Poof! Goes the Paper

The Mather Companies, founded in 1983, has become a hot purveyor of group insurance to companies and other organizations in the Maryland and Washington, D.C., area. Its secret: Savvy use of Internet and networking technology to create a customer service experience that is light-years ahead of most insurance companies. Sales soared 71% from 1997 to 1998 and climbed another 42% in 1999. "Many of the most significant new customers who have come to us over the past 18 months cite our leading-edge services as the primary reason," says Maureen W. Tierney, a marketing consultant to the company.

Good communication-with colleagues, underwriters, and customers-is central to the company's success. Virtually all internal information is exchanged electronically, and e-mail is fast replacing fax, voice, and snail mail in customer dealings. Employees who used to search for paper forms can now access them via the Internet, thanks to an imaging system that scans in enrollment paperwork within 15 minutes of its arrival.

Among Mather's Web tools are BrokerLink, which gives brokers direct access to client account information; Online Enrollment, which lets insured organizations add or delete employees from policies; and AccountLink, which allows brokers and customers to retrieve billing histories, coverage levels, and other data.

The Internet has also transformed the way Mather sells insurance. A Web tool called Netmatch 2000 gives it access to more than 800 plans and the ability to search, based on specific criteria, to help select an optimal plan for a client. It also lets the company's brokers customize proposals to include anything from census analyses to details about alternative plans. Because everything is online, they have immediate access to information that used to take as much as two weeks to pull together. Yet another online resource, ProviderLink, can quickly answer the question brokers hear most, "Is my doctor in the network?"

"The Internet is a primary driver in Mather's strategic planning," says Tierney. "We will continue to invest heavily in network-based resources and lead the market in technology-based solutions."