Business Performance

Commercial and regulatory pressures require businesses constantly to adapt and improve. As businesses have become more complex these changes frequently have an impact across much of the operation. Our experienced consultants are well-positioned to provide help and support across a broad range of operational and implementation issues, for instance program or project management and selection of partners or systems.

Implementing major business change

We believe that for any significant business change, there are three critical elements that need to be put in place early in the development lifecycle. These are the foundations on which a successful change program can be built and without which it is likely to flounder. The three key elements are:

• A clear, shared understanding of what will be built: the business definition. This is very important as it will serve as the framework for the planning and development work to be carried out in the ensuing change program.
• A program strategy and approach, supported by a high level program plan which is a summary of the more detailed plans for each project within the program.
• A program office infrastructure to manage the day to day running of the program. A well-resourced program office is not just an administrative resource but can be used to create a team that will keep the program on an even keel through proactive action and intervention.

EMB can support major change programs through a variety of methods, without creating vast teams of consultants. By focusing on the early stages of a program, we can assist in setting an appropriate course, without being overly bureaucratic, and provide advice and support as required; for instance by supporting the program office, through one-off or regular reviews and monitoring or by taking specific roles within the program team.

Selection of partners or IT systems

Partnerships and outsourcing arrangements are increasingly an integral part of the insurance landscape, whether this is for distribution or marketing, underwriting or panel arrangements, operations, IT systems or IT support. Selecting the right partners is crucial as critical business areas are often reliant on the performance of these relationships. Successful partnerships tend to be founded on a number of tried and tested principles. Nevertheless, there are many industry examples where these arrangements are considered to have failed due to issues that could have been either identified through a more rigorous selection process or addressed during implementation.

EMB can assist in selecting and implementing partners and systems, helping to define the requirements and evaluation criteria, construct long and short-lists, develop an Invitation To Tender and provide guidance and management support throughout the selection process.