Increased tempo for development projects
In 2009, we reduced our travel expenses by EUR 400,000 by using online meetings and video conferences in our projects and for other internal meetings.
Karl Mårtensson, Maintenance Manager
Zurich Insurance has increased the tempo of its development projects thanks to a high-performance web-based project tool with great accessibility. Zurich Insurance manages international projects with exacting demands for security and availability – something a web-based solution can satisfy. The company chose Projectplace, and the reduced need for travel has resulted in major savings.
Background
Zurich Insurance is the world's second largest insurer in general corporate business. The company has 200 employees, 700 customers and six offices in the Nordic region alone. This strong bond with the local market improves understanding of the risks customers face and how these can be managed.
The development department at Zurich Insurance in Stockholm is responsible for developing solutions suitable for other markets served by this global concern. Despite there usually being a common starting point for solutions whatever the market, there are differences that require local market adaptation, which the development department must take into account. This requires close communication between the department, the business development teams in each country, and the Programme Director, who is based in Switzerland.
There is effective cooperation between the business development team and the development department in Sweden, but it is equally important that there be effective cooperation with other countries too. This makes great demands of communication and possibilities for cooperation. The group's shared intranet cannot meet these demands for a variety of reasons. This is due in part to the intranet being based on the requirements of the group's head office, and also to the fact that the majority of employees do not have editing rights. In other words, the intranet has not been designed to promote cooperation and support projects.
Use of a shared server also causes difficulties for a financial services provider like Zurich Insurance. The possibilities for access change as personnel and consultants in the various countries join or leave the company, which means an extensive work process. Zurich Insurance therefore has need of simplified access and a tool that helps project participants in all countries to access shared documents and other materials.
Needs
In many cases, development projects involve external consultants, who require access to the same functions and need to be able to work in the same documents and with the same terminology as the rest of the project team. When document versions are amended, all project members, both internal and external, must be able to access the latest version. The key, therefore, is active version management. The ability to access information and make decisions at different stages of the process quickly and easily is also vital.
In businesses like this, it is not unusual to find several people working in the same document at the same time. This makes demands of the tool's ability to manage any conflict as it arises, for example, when different versions of one and the same document are saved. Occasionally, there is also a need to be able to return to earlier versions.
In addition to a common project platform, Zurich Insurance also needs a solution that allows for communication in real-time. In connection with telephone and video conferences, the company has to be able to share documents, with everyone having access to the same information. In short, cooperation of this kind needs to be given every chance to function smoothly. Consequently, the business development teams in each individual market become more involved and start to feel a greater sense of commitment in terms of development. The financial crisis led Zurich Insurance to increase its use of video and telephone conferences, as a means of both reducing costs and becoming even more efficient.
As for individual participants, they need the IT tool to be intuitive. It needs to be easily accessible from a variety of web browsers, as well as from the Citrix solution already employed by Zurich Insurance. Access to the tool must not be restricted in terms of someone logging on from another domain, as approximately 40 percent of its users will be external consultants, etc.
From a management perspective, the tool must be able to support reporting to project sponsors and “steering groups”. In multinational clusters, these are often in a different geographical location to the development department. This has implications for discipline as well as project leaders, who have to ensure that all information is accessible.
Results
Having reviewed its needs, Zurich Insurance decided that Projectplace was the solution best able to satisfy those needs. The company began using the tool in 2007, and right from the start it appeared that this was a simpler and better solution than the company's own infrastructure.
Each project, as mentioned previously, entails a lot of communication. Projectplace gives employees and other project members the opportunity to get involved, with the process continuing as usual and with clear uninterrupted communication. With Projectplace, processes can continue to be driven forward towards the desired objectives.
As regards efficiency, the use of video conferences in combination with the online meeting function offered by Projectplace has enabled Zurich Insurance to make considerable savings. During 2009, savings on travel expenses alone amounted to almost EUR 400,000 – all because the company has chosen video conferences over physical meetings. In addition to financial savings, there are also considerable time savings to be made. Without the need for travel Zurich Insurance can arrange shorter meetings more frequently. Easier coordination also makes projects and the business as a whole more efficient.
The ability to organise web conferences via Projectplace proved particularly useful in the aftermath of the eruption of the Icelandic volcano Eyjafjallajökull. The resulting ash cloud grounded aircraft throughout large parts of Europe, proving just how valuable web conference facilities and a collaboration tool such as Projectplace can be. Using Projectplace, Zurich Insurance was able to hold all scheduled meetings and maintain the pace of projects, despite not being able to meet in person.
According to Zurich Insurance, performance and accessibility are the primary benefits associated with Projectplace, closely followed by financial advantages. These two factors are of vital importance in determining how Zurich Insurance manages and wants to manage projects. With these needs satisfied, Zurich Insurance has been able to maintain a higher tempo in its projects than would otherwise have been the case.
“Performance and accessibility were our top priorities when choosing a project tool.”