When you dial into a meeting and get introduced to yet another service team replacement, your RMIS provider is under-delivering.

Many business-to-business software providers place far too much emphasis on “software” and not enough on “service.” In terms of features and functionalities, the results of such an approach may be impressive. But the imbalance comes with a cost. Subpar support is always detrimental to client success.

The importance of consistent, knowledgeable RMIS technology support is difficult to overstate. Given the increasingly complex risks every business faces and the ever-expanding role risk managers play within their organizations, a platform implemented five or more years ago may struggle to keep pace with an organization’s changing needs. A revolving door of service team personnel who need to be brought up to speed on the unique aspects of a RMIS and the risk management program it was put into place to support compounds the problem.

Founded on the principle that success comes from a balance of technology and a consistent relationship between clients and service teams, Origami Risk is different by design.

Consistency contributes to efficient and effective RMIS support

Consistency matters when it comes to achieving excellence. Take for example, the New England Patriots. Whether we like it or not, it’s no fluke that Super Bowl LIII will see the team make their eighth championship game appearance since 2001. In addition to the talent, preparation, and execution for which both men are known, a major factor in the franchise’s unprecedented success during this period is the 18-season working relationship of head coach Bill Belichick and quarterback Tom Brady.

As with a quarterback and coach, a longstanding and consistent relationship between a client and service team is likely to contribute to a deeply ingrained understanding of concepts, a shared experience of “what works when,” and the ability to communicate and make adjustments on the fly, even in the most stressful situations. At Origami Risk, the client relationship begins with system implementation and grows from there.

RMIS implementation: Just the beginning of a lasting relationship

Clients invest an incredible amount of time and resources during system implementation. Regardless of whether it’s been two weeks or two years since go-live, having to re-explain the history of an issue, walk another person through the decision-making processes, and educate a new team member or call center representative can be tremendously frustrating. Being billed for that time? Costly, frustrating, and unfair. A person who knows the details of the system—not just the hows, but the whys—is far more likely to resolve issues efficiently.

As described in detail in Different by design—Key elements in converting to Origami Risk from a legacy RMIS, the Origami team that collaborates to deliver the right solutions is the same team that provides ongoing service. There is no handoff. Rather than transferring the client to a different support team—one not involved in the implementation—or pushing clients toward a call center, the team that implements a system continues to work with that client every day going forward.

The more churn, the more clients are burned

When a vendor struggles to keep its best people, this is usually a sign it’s not putting employees in a position to succeed. Add to that the fact that recent mergers and acquisitions of RMIS providers have been followed by a significant amount of employee turnover. While this may have an initial positive impact on the vendor’s bottom line, it can have negative long-term consequences for clients.

Whether it comes as a result of insufficient support for service personnel or from a new round of layoffs, the departure of senior service team members means a loss of institutional and client system-specific knowledge. It also means those who remain are forced to carry a heavier burden. The end result is more stress and faster burnout.

For clients, one downside is being forced into a position of reeducating new members of the service team on both the hows and the whys. Another downside comes as issues crop up. When, for example, claims data present in previous months’ carrier feeds is missing from the most recent file transmission or reports don’t match up, clients often find themselves investing an inordinate amount of time and energy helping these newer team members figure out where things went wrong. In short, clients get additional work and less support.

Engaged employees? A win-win

According to a 2018 Forbes article, 87% of employees worldwide aren’t engaged in their work. The article’s author, Naz Behesti, cites Gallup’s 2017 State of the Global Workplace survey to point out some of the measurable differences between businesses with employees who are more engaged in comparison to those with employees who are less so.

The survey found that workplaces with engaged employees benefit from:

• 41% less absenteeism
• 21% greater profitability
• 17% greater productivity

These statistics are the reason employee engagement is often referred to as the holy grail for business leaders. “According to Gallup,” Behesti writes, “a highly engaged workforce means the difference between a company that outperforms its competitors and one that fails to grow. It is a matter of life or death for a business.”

Engagement doesn’t just impact the bottom line of employers. It is also better for clients. Workplaces with more engaged employees experience 24% less turnover than their competition, according to the Gallup survey. Less turnover means more stable, longer-tenured service teams.

An engaged RMIS service team

More than just a software company, Origami Risk truly values the skills, enthusiasm, and creativity of our people.

Over the past decade, an increasingly complex risk landscape and advancements in RMIS technology have meant an increased demand for upgraded support services from vendors. Yet over the same period, most RMIS vendors have invested less in professional services. The result continues to be high staff turnover followed by the hiring of less experienced replacements and an increase in the offshoring of customer support roles. Since its founding in 2009, Origami Risk has taken the opposite approach, bringing in and retaining highly skilled individuals who are capable of helping our clients make the most effective use of their RMIS.

When hiring service team members, Origami Risk focuses on hiring people who are looking to take ownership of issues, display keen problem-solving ability, have a collaborative mindset, and possess an eagerness to learn and share knowledge.

The success of this approach has led to recognition as one of the industry’s best places to work by numerous publications, including Inc. magazine, Crain’s Chicago Business, and Best and Brightest Companies. A commitment to hiring, equipping, and incentivizing members of our service team in a way that allows them to thrive as they focus on our clients’ business objectives is not only good for Origami, but also for our clients.

“As RMIS experts, solving problems and contributing to the success of our clients is why we do what we do,” proffers Different by design—Key elements in converting to Origami Risk from a legacy RMIS, an article that highlights some of the reasons underlying the company’s high level of engagement. “Navigating a bureaucratic system of sign-offs? Not so much.”

The Net Promoter Score (NPS) of RMIS providers tell the tale

Partnership with Origami Risk means that clients benefit from continuous and consistent support that helps them achieve their business goals in both the near and long term. Putting clients first and ensuring they are obtaining meaningful results has resulted, year after year, in the highest Net Promoter Score (NPS) in the industry, as measured by independent, third-party reports.

Introduced by Frederick Reichheld in a 2003 Harvard Business Review article titled The One Number You Need to Grow, NPS measures responses to a single question: How likely is it that you would recommend our company/product/service to a friend or colleague? Answers to the question are provided using a scale of 0 to 10. Promoters are those who select a 9–10, Passives a 7–8, and Detractors 0–6. The NPS, which is calculated by taking the percentage of Promoters minus the percentage of Detractors, is a metric widely used to identify technology partners that deliver superior levels of service.

Along with NPS, client success stories provide proof that Origami Risk’s approach to providing both software and support works.

While the main reason for choosing Origami several years ago was not Customer Service, I would have to say that over the years this has come to be one of your highlighted selling points! Our service rep is so responsive to any concern or need. If she does not have the answer immediately, she reaches out to others for their input for immediate resolution. Most impressive!

— Julie Bean, Risk Manager at The Duchossois Group  

Origami works great for us. Our excess carrier audit team gave Origami rave reviews for its intuitive nature during their recent claims review of our files. Our rep is always available and/or quick to address any issues.

— Evan Hauser, Deputy Law Director at Knox County, TN     

Contact us today to begin a discussion about what the right balance of innovative RMIS technology and consistent RMIS support might mean for you.