In the second installment of the Origami Expert Series, we sit down for a Q&A with Minda Rossman, Director of Professional Services – Shared Services at Origami Risk, to learn more about her experience in the industry and her involvement in the development of Origami’s workers’ compensation standard implementation package.
Since joining Origami Risk in December 2014, Minda Rossman has held the positions of Senior Client Executive, Service Team Lead, and Associate Director of Professional Services. In 2020, Minda was named Director of Professional Services – Shared Services for Origami’s Core Solutions division. In this role, she is responsible for solution architecture and delivery support. Minda was named a Business Insurance 2019 Break Out Award winner, an award that "recognizes the next generation of insurance industry leaders."
Q: Let’s first start with your background. Many of us at Origami already know you as one of our in-house experts when it comes to claims administration technology and Workers’ Comp claims admin technology, in particular. How did you get started working in the field?
A: I’ve been in the technology and professional services field my entire career. After starting out in the benefits administration space (pension, 401k, and healthcare plans), I spent a few years at Marsh in the mid-2000s. I then spent some time at a startup that was focused on data consolidation and analytics. When I learned about Origami and the vision that Bob and the other founders had for the organization, I was excited to step back into the insurance technology world.
Q: Over the course of your career, what are the most significant changes that you’ve seen as you’ve worked closely with clients to put new claims administration systems in place and support that technology?
A: I think the single biggest change has been the shift from locally-hosted to cloud-based systems. As Troy Michalski mentioned in a recent interview with you, this has reduced the overhead of hardware and maintenance costs and increased system accessibility. It’s also increased expectations in terms of ease of use, increased efficiencies, and faster implementation timelines. From an implementation perspective, this comes with its own set of challenges.
Read Next: Q&A with Troy Michalski — How to Select the Right Insurance Core System
Q: You recently led the effort to create Origami’s standard workers’ compensation claims administration package. What can you tell us about that initiative?
A: Our standard workers’ compensation claims administration package is one example of the investments that Origami made during 2020 to set our clients up for success. As an organization, we have years of experience successfully implementing and supporting workers’ compensation claims admin solutions. Borrowing from that collective knowledge, taking into account best practices, and leveraging our top subject matter experts, we’ve built a standard package that serves as a single starting point for every new WC claims admin client.
It’s a package that will work for P&C insurers, MGAs, self-administered organizations, risk pools, and TPAs. And we’ve already started expanding this concept to other lines of business, including auto, property, and liability, as well as to policy administration. The ultimate vision is that, with the click of a button, Origami will have the ability to quickly deploy specific configurations based on client type, lines of business, and what each client needs.
Q. How does it work for clients who need a very tailored implementation? Do they have to start with the standard product?
A. Regardless of the level of customization needed, we typically use the standard as our starting point because we find it reduces implementation timelines and costs. While there are always variations from client to client, the foundation of processing a WC claim is the same. The beauty of the standard package is that it doesn’t assume one size fits all; for those areas where variations are common, it includes multiple pre-configured options from which the client can choose. And, for those clients that require a very tailored implementation, Origami’s robust, built-in configuration tools streamline the process and make a high level of customization possible without the involvement of a developer to make changes to code.
Q: Any advice you can share for organizations that are looking at a new claims administration system — for workers’ comp or other lines of coverage?
A: First and foremost, focus on finding a technology provider with whom you can build a trusted partnership. Some of the most difficult — but ultimately rewarding — things I’ve encountered in my time at Origami have been helping new clients who had bad experience with a prior vendor. It requires a shift away from an “Us vs. Them” mentality to the realization that we’re in this together. Origami succeeds by helping our clients succeed.
Second, find a technology partner who has a proven track record of continuous improvement and innovation. The Origami product is constantly evolving, but what people on the outside don’t see is that that evolution is based not only on our own market research and knowledge of the industry, but is also based on direct feedback from our clients and our prospects; some of the best ideas for product enhancements have come from our clients.
Read Next: Workers’ Comp Challenges and Opportunities in a Post-Pandemic Economy
Q: Thanks, Minda. For the last question, let’s shift perspective. Does Origami have plans to offer a standard workers’ compensation policy administration product at some point in the near future?
A: We do. In fact, we’re already in the process of expanding the concept of standard packages into WC policy administration, including rating, documents, and integrations, for both NCCI and ISO.