Overview

NCJUA/NCIUA has always been dedicated to providing exceptional service to its policyholders, ensuring they are there when customers need them most—whether to write a new policy or cover a claim. However, the organization recognized that they were missing a key component in today's insurance landscape: a consumer portal that would offer policyholders online access to their accounts.

Understanding that a self-service portal is no longer optional but essential, NCJUA/NCIUA partnered with Ogon Consulting to implement a solution that was flexible, scalable, and tailored to their unique needs.

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Challenges

Challenge 1: Balancing Self-Service with Agent Involvement‍

NCJUA/NCIUA’s customers often prefer interacting with their agents, creating the challenge of ensuring the portal complements the agent-driven approach.

Solution: The CSP was designed to empower policyholders with self-service capabilities, while keeping agents informed and involved. NCJUA/NCIUA facilitated agent training through webinars and preview sessions, ensuring agents could provide continued support to policyholders while benefiting from the reduced administrative burden.

Challenge 2: Managing High Call Volumes

‍NCJUA/NCIUA’s in-house customer service team handles approximately 6,000 calls weekly, many related to routine inquiries such as bill payments, mortgagee questions, and claim submissions.

Solution: The initial roll-out of CSP indicates a reduced the number of routine calls by allowing policyholders to access their information online, file claims, and make payments independently. This shift has freed up resources, enabling NCJUA/NCIUA to focus on more complex customer needs and providing faster service where it is most critical.

Challenge 3: A Flexible and Scalable Solution

‍The restrictive nature of the off-the-shelf Guidewire system hindered NCJUA/NCIUA’s ability to fully customize the portal to meet their specific needs.

Solution: Ogon’s CSP is highly customizable, allowing NCJUA/NCIUA to adapt the portal’s UI/UX and features based on evolving customer and business requirements. Future plans include introducing more advanced policy change options, further enhancing the portal’s capabilities.

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Solution

To meet NCJUA/NCIUA's needs, Ogon Consulting delivered an integrated solution that included the Customer Service Portal (CSP) and the Command Center, providing comprehensive digital self-service capabilities to policyholders while empowering the insurance carrier with deep insights and administrative control.

Customer Service Portal (CSP)

‍Built on the Guidewire API v5 framework and hosted on Ogon’s AWS infrastructure, the CSP provides NCJUA/NCIUA policyholders with secure, self-service tools for managing their policies, filing claims, and making payments. This modern digital experience reduces call volumes, improves customer satisfaction, and offers real-time access to critical information.

Command Center

‍NCJUA/NCIUA also implemented Ogon’s Command Center to manage their digital operations. The Command Center serves as the backend administrative platform, allowing the carrier to monitor system performance, manage customer interactions, and gain insights into policyholder behavior. With detailed reporting and real-time system status monitoring, NCJUA/NCIUA can proactively manage both the portal and customer service, ensuring seamless experiences and improved operational efficiency.

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Results

1. Improved Customer Experience
   With CSP, NCJUA/NCIUA policyholders can now handle essential tasks—like making payments and filing claims—online, reducing the need to contact the call center. The portal is user-friendly and mobile-optimized, giving policyholders 24/7 access to their accounts.
2. Reduced Call Volumes and Increased Efficiency
   The self-service functionality of the portal reduces call volumes, freeing up internal resources and enhancing customer service response times. This has led to improved efficiency and faster handling of more complex queries and claims.
3. Empowering Agents and Improving Transparency
   Agents remain an integral part of the customer journey, and NCJUA/NCIUA has kept them informed and involved through early portal previews and ongoing support. This transparent approach ensures agents can better serve policyholders while benefiting from reduced administrative tasks.
4. Actionable Insights with the Command Center
   NCJUA/NCIUA is leveraging Ogon’s Command Center to gain valuable insights into customer interactions. The platform’s real-time reporting capabilities allow the carrier to track key metrics, such as how many users access the portal and the types of tasks completed. By analyzing these trends, NCJUA/NCIUA can continuously optimize their service offerings and identify areas for improvement.some text
   • Service Metrics: The Command Center provides visibility into user behavior, including the number of calls avoided through self-service and customer satisfaction post-implementation.
   • Operational Efficiency: Administrators can monitor the performance of both the portal and internal systems, ensuring seamless operation and quickly resolving any issues that may arise.

Communication and Rollout Plan

‍NCJUA/NCIUA implemented a thorough communication plan to ensure a smooth launch of the CSP:

• Previews and Webinars: Agents and select customers were given previews of the portal, allowing them to provide feedback and familiarize themselves with the new system.
• Email Campaigns: A series of email blasts were sent to both agents and policyholders, informing them about the portal and encouraging them to sign up.
• Website Integration: Links to the portal were added to NCJUA/NCIUA’s website, making it easy for users to access their accounts.
• Printed Bills: QR codes and links were included on printed bills, enabling customers to sign up and access the portal with ease.

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Conclusion

NCJUA/NCIUA’s successful implementation of Ogon’s Customer Service Portal and Command Center has transformed the way they interact with policyholders. The CSP has enhanced the customer experience, reduced call volumes, and empowered both policyholders and agents. At the same time, the Command Center has provided valuable insights and operational control, enabling NCJUA/NCIUA to continually optimize their service offerings and ensure a seamless, efficient digital experience for all users.