According to several analyst firms, investments in claim-management systems are on the rise as organizations seek to sustain growth, service, and profitability from their claim operations. In 2003, Downey Insurance, a managing general underwriter for Indiana government entities, became part of this investment trend and industry-wide implementation explosion.

At Downey, we recognized that our existing claim system was outdated; the system lacked automation tools, web-based capabilities, and workflow management functions. We needed a more modern claim-processing infrastructure to drive operational efficiency, control costs, and improve performance far into the future. Once a system was selected, however, we were faced with the daunting task of implementing the new software, converting data from the previous system, and customizing the new solution to meet our specific needs.

As many claim managers know, system implementations can be a nightmare. Strict project management is required or the project will be delayed and go over budget. Organizations also need the right blend of claim-management experience and technical expertise in order to configure the system properly for optimal workflow, best practices, and data integrity.