Charting a strategic roadmap for going mobile

Charting a strategic
roadmap for going mobile
A health insurance firm increases member satisfaction by
steering its mobile strategy in the right direction.
Consulting
Insurance
July 2013
Client’s challenge
A US health insurance company with more than 10 million members was going mobile—
without a roadmap. Despite a lack of an overall strategy, independent business units had
begun to ask the company’s eBusiness department to develop consumer-facing mobile
apps, websites, and SMS texting services. Consequently, mobile capabilities were being
deployed without regard to overall business objectives and with no clear understanding of
members’ mobile usage patterns and preferences. This ad hoc approach resulted in an
inefficient and disorganized mobile effort, and unencrypted transmission of data via
mobile apps and devices increased security, privacy, and legal risks. The health insurance
company knew it needed to design and implement an effective, business-focused mobile
strategy, but it had been unable to gain executive buy-in and funding. It also understood
that a lack of strategy was a no-go position in today’s increasingly mobile world.
PwC’s Advisory solution
The health insurance company engaged PwC to help craft a mobile strategy roadmap that
would meet member needs and business priorities, and attain executive support. Our
team of mobile strategy specialists worked with the company’s marketing technology and
eBusiness stakeholders to understand how its members use mobile devices and apps. In
assessing the insurer’s members based on their mobile usage patterns, we found that 70%
had adopted texting and mobile web services but did not use mobile apps. Focusing on
this group, our team worked with business-unit leaders and other stakeholders to
precisely define level of mobile services necessary to meet users’ current and future
needs.
Next, we helped the company identify and categorize three business goals for its mobile
program: To reduce administrative costs, trim medical costs, and increase revenue. Initial
efforts would emphasize reducing administrative and customer support costs by creating
tools that leverage data already resident on the corporate website, such as information on
provider locations, insurance claims, and ID card numbers. Subsequent efforts would
stress reduction in medical costs by making available content such as health tips and
prescription reminders on mobile websites. Ultimately, the mobile program would
include services and apps designed to attract new members and enable them to purchase
insurance products via smartphone or tablet.
To ensure that this sequence of capabilities would be logically built out, our team of
mobile specialists leveraged a custom prioritization framework to create a phased
implementation roadmap. This planning included design of high-level reference
architecture that can be integrated into the company’s existing technology and business
ecosystem. We also helped marketing and eBusiness leaders gain executive support and
funding for the mobile roadmap by performing a cost-benefit analysis. This assessment
ensured that the mobile strategy was aligned with overall corporate objectives and
member preferences.
Impact on client’s business
The health insurance company has implemented the first phase of the mobile roadmap
and is well positioned to achieve an estimated savings of up to $50 million over five years.
While the insurer has not yet deployed analytical tools to measure the impact of the
mobile strategy, an independent annual survey found that the company’s customer
satisfaction rating increased 14% over the year before. The mobile capabilities have
created a competitive advantage that will enable the health insurance company to
continue to boost customer satisfaction and, ultimately, to enhance revenues. As a result
of this success, the company plans to significantly expand its mobile program based on
our recommendations and its current technology advances.
For more information, please visit
http://www.pwc.com/us/increasing-it-effectiveness
Or contact
Charles McNally
Manager
(410) 507-1995
[email protected]
Lloyd Smith
Principal
(678) 427-6341
[email protected]
Andrew Sofield
Principal
(917) 476-6190
[email protected]
Copyright © 2013 PwC. All rights reserved. PwC refers to the PwC network and/or one or more of its member firms, each of which is a separate legal
entity. Please see www.pwc.com/structure for further details. This content is for general information purposes only, and should not be used as a
substitute for consultation with professional advisors. This information is for general content purposes only and should not be used as a substitute for
a consultation with professional advisors.