Great Eastern achieves seamless customer service with Pega

The Business Issue

Great Eastern, a leading insurer based in Singapore with over 116 years of history, serves more than 16 million policyholders. The company faced significant challenges in streamlining their customer relationship management (CRM) and enhancing their agents' productivity. Operating across multiple insurance domains, they struggled with a fragmented IT infrastructure that required agents to navigate up to ten different applications to perform daily tasks. This complexity led to underutilization of their CRM platform, creating inefficiencies and preventing Great Eastern from providing a seamless customer experience.

Agents spent excessive time logging into multiple systems, and new agents were overwhelmed by the concurrent demands of sales and system training. Additionally, certain requests were still managed through paper-based processes, complicating follow-ups and further hindering productivity.

Most importantly, the existing system also lacked a unified customer view – leading to data inconsistencies and channel conflicts. Fragmented customer data across systems made it difficult for agents to access timely and relevant information, impacting their ability to engage effectively with customers. Disconnected platforms caused channel conflicts, and scattered messaging complicated campaign tracking efforts. The COVID-19 pandemic further amplified these challenges, making digital transformation not just a strategic priority but a business imperative.

The Solution

In response to these challenges, Great Eastern embarked on a comprehensive digital transformation journey in partnership with Pega. The initiative aimed to consolidate existing applications into a unified platform, the "Great Planner," designed to streamline agents' workflows and provide a holistic 360-degree view of each customer.

The transformation process involved several strategic steps:

• Single view of the customer: Great Eastern used Pega Customer Service™ to create a harmonized view of the customer, including data and interactions, by integrating information from multiple policy administration systems. This provided agents with a comprehensive understanding of customer needs.
• Mobile-first approach: Recognizing the importance of accessibility, Great Eastern deployed the Great Planner as a mobile application using Pega Mobile. This allowed agents to access information anytime, anywhere, and improve their responsiveness.
• User-centric design: Employing design thinking principles, the company engaged agents in focus groups to co-create the application, ensuring it addressed their specific needs and preferences.
• Agile development: By transitioning from a traditional waterfall approach to an agile methodology, Great Eastern involved users throughout the development process, facilitating frequent feedback and iterative improvements.
• Change management: A robust change management strategy, including training, publicity, and ambassador programs, ensured high adoption rates among agents.

The Results

The implementation of the Great Planner application resulted in significant outcomes:

• Increased adoption and usage: Within the first month of launch, 70% of agents adopted the new application, with usage increasing to 86% on a weekly basis. This rapid adoption was achieved in half the time compared to previous systems.
• Enhanced efficiency: Agents experienced a 27% increase in application usage compared to the legacy system, significantly reducing the time spent on administrative tasks and allowing more focus on customer engagement.
• Improved customer engagement: The Great Planner's 360-degree customer view empowered agents to have more informed and personalized interactions, strengthening client relationships and enhancing customer satisfaction.
• Awards and recognition: Great Eastern was recognized with the Singapore Business Review's Digitization Award in the life insurance category for the Great Planner project, underscoring its impact and success.