Requirements
When VBL started talking to SITEFORUM they were running a static website with the usual corporate information but had a vision to move their business online with a variety of services for various groups of customers. Their business requirements included :
- an easy-to-use site which their staff could update with out technical training
- personalised newsletters for employers, employess and retirees
- promoting and booking employers seminars
- Callback services for different customer groups
- User-friendly online forms (e.g. for address changes)
- Downloadable documents appropriate for different user groups
- Online pension calculators to work out expected pension value of mandatory and optional insurance schemes
- Realtime production of proposals online
Solutions
SITEFORUM were able to provide a great solution built on the portal platform: The Content Management System (CMS) provides the flexibility required to create new content and keep it up to date and the integrated Seminar functionality provided the management capability for the Employers Seminars. Callback forms were created using the Form Generator and submissions are forwarded immediately by email to VBL Customer Service for processing.The campaign application is used for monthly newsletters. SITEFORUM Document Management System (DMS) is used to manage and organise all online documents providing access to the relevent user groups. SITEFORUM Studio, the integrated development environment, was used to develop the online pension calculators
The benefits of the portal technology are not purely for external users. The internal VBL service center, with approx. 100 customer consultants and experts, is connected to the portal and deals with all requests directly out of the system.
With Salesplug, a business chat module from SITEFORUM, the VBL staff can provide real-time support over the website. In additon a large call centre is connected to the system and handles queries from insurants and retirees.
Results
Around 5,400 employers, with about 4 billion insurants and 1 billion retirees benefit from the services of this regulated institution and www.vbl.de is now established as the most important communication and service instrument for these groups. Mr Martin Appel, Online-Marketing Manager of the VBL said " The new pension calculators are a resounding success. With only three clicks can the customer create his personal offer and does not need to fill out several forms like before.”He also explained: “Every employee has access to the archive and can effectively search for the latest offers. The field staff also have access to the complete system. There was only positive response after the inhouse presentation of the system. The unanimous opinion was that the new pension calculators represent a quantum leap improvement and that with Salesplug they had a real service innovation."
