Over the course of 15 months, BBTIndividual was introduced at the Swiss association for joint tasks of health insurers (SVK) and went live without a hitch on January 3, 2024. Although it was necessary to switch to an all-encompassing core solution, the SVK did not see it as a mere necessity, but as an opportunity to replace its long-standing and established data processing system in one step. This made it possible to implement operational organizational plans that had long been in the pipeline. BBTIndividual, our software solution for the day-to-day business of the health insurer, is ideally suited to the needs of the SVK, which operates in specialized areas.

By Ivana D’Addario, Marketing Manager at BBT

The SVK was particularly keen to acquire a solid core application that would shed light on the organically grown operational processes in order to establish uniform processes across all areas and thus achieve even more efficient handling within the individual processing steps. At the same time, the digital transformation had to be driven forward, for example with the introduction of a fully electronic billing process or by automating applications for cost approvals, which have primarily been submitted to the SVK via online forms since the beginning of the year. In general, SVK Managing Director Roger Schober was keen to adapt the standard software only to the requirements most necessary for the company. «Basically, we have adapted our operational processes to the software and not the other way around», he says. This simplifies both the maintenance and upkeep of the core solution, while also reducing costs and increasing efficiency.

Working in the background

The SVK was founded in 1953 and, as an association, provides specialized services for its affiliated health insurers and institutional customers. Largely invisible to the public, the SVK carries out tasks such as assessments and clarifications in the special areas of medication, transplants, dialysis, proton radiation, artificial nutrition at home, mechanical home ventilation and coordination with the invalidity insurance. As a service provider, the association checks incoming applications for cost approval in the name and on behalf of its customers, issues these and checks the incoming invoices from the service providers, which are then forwarded to the customers for payment. In addition, the SVK negotiates and maintains the contracts relevant to its divisions.

As with most companies, the aforementioned areas at SVK also have individual technological requirements, which is why each department worked with its own stand-alone solution until BBTIndividual was implemented. Although on the same basis from the same provider, they were individually designed. For many years, the SVK used a total of nine individually managed versions of the software to handle its diverse day-to-day business, which is now covered by BBTIndividuall as a complete solution. However, the complexity of integrating a single and completely new software was not only challenging due to the peripheral systems alone, but above all due to the migration of the data, as this is highly sensitive at SVK. The aspects of information security and data protection were therefore of particular importance.

Agile project management as the answer

The fact that BBTIndividual could be introduced into the SVK’s IT landscape largely without disruption was primarily due to the agile project management that is also common at BBT. With this flexible project management method, the development and testing of the software was divided into several sub-areas and stages. The project proceeded iteratively, i.e. step by step in so-called sprints. In the end, there were a total of ten of these, one every six weeks. This made it possible to react immediately to short-term changes and unforeseen events. One of the reasons why this approach was relevant for the SVK was that the requirements of the new Federal Act on Data Protection became known during the project and could be incorporated. Transparent communication between all those involved and clear responsibilities were also crucial, not only during the project but also beyond.

Because the agile project method meant that employees were only able to familiarize themselves with the functionality of the new system in stages and not throughout, intensive training sessions were held two months before the roll-out. These accompanied the SVK team throughout the change process, «because the introduction of BBTIndividual was like a heart and lung transplant for all of us – a major and rare operation», says Roger Schober. It also allowed SVK employees to pass on feedback to our developers. Roger Schober adds: «BBTIndividual was by far the SVK’s biggest and most critical project», but today everyone is happy to have taken this necessary development step and to be prepared for many years to come.

After dedicating his professional life exclusively to BBT, Christian Treyer now works as a Senior Security Engineer for the global Volaris Group, headquartered in Toronto. Quite a long way from home, you might think, but in fact he is still very close to BBT. Not only because he has recently joined BBT’s parent company, but also because «his» BBT is part of the security portfolio that he looks after.

By Ivana D’Addario, Marketing Manager at BBT

Christian Treyer was already responsible for security at BBT. Now at Volaris, he looks after the security of 40 different global companies in the technology solutions sector for insurance companies, banks and credit institutions. He travels a lot or works from home. His new job involves regularly visiting and auditing these companies to ensure that they are actually practicing the required IT and data security. The imposed catalog is undoubtedly a challenging task, as it contains around 50 criteria that companies must operationalize in favour of cyber security. However, once fulfilled, this not only creates the security structure, but also a basis for technical forensics in the event of an incident. As a result, Christian’s job naturally also involves keeping his finger on the pulse of cyber times in terms of threats and risks, vulnerabilities, trends and technologies. To do this, he also has to navigate the darknet and use appropriate tools to search for stolen data or carry out ethical hacking. This is the only way he can effectively advise and coach the companies assigned to him so that they ultimately become more secure – and stay that way.

As a former security officer at BBT, Christian is ideally suited to this task. On the other hand, as a former entrepreneur at a software company, he sees the topic of cyber security with different eyes. «As an entrepreneur, you not only bear the full security risk, but also have sleepless nights when the going gets tough», says the 45-year-old. He has transferred this responsibility to Volaris, at least in practical terms; BBT was sold to the buy-and-hold acquirer Volaris in 2017. But not emotionally. His heart still belongs to BBT. «BBT has always been my family. If BBT needs me, I’m there immediately and at all times», he adds caringly.

Christian’s life’s work

27 years at BBT. Until Christian’s move to Volaris at the end of 2023, he had never worked anywhere other than BBT since he was a 17-year-old high school student. Back then, in 1995, he and his fellow student Malte Bögershausen were asked by Hermann Biner – then a math and IT teacher at the high school of Brig – to take part in a software development project for health insurance companies. Both agreed and BBT Software GmbH was officially founded just nine months later, with the acronym of the founders’ names Biner, Bögershausen and Treyer chosen as the company name. Thus Christian, the T of BBT, had already created a life’s work as a teenager.

Six years after the takeover by Volaris, Christian came across an attractive job advertisement on the Group’s internal HR portal for a Senior Security Engineer in the team of Volaris Portfolio IT Director Kevin Couto. Initially without great expectations, he inquired about the vacancy – and was ultimately accepted. Despite all his love for BBT, he then decided to break new ground and move to Volaris.

He had already broken new ground when he sold BBT. So he is a little used to parting ways with BBT. «The takeover of BBT by Volaris in 2017 was a very difficult and at the same time wonderful moment for me», says Christian. He sinks into his thoughts for a moment, looking in a different direction. «I asked myself the question What have I done? The change of culture, being part of a group for the first time and the associated working methods as well as efficiency expectations of Volaris were not always easy for me and BBT as a family-run, down-to-earth Swiss SME», he says. But he soon got used to it, because «thanks to Volaris, BBT has developed into a noticeably more mature and secure company». BBT has benefited greatly from Volaris’ extensive SME experience and has reached a completely new level in the area of IT security, for example.

This is precisely thanks to Volaris’ corporate philosophy, which follows the decentralized «buy and hold forever» business model. Volaris buys software companies and holds them forever – or vice versa: never sells them. The founders’ former life’s work is thus preserved and, what’s more, continuously expanded. At the same time, the companies retain a high degree of autonomy.

The common denominator

Christian joins colleagues at Volaris, some of whom, like him, are former founders and entrepreneurs. «When I talk to other former company owners, there is always one key common denominator: the big worries about the future are gone, because the company’s continued existence is assured». In addition, the newly experienced freedom that they now enjoy as employees is good. Then he smiles and adds: «I didn’t know that at all. And I really enjoy it!»

We wish Christian all the best in his future career and life. And we can say this at this point: We miss you. Come and visit us again soon.

Since summer 2023, we have been offering insurers another way to reduce bureaucracy – with a new, highly powerful mobile app for their policyholders. The artificial intelligence it uses manages to improve and simplify document management to such an extent that it becomes a game changer.

By Ivana D’Addario, Marketing Manager at BBT

So far, apps for digital document management are nothing new – but what does an insurer do when its customer submits a document electronically that is barely legible and cannot be processed by the system? The problem is well known: older mobile devices with cameras that only allow for moderate image quality, or low-quality and low-resolution scans can cause quite a lot of manual background work when digitizing documents. Yet the purpose of digital document management is precisely to increase the degree of automation and dark processing. Or, conversely, to avoid generating additional work processes that tie up valuable human resources. So it was clear to us: with AI as an integral component, a new app is a real solution for insurers. The further optimization of the entire process within document management is also a decisive advantage.

For the development of the new application, we teamed up with soxes AG in Bubikon, a partner for innovative IT solutions. soxes has over 20 years of experience when it comes to turning individual, visionary and creative technological projects into reality. With over 600 completed projects and more than 300 satisfied customers, soxes is the ideal partner for this BBT project.

This is how it worked

Insured persons were first given access to their insurance data and invoices via a web portal. In a second step, soxes developed and implemented an initial version of the new mobile application, which insured persons could use to scan their documents for further processing. As expected, the quality of the submitted scans left much to be desired. The third step therefore called for an improvement in the digital scanning function. To solve the known problem pragmatically, soxes integrated an external software development kit (SDK). With advanced image processing techniques based on artificial intelligence, the quality of the scan images was increased many times over. Even with weak mobile cameras, flawless scans were now produced so that they could be processed and saved automatically using technology.

soxes finally extended the mobile app with isolated instances that are independent and inaccessible to anyone. This means that it can be used as a white label, which means that other insurance companies interested in this solution can offer it to their policyholders as their own. And best of all: in addition to the fact that even low-quality scans can be created simply, quickly and easily with this mobile app, there are only minimal development costs for company-specific adaptations.

Interested?

Contact

Dominik Bardenhofer, CCO
+41 41 455 30 87
dominik.bardenhofer@bbtsoftware.ch

At the beginning of March 2023, BBT smoothly transferred all the data of FKB – the Liechtenstein health insurance company – to the new hosting structure within three weeks. The fact that FKB, with its almost one hundred years of eventful history and cost-conscious philosophy is convinced by BBTHosting, is motivated by various factors.

By Ivana D’Addario, Marketing Manager at BBT

Managed hosting is a term that can throw small and medium-sized companies around, as BBT knows from experience and empathy. The reasons are many and varied, ranging from limited or lacking IT resources to a lack of time to manage their own server to growing IT infrastructures and the associated increasingly complex server capacity planning. In addition, the topic of IT security has gained immense importance in hosting – and has therefore long since taken on a highly emotional, business-critical significance.

State-of-the-art data and cyber security

Not least because of cyber and data security, BBT and IT service provider Centris have been working together on hosting since June 2022, after BBT successfully provided and maintained hosting for BBTIndividual customers itself for many years. Other motives led to this logical step, such as optimizing performance and increasing system availability or even climate protection considerations. By outsourcing the scalable hosting infrastructure to Centris, BBT can offer its customers state-of-the-art data and cyber security as well as high performance – despite all the firewalls. Nothing will change for customers as a result of the partnership between Centris and BBT, as BBT will continue to be responsible for application management. The health insurers that are part of the customer base therefore continue to enjoy first-class BBTHosting support.

The internal technical advantages of the collaboration are also convincing: BBT operates an independent, isolated network at Centris, which consists of shared and separate customer systems. The shared systems cover the basic requirements of all customers, i.e. systems that all customers need equally are run on these basic servers. In turn, BBT configures the separate customer servers specifically according to the needs of its clientele and integrates its comprehensive protection systems. Both customers and BBT administrators can access the virtual servers remotely.

And it is precisely this overall package that is the plus for FKB, which has enshrined in its mission statement that it will not take any unnecessary risks «because high security standards, reliability and genuine satisfaction are more important than short-term opportunities», explains Karin Zech-Hoop, Managing Director at FKB. This is why BBT’s strategic pricing approach to BBTHosting is not to offer top performance and maximum IT security as cheaply as possible, but to support our customers with the best protection systems and a comprehensive security infrastructure. «With all the protection systems from BBT, we are safe on the road. We know that attackers can be detected quickly and measures can be taken to ward off attacks proactively», adds Anita Conrad, Head of IT at FKB, to which Walter Capozzolo, CEO at BBT, replies: «It is our declared aim that our customers and we too can sleep soundly, because cyber security is a very serious issue and is now more important than ever».

DaaS and SaaS as well as data processing in Switzerland

From a holistic perspective, BBT’s hosting service in collaboration with Centris is the optimal DaaS and SaaS solution for customers like FKB who are looking for performance, user-friendliness and security all in one and want to be personally supported by BBT. If the corporate policy decision also depends on the data having to be processed and stored entirely in Switzerland due to the highest security standards, BBT is the doubly ideal partner. This is because Centris’ three redundant data centers are all located in Switzerland.

This also means that BBT – certified in accordance with ISAE, ISO/IEC and operator of a data collection point in accordance with DPCO – has long been operating with all data and information in Switzerland in compliance with stricter data protection standards, i.e. has been catching up with international standards for some time, and is therefore also lucrative for Liechtenstein companies. As an EEA member state, the Principality of Liechtenstein has been subject to the European General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) since May 2018, which is considered one of the strictest data protection laws.

BBTHosting is the sensible combination of classic hosting with excellent security protection. «BBT manages all of the customer’s applications, such as BBTIndividual and others, and we even take care of the printers. Only telephony and e-mail traffic remain the customer’s responsibility», says Dominik Bardenhofer, Chief Customer Officer at BBT. The services can also be expanded depending on requirements and requests.

Hosting services and benefits

• Three redundant data centers distributed in Solothurn
• Implementation, maintenance, security, storage, back-up and monitoring of all installed software
• Daily back-up of data
• Maintenance of BBT’s own software installed on the hosting platform
• State-of-the-art protection systems
• BBTHosting support
• Data processing takes place exclusively in Switzerland
• Security updates for Windows and Office as well as BBTIndividual
• Maintenance of the technical infrastructure such as firewalls etc.
• High server availability of 98.5 percent
• Data storage in compliance with data protection legislation
• Annual ISAE report 3000 (SOC 2) type 2
• ISO/IEC certification 27001
• Certified data collection point (CDCP) in accordance with FADP, DPO and DPCO
• Authorization and role management
• If required: support with the configuration and organization of the necessary IT infrastructure and maintenance of third-party software

BBT has acquired the products of Basel-based IT Surplus GmbH as of January 1, 2024. IT Surplus is known in the Swiss healthcare sector for its three software solutions specializing in scanning and text recognition: surplusCAPTURE, surplusOCR and surplusREADER. The acquisition will take retroactive effect from January 1, 2024.

The Rooter software provider is expanding its expertise in scanning technology and ensuring the continued existence of the applications that are also used by existing customers. The teams at BBTIndividual, the core system for processing the health insurance business, have therefore long been very familiar with the Surplus solutions. Thanks to many years of practical experience, BBT was also able to convince itself of the high quality of the programs.

«The takeover guarantees the business continuity of the Surplus products as well as their maintenance and further development», says Walter Capozzolo, CEO of BBT. «Both our existing and new customers who work with the Surplus applications can build on a sustainable partnership. The future of the products is assured and innovation is also guaranteed».

Contact

Walter Capozzolo, CEO
+41 41 455 30 03
walter.capozzolo@bbtsoftware.ch

Dominik Bardenhofer, CCO
+41 41 455 30 87
dominik.bardenhofer@bbtsoftware.ch

About BBT Software AG

BBT Software AG offers modular core systems for health, accident and life insurers, as well as absence and claims management solutions for companies. Founded in 1996, BBT now employs around 60 members of staff at three locations: Root, Visp and Zermatt and has over 65 customers from the insurance sector. More than 14,000 companies use its claims management software. BBT has been part of the international Volaris Group since 2017.

As an annual sponsor of .NET Usergroup Zentralschweiz, we are delighted to have also hosted their first event of the new year: the community event with Dr. Gernot Starke on January 16, 2024 at the end of the day here at the Rooter D4 Business Center. Dr. Starke, coach and management consultant for software projects and well known in the market, has made it his mission for many years to effectively design the architecture of large systems.

By Ivana D’Addario, Marketing Manager at BBT / Marko Marković, Software Architect at BBT

In yesterday’s presentation, Dr. Starke addressed the concept of quality, which is difficult to define in software. Unsurprisingly, it is understood differently by the various stakeholders or they are often unable to explain what exactly they require in terms of quality. Dr. Gernot Starke showed how software quality can be specified and fulfilled in concrete terms in order to ultimately develop better systems.

A total of 25 participants listened to his captivating presentation. The atmosphere was relaxed and engaging, as Dr. Gernot Starke is a popular personality even outside the tech industry and the author of countless specialist books. It was a real pleasure to welcome him and listen to him.

Thanks!
We would like to thank Urs Enzler and Daniel Marbach, the founders and organizers of .NET Usergroup Zentralschweiz, as well as our Marko Marković, Software Architect at BBT, who actively supported the two gentlemen and ensured that the event could be held at our premises.

About .NET Usergroup Central Switzerland
The aim of the .NET Usergroup Zentralschweiz is to offer developers, administrators and other like-minded people in central Switzerland an interesting experience and knowledge platform, whereby the organizers work in close partnership with the usergroup of the same name in Bern and the Zurich Developers Group.

About Dr. Gernot Starke
Dr. Gernot Starke is a wholeheartedly computer scientist, software architect and practicing agilist in the methodical approach to software development. He is (co-)founder and maintainer of arc42, founder of aim42 as well as founding member of the association iSAQB e.V. (International Software Architecture Qualification Board). As an INNOQ fellow and consultant, he is involved in small, medium and large IT projects for companies in various industries – with a focus on information systems, but also reviews, audits, architecture and system evaluations. He also provides support with modernization, migration and renovation.

Dear Urs, nine months ago you started at BBT in a newly created role as COO with many tasks waiting for you. How are you feeling at the moment and how have you experienced these nine months?

I’m doing well and I’m motivated. Thank you for asking.

The nine months at BBT have been an exciting journey for me. The entire team gave me a warm welcome, which made it much easier to get started. I am very grateful for that. The wide range of tasks gave me the opportunity to understand the company in its entirety and quickly familiarize myself with the processes. Overall, it was an instructive and challenging time and I look forward to continuing to make a positive contribution to BBT’s success.

As the new COO, you have taken over the management of the Life, Enterprise, Health and Care divisions and therefore all of BBT’s software solutions. What insights have you gained?

Taking on responsibility for the Life, Enterprise, Health and Care divisions is an exciting challenge and I see great potential. Above all, we want to focus more on product strategy, product innovation and cross-divisional collaboration next. The collaboration with the teams from the various product areas is extremely rewarding. All of this makes me very confident that we will continue to be successful together.

It is also new for the employees in these areas to have a COO who represents their work and concerns on a cross-divisional basis in the Executive Board. What has changed, been added or intensified as a result?

The introduction of a COO has certainly brought changes for everyone. The most important change is that all products are now under one roof. As a result, we now have a more comprehensive view. For me, this is the basis for close cooperation in order to benefit from each other and exploit synergies. In my view, this is the key to BBT’s continued success.

On the one hand, you had to establish your new position as COO in the BBT microcosm, and on the other, you had to assert yourself as the new Chief in the areas that report to you and tackle a great deal more. What were your biggest challenges in this dual role?

The biggest challenge is the dual task in and of itself. By that I mean establishing myself in the overall context of BBT and at the same time operating in the specific areas. Finding the right balance was and still is a challenge.

By «tackle a great deal more» you probably mean that it’s a triple task (laughs/Ivana smiles). Yes, not forgetting the many operational issues.

Did you have a vision when you started? If so, is this vision still the same? How are you pursuing it and why?

From conversations during the application process at BBT and from the assessment task that I was allowed to present at the end, I was able to guess where the shoe pinches. That’s why, when I started, I had the vision of optimizing processes, driving forward products and their innovation and promoting collaboration between the divisions. This vision remains unchanged. As I mentioned above, I am convinced that this is the key to success.

I pursue this vision by continuously looking for ways to improve and relying on the expertise of the teams.

BBT turned 27 this summer. In three years, the company will leave its twenties behind. Where do you see the BBT product range then – and what is your own role in the company? Idealizations allowed.

In three years’ time, I see BBT as innovative and one of the leading providers on the market. I see my role in the company as continuing to build bridges between the different areas to ensure seamless collaboration. Ideally, I would like BBT not only to be successful in three years’ time, but also to be perceived as an inspiring and sustainable company. As a «best place to work» that supports its employees and offers its customers demonstrable added value. Because we are successful because our customers are successful.

Thank you very much, Urs, for taking the time for this interview. We are glad to have found you.

The interview was conducted by Ivana D’Addario, Marketing Manager at BBT.

In order to further sharpen its positioning in the market, BBT launches a new visual brand identity, which was realized in collaboration with the advertising agency Rocket from Lucerne. BBT still stands for the same values, but these are now expressed in a more methodical way. Elements such as the typography and the first color were also retained.

BBT Software becomes BBT. Now, the acronym of the founders’ names stands out independently. “This was done to reflect the momentum in naming the brand that has developed over the years,” says Dominik Bardenhofer, CCO. The BBT typography and the color turquoise remain.

The term software was not dropped without replacement, but was changed to “software for insurance”. On the one hand, this descriptive addition declares BBT as a software company that is active in the insurance market. On the other hand, it is also a claim with a play on words: BBT “assures” its reference groups that they are well on their way with their software and are in good hands with BBT.

In addition to the rational values “established” and “down-to-earth”, “likeable” was emphasized as BBT’s most valuable emotional characteristic. While the former is manifested by the plain, sans-serif fonts, the new color composition of the BBT logo reflects the latter. The former dark sea blue has given way to the new secondary color pink. “The composition of turquoise blue and pink as a color gradient gives the BBT logo an eye-catching freshness and cheerfulness reminiscent of a sunrise,” says Ivana D’Addario, Marketing Manager, adding, “We wanted to get out of the vast ocean of blue logos and stand out. Because we have something to offer and, as all our reference groups find, we are a likeable company”.

Contact

Dominik Bardenhofer, CCO
+41 41 455 30 87
dominik.bardenhofer@bbtsoftware.ch

Ivana D’Addario, Marketing Manager
+41 41 455 30 61
ivana.daddario@bbtsoftware.ch

About BBT Software AG

BBT Software AG offers modular core systems for health, accident and life insurers, as well as absence and claims management solutions for companies. Founded in 1996, BBT now employs around 60 members of staff at three locations: Root, Visp and Zermatt and has over 65 customers from the insurance sector. More than 14,000 companies use its claims management software. BBT has been part of the international Volaris Group since 2017.

Urs Weber joined BBT Software on May 1, 2023 in the newly created position of Chief Operating Officer, strengthening the existing five-member management team as a new member. He takes over the management of the Life, Enterprise, Health and Care divisions and thus unites all of BBT’s software solutions under one roof.

BBT is centralising its product range under the leadership of Urs Weber. As the new head of operations, he will have overall responsibility for product management, software development, support and customer projects. Urs Weber will also be involved in the acquisition of new customers.

Urs Weber brings with him a wealth of experience in the areas of software solutions and digital services. Before joining BBT, the 55-year-old business informatics specialist was most recently COO at yawave AG, a specialist in digitalised communication, and before that at the digital commerce agency Arcmedia. From 2015 to 2020, he was a member of the Executive Board, first as Head of Professional Services and later as Director Product Delivery at Sage Schweiz AG. Before that, he worked in various positions for Bison Schweiz AG.

“Urs Weber is a proven leader with extensive IT experience. In addition, his personality fits very well with our corporate culture,” says Walter Capozzolo, CEO of BBT, and adds: “We are very much looking forward to working with Urs and are convinced that he will be instrumental in sharpening BBT’s positioning in the Swiss health, accident and life insurance market.”

Contact

Dominik Bardenhofer, CCO, BBT Software AG, dominik.bardenhofer@bbtsoftware.ch, +41 41 455 30 87

Walter Capozzolo, CEO, BBT Software AG, walter.capozzolo@bbtsoftware.ch, +41 41 455 30 00

About BBT Software AG

BBT Software AG offers modular core systems for health, accident and life insurers, as well as absence and claims management solutions for companies. Founded in 1996, BBT now employs around 60 members of staff at three locations: Root, Visp and Zermatt and has over 65 customers from the insurance sector. More than 14,000 companies use its claims management software. BBT has been part of the international Volaris Group since 2017.

At the round table with Claudia Andersson, Head of Benefit Services Private Retirement Provision, Daniel Maillard, Head of Service Centre Private Retirement Provision and Andreas Werneburg, Project Manager, from Pax.

By Ivana D’Addario, Marketing Manager at BBT

BBT Software and the insurer Pax dared to do something that has barely been tried in the Swiss insurance landscape: integrate a single standard software component into an existing, highly complex system. And they managed to do it successfully. After 14 months, BBTLife-Claims from the BBTLife suite was integrated into Pax’s IT landscape at the beginning of May 2022 without any malfunctions or errors. Since then, Pax has been handling its disability benefit claims in private retirement provision with BBTLife-Claims – also without any trouble.

It is rare for a software component to be introduced without any errors at all, with little effort for the customer, within the shortest possible time and at a fixed cost price. This kind of software integration is particularly remarkable in the Swiss insurance sector, where the system landscape is often outdated and therefore cumbersome. With a good twelve peripheral systems and various query interfaces, Pax’s IT infrastructure is also one of the most complex in the industry. At the round table, Claudia Andersson, Head of Benefit Services Private Retirement Provision, Daniel Maillard, Head of Service Centre Private Retirement Provision and Andreas Werneburg, Project Manager, from Pax talk about the various reasons why the integration of BBTLife-Claims at Pax was successful.

We can be a little bit proud that together we managed to implement BBTLife-Claims so smoothly, can’t we?

Daniel Maillard: It wasn’t a matter of course that we were going to achieve the ambitious goals we set for ourselves. But we knew from the beginning that it was possible and what it would take: the right partner, intensive preparatory work and creating the best conditions. In addition to the important technical aspects, the social components and the interaction of all the people involved in this project were of particular importance to us. All these factors had a positive influence on one another and led to success. I’m delighted with the level of commitment shown by everyone involved.

Claudia Andersson: In my opinion, the workshops where the use cases were discussed were fundamental. Thanks to the great know-how of the BBT project manager, these were designed extremely efficiently and with high quality. Furthermore, the back and forth between him and our project manager, Andreas Werneburg, worked very well; this could also be felt in the technical team. Information was exchanged and processed on a daily basis.

This sounds like something out of a textbook – and in fact it was. That said, there were certainly some unforeseen challenges. What was the matter-of-fact daily life like at Pax?

Andreas Werneburg: The start of the project was tough. The Covid19 measures decided by the Federal Council meant that we had to start the project from our home offices in 2021. Today, this is no longer something special, working from home has become run-of-the-mill. This was different when the project began: hardly anyone worked regularly from home. It was therefore all the more gratifying to see how self-disciplined everyone at Pax and BBT was from day one, delivering even without the immediate team dynamic. And although the project staff never got to know each other personally until the go-live in May 2022, a great atmosphere was immediately noticeable.

The high degree of discipline, which is also usual for us, was generally remarkable, whether it was assessing the interaction of all systems or deciding all work stages and coordinating them with one another. The right specialists always communicated with each other and the information flowed in an exemplary manner. That’s why something stands out in your answers: the social factor mentioned at the beginning. On your side, how did you ensure that this stayed centre stage even in the hectic day-to-day of the project?

Andreas Werneburg: We were very well positioned, for one thing. For another, it was possible to make decisions quickly thanks to short communication channels and a flat hierarchy. The fact that Pax maintains transparent communication has been very beneficial. This was also reflected in the fact that we invited everyone to a review demo after each release. At these, all interested parties could follow the progress of the project live, ask questions immediately and make other suggestions. This allowed us to avoid “nasty” surprises due to a lack of transparency.

Claudia Andersson: If something didn’t go smoothly – there’s no project in which everything always goes according to plan – it was very nice to see that everyone involved was always looking for solutions with pleasure and power. In a project of this size, this is incredibly motivating. A big thank you to the BBT and Pax project managers.

The introduction of BBTLife-Claims not only went smoothly, it was also delivered at the initially agreed fixed price. Implementations of this size are rarely offered at a fixed price. Moreover, a large number of IT projects exceed the planned budget. The chemistry between Pax and BBT was certainly right, but the agile approach, as far as it was at all necessary to introduce a piece of standard software, was the decisive factor. Is agile project management like this at BBT also part of Pax’s corporate culture?

Daniel Maillard: Pax has already been working with an agile setting in IT development for around five years. During all these years, we’ve continuously optimised and adapted our methodology – within the realm of our possibilities as well as our environment – until we finally found the optimal form of implementation for Pax. Hence the agile approach to IT matters is essential. The fact that BBT and ourselves have a working common ground in terms of agility meant that BBTLife-Claims could be integrated into our environment at record speed and in an excellent way. Furthermore, the simple and flexible coordination with BBT was decisive here.

Interestingly, general experience shows that when innovations are introduced in complex IT landscapes, it is risky and expensive to completely replace technical components. That’s why they are ideally introduced gradually and carefully. This is especially true in the insurance sector, where the system landscape is often old and has grown over a long time. Why are things different at Pax than perhaps at other insurers?

Andreas Werneburg: Pax has firmly anchored its IT strategy to keep it as close to the standard as possible. As a result, we prefer to adapt the established process – not the software. In other words: customising the software for Pax-specific wishes should be avoided whenever possible. Of course, this doesn’t apply to all cases: when it comes to life insurance policies, for example, policies are concluded over decades. This means that over time, insurance products are no longer offered or are offered at new conditions, while old contracts, on the other hand, continue to run. For such special cases, we make adjustments according to requirements.

We found each other, among other things, because modular construction using standardised software is BBT’s motto. Why is Pax so convinced of this approach?

Andreas Werneburg: Since the complexity of the used software is kept to a minimum over time and the cost of optimisation and further development is kept low, Pax benefits from consistently pursuing the standard software approach and thereby the chosen path. Our customers also benefit from this.

I’ve asked around internally: the project was very intensive. BBT delivered consistently functioning releases every fourth week. While Pax was testing one release, BBT was working on the next “components” in parallel. Is this tight planning also part of the successfully implemented project’s secret formula?

Andreas Werneburg: BBT has many years of experience in implementing their software and Pax knew what the requirements were thanks to the joint preliminary project. Our internal workshops were definitely key in the project when it came to specifying the requirements. We therefore started with an outline and defined user stories together, which also formed the basis for testing.

But it has to be said: The individual, incredibly high-quality releases that were produced were clearly the result of Pax’s expertise coupled with BBT’s in-depth know-how as well as its extensive practical experience. This is also reflected in the low number of bugs compared to similar projects. I would also like to mention the excellent test management in this project.

Claudia Andersson: All technical staff were involved in the tests and, as software testers, they not only gained a profound insight into the program. It was important to us that they could also express their opinion and make suggestions for improvement. The team was greatly motivated by the chance to participate in the development of the new software as future users. On top of that, there was no need for additional training, as all employees were very familiar with the software via the tests.

Subsequent training was therefore not necessary. Has this proved sustainable? What do your staff say now?

Claudia Andersson: 100 per cent, yes. I can only recommend involving all employees in testing. This also ensures diversity in test management. While one test person concentrates on the quality of the data, the other focuses on the accuracy of the figures and the next in turn pays attention to the presentation. This is clearly advantageous.

Daniel Maillard: For Pax, it was important to get the technical team on board early in the project and integrate them as the central component. Building up know-how with the new software already in the project phase has proven to be really beneficial. This made it possible to create a high level of acceptance of the new software among the employees.

Last but not least: Do you think are any other similarities between Pax and BBT?

Daniel Maillard: Shared, strong commitment, acting as partners at eye level and the clear focus and will to successfully implement a project. And all this with the high motivation and passion of all those involved. I would also include here the advantages of BBT and Pax’s SME sizes with their short and fast decision-making paths.

Ms Andersson, Mr Maillard and Mr Werneburg, thank you very much for your participation in this exciting and collegial roundtable. I wish you the best of luck and continued success.