstream, we receive data.

How Appulse Handles Upstream and Downstream Applications in the Field

Our IBA Group developers handle multiple downstream and upstream applications when resolving issues for our clients. This vantage point gives us the unique ability to attack problems when they happen and to provide solutions that not only resolve an issue in the moment, but also create pathways for faster issues resolution over time. The Appulse from IBA Group is an important resource for helping us create and maintain solutions of this type.

Let’s take a real-world example from the field. In the field, we see that multiple functions on a system are separate. However, even though these functions are separate, they are linked to each other as part of an overall process. Many times, these are the exact processes that are most important for keeping a business running. And running well.

Critical Issues

One perfect example that our developers recently encountered is what happens when issues arise with invoicing and billing. Certainly, invoicing and billing are ultimately part of one overall process. However, on the system, invoicing and billing applications are separate.

In this case, our clients had an invoicing application that was abandoned during the night.  Now, no matter what your business is, you can understand the severity of this particular situation. Our first step to resolving the issue was to determine what created the abandonment of the application. Our developers discovered that it was a small error. However, that small error created a big problem. On the side of the business, the critical point was that the invoice-billing bridge became disconnected. This one disconnection point, of course, created a ripple effect of problems.

The next day, when users came to work, the batch of invoices from the previous day was not available due to the abandoned interface. However, our engineers were able to isolate the problem within the flow of data and re-set the invoice-billing bridge. As a result, users were again able to access all the information they needed to continue performing the critical business functions that make up their days.

When a Small Process has a Significant Impact

There are many examples of scenarios like this. What is most important, both when we are talking about upstream vs. downstream applications, and when we are identifying how to create solutions that mitigate the damage of business interruptions, is that one small part of a process can have a significant impact. It may be payment or billing creation. It may be online transactions that are abandoned (for any number of reasons). Or it may be a situation in which users are simply not able to conduct business as they expect to, and as they need to.

All this drives home just how important every business application is to the overall operation, and to the spectrum of customers you serve.

There is No Time to Waste

Understanding the stakes of business applications this way makes it even more clear that there is no time to waste when it comes to resolving even the small issues that arise. More to the point, there is no time to wait!

We have seen cases in which users are left waiting for reports for long periods of time. These lengthy waits occur because lengthy analysis is required for management. They wait because they think there is no other choice. They need the information. However, if the criticality of the application or operation in question is deemed low overall, an important process ends up getting stopped or abandoned. This makes the task of operational support exponentially more difficult. It also means that small problems grow bigger, faster.

We use Appulse to help operational support generate incident tickets   more quickly and efficiently. Appulse automatically creates incident tickets and assigns them to appropriate support groups. Those support groups are responsible for specific business application.

And we use experience management to help individuals with business applications working on mainframe. Taken together, this means that systems – and the multiple applications that run on them – run more smoothly, more efficiently, and more effectively.

How Appulse Helps in Upstream and Downstream Scenarios

Data moves upstream and downstream. The problems that interrupt the data flow between applications tend to be more critical. The solutions those problems require, therefore, are also critical. And they are not always simple.

In many ways, the genius of Appulse (and certainly one of the chief utilities of Appulse) is the ways in which it assists developers and engineers in both upstream and downstream scenarios. Appulse is able to “learn” each time we asses a given scenario. Once Appulse learns, it provides developers, engineers, and those in charge of support the functionality necessary to execute their own solutions. And to store those solutions in as templates. Those templates are then ready for the future, making issues resolution easier and faster over time.

Having access to these processes and solutions through Appulse, across upstream and downstream applications, means that the response and resolution time for our developers and engineers improves significantly. And we deliver a better result faster for our clients and their customers.

Having Appulse in our arsenal makes it easier for us, and for our clients and their customers to benefit from the work we do. It saves us time. It makes us smarter, more reliable, and more efficient. And it does the same for the systems that keep all our businesses running.

Author: Aleh Lapushanski

Several years ago, a client specializing in provision and maintenance of financial systems addressed IBA Group with a request to maintain the design and development, and provide ongoing support of a receivable system application built on IBM z/OS.

The client’s product is a financial system that manages accounts receivable functions and assures correct accounting procedures. Installed in a centralized location with online access to individual branches, the app meets corporate and country-level business control requirements to ensure that billings and payments are recorded properly.

Challenges and Solution Highlights

#1

The first big challenge for our team was the consolidation of the Asia-Pacific South region’s branch with the main one. The APS system was supported by a team of six people, the mainframe experts supporting a similar application for the Asia Pacific South region.

The resource manager together with SME experts from our side closed all staffing requests, including hiring, adoption, education, and knowledge transfer, enlarging the team by three people. After nine months of work, the consolidation was successfully completed.

#2

The second task for IBA Group was to support the dispute management system. Our challenge was to provide L3 and L2 support for a new application that was previously supported by another team.

After a few months of training, the client transferred support of this system to our team and we closed all staffing requests, enlarging our team by three people.

#3

The third well-known challenge, and one faced by companies around the world, was the pandemic. Everybody had to move from the office to remote work and our customer was concerned whether the team would be able to ensure the same level of service working from home as from the office.

At that time, IBA Group was responsible for supporting applications and developing fixes and new requirements set by the business. We managed to do it by introducing additional meetings, Slack communication, and organized teamwork — actually improving quality.

Benefits the Client Received by Moving from Outstaffing to Service

1. A technical and business-oriented team that could work remotely with the delivery, resource, and iteration managers who participated in all stages of the software development and delivery cycle. This included discovery, development, UT/UAT/E2E testing, and deployment, providing stable production support without SLA breakage and ensuring business continuity

2. A customer application portfolio that is supported by one team in one location, providing more flexibility and confidence

3. Education, hiring, adoption, knowledge transfer, and replacement activities have been moved from the customer to the service provider

4. Staff turnover reduced from 20% to 10%

5. Communication channels for operational activities in Slack, separate channels for large projects, and email TaskID continue to be monitored 24/7 by IBA Group specialists

6. Stable development and production support for the accounts receivable system and dispute management systems in EMEA, APS, LA, and Canada. Daily on-call support without SLA breakage, ensuring business continuity.

Author: Mark Hillary

It’s always great to see when the new issue of Intelligent Sourcing arrives. It’s updated all the time online, but there is still something nice about seeing a collection of news bound together in a real magazine. I know that’s old fashioned, but a quarterly business journal is like a collection of thoughts from that time.

The issue is focused on innovation and I contributed a column that you can read if you click the later link to the magazine. Although my article was a focus on Customer Experience (CX) innovation, as I read it again I noticed that so many of the specific innovations I was documenting require technology expertise.

This is quite a change from the days when customer experience was called customer service and involved nothing more than a contact centre full of phones. Handling interactions between customers and brands today is highly complex and operates across a number of channels. Here are some of the key areas shaping CX innovation today as outlined in the Intelligent Sourcing feature:

Customer expectations and journey; interacting with customers today takes place 24/7 across many different channels (including social) and involves thinking about a 50-year ongoing relationship with the customer, not just managing a single phone call.

Technology; almost every emerging technology you can think of is being applied to the customer relationship. To list just a few – Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning, Augmented Reality, Virtual Reality, Robotics, location awareness, cloud computing, the app store. All these technologies are being shaped and influenced by the way that brands are using them to interact with real customers.

Automation; Robotic Process Automation (RPA) is being extensively deployed as a tool to make customer service agents more efficient. The blend between digital service and human service is now one of the most important areas of research in this field.

Customer-centricity; new companies can design their entire service around what customers want in an age of smartphones. There is no need to copy how a bank or insurance company operates – especially if they designed their processes many years ago. This is having an enormous impact on traditional brands that are being challenged by brand new companies that can deliver services better.

CX and Business Process Outsourcing is often presented as an entirely separate type of business that is unconnected to what IT service companies are doing, but I believe that most of the innovation taking place in CX is being driven by IT. In fact, many of the IT experts are now becoming experts in areas such as RPA and that means they are rapidly becoming CX experts. The market for technology services is changing and CX innovation is creating many of these new opportunities.

Background

Originally, all the information needed to manage cargo transportation was a collection of tables. A better user experience was required to enable them to work faster and make better decisions.

Business Challenge

Introduce a new process that would make it easier for users to manage data and speed up decision making.

Solution

Each service in the customer’s system contains information about cargo transportation. For example, a cargo needs to be transported from point A to point B on another continent. Accordingly, the company’s employees need to determine the route for delivery, find a vessel suitable for cargo placement, issue all documents, arrange shipping, deliver the cargo, and collect statistics.

Instead of presenting all data in tables, we decided to display services on a map. For this purpose, a system was developed for analyzing the route network and using it in planning. Ports, vessels, types of containers and information about availability and maintenance of vessels are located on the map.

Further, we decided to supplement the functionality with real-time tracking of vessels and developed a system of on-line monitoring. Some of the information is in the public domain (the type of vessel, its heading and speed), and some is in the private domain (cargo, loading relative to the waterline). A map is available in the application, which shows all the vessels of the customer and the customer’s partners.

Later we also developed an analytical system for generating reports, uploading and downloading files, and comparing various metrics. In addition, the information became available to a wider range of people, including the company’s partners.

Result

The company achieved more extensive process automation. Decision-making speed has increased because fewer people are able to process more information. Now the system supports 120 services and more than 800 vessels.

Background

The customer is the company’s business unit engaged in training management. Previously, reports on the implementation of training programs were prepared manually: they collected data from various training systems and summarized them.

Business Challenge

The company has several training apps that collect a variety of data about students, instructors, and training programs. This data needs to be collected in one system and automate the reporting process.

Solution

Since it was required to build a solution framework in a short time, we decided to use an open source solution. The IBA Group team developed a test version of the data warehouse with integrated Tableau BI system. Dashboards and reports are now created in this software.

The challenge of the project was that the various applications of the training platforms had to be taught to communicate with each other. For example, there is an application where employees take courses and another application where they provide feedback on these courses. The task was to write a utility that would automatically forward users after completing the courses to the feedback page which already contained the details of the course.

Result

Previously, report preparation using MS Excel took about a week. Now this process is fully automated with a ready-made dashboard in Tableau.

The customer is also able to track and analyze the content: demand for courses, percentage of fully-completed courses, and number of certificates received by students.

The largest IT project in Germany in the last 2 years.

Background

The company’s operators use about 5.5 thousand internal applications. They monitor the loading of cargo on ships, provide commercial analysis, and assess financial performance. These applications are isolated and have different interfaces.

Business Challenge

Create a new application development solution with a single interface.

Solution

A team of architects reviewed the current system and business processes. It was decided to use one set of front-end libraries when developing new applications. So they can use the same UI.

The new solution can significantly reduce development costs, because it allows creating a large number of applications, keeping them in the same style and using the same architectural approaches.

Result

About 20% of applications are already using the new UI. The rest should switch to it within 2 years.