CHALLENGE:
• Improveclaimsdataandstreamlineprocesses
SOLUTION:
• CSC’sRISKMASTERAcceleratorsoftware
RESULTS:
• Reducedcostsforinjury-relatedclaims
• Improvedworkprocessforclaims,riskandsafety
• StreamlinedOSHAreporting
• Automatedaudittracking
Firm Improves Processing for General Liability, Auto, Workers’ Compensation and Property ClaimsFromitsheadquartersinMinneapolis,XcelEnergyservesmorethan3.3millionelectriccustomersand1.6millionnaturalgascustomersinMinnesota,Colorado,Michigan,NewMexico,NorthDakota,SouthDakota,TexasandWisconsin.ItsoperatingcompaniesincludeNorthernStatesPowerCompany,PublicServiceCompanyofColoradoandSouthwesternPublicServiceCo.
Operatinginahighlyregulated,physicallydemandingenvironmentgeneratessignificantexposuretophysicalinjury,propertydamageandliabilityforthecompanytomanage.XcelEnergy’sriskandclaimsmanagershandleapproximately600workers’compensationclaims—includingabout300thatarereportabletoOSHA—andabout150to200generalliabilityclaimsandanother100vehicleaccidentclaims.
Asthecompanygrew,sodidthedemandsonitsITstafftostoreandpresentthatinformationtotheriskandclaimsmanagersdependentonthemtoensureitsavailability,accuracyandtimeliness.ThecompanywasusinganolderversionofCSC’sRISKMASTER®softwareanddecidedtoupgradetothelatestversion,nowcalledRISKMASTERAccelerator.
“Thewholeprocesswasinefficient,andweweren’tcapturingdatathewaythatweneededto,”saidTatyanaDunegan,ariskanalystintheRiskManagementDepartmentatXcelEnergy.
ThecompanyupgradedtoRISKMASTERAcceleratorforbusiness,generalliability,auto,workers’compensationandpropertyclaims.“What’sniceaboutthissoftwareisthatyou’reabletocustomizeandmatchtheneedsofalltheselinesofbusiness,”Dunegansaid.“Theydodifferentfields.Theyruntheirprocessesdifferently.There’snolimittohowmuchyoucancustomize,soit’sverynicethatonepersondoesn’thavetoseethefieldsoftheotherpersonandviceversa.”
Thesoftwarealsoallowsclaimsmanagerstoattachasmanyfilesasneeded,inanyformat,toadocument,andtheycanbreakdownreservesintomultipletransactionsandtrackandanalyzethematanewlevelofeaseandgranularity.
SUCCESS STORY — XCEL ENERGY
XCEL ENERGY
HQ: MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.
REGIONAL ELECTRIC AND GAS UTILITY SERVING EIGHT STATES
SuccessStory:XcelEnergy
“People love using RISKMASTER Accelerator. It’s easy to use. People are very satisfied with the system.”
Tatyana Dunegan, Risk Analyst,
Xcel Energy
TRACKING CLAIMS AND CONTROLLING MEDICAL COSTS Anotherfunctionofthesoftware,PowerViews,helpedimproveproductivityforthecompany’sstaffbygivingthemcontroloftheinformationaccessibleoneachscreen.“WeusePowerViewstomatchourscreensetuptoourinjuryform,andtheeaseandspeedofentryimprovedalot,”saidGinaFeldhege,safetydataanalystwithXcel.
UsingPowerViewsallowsriskmanagerstomoreeasilyreflecttheimprovingclaimsexperienceintheirreports,aswellasempowerthecompany’saggressivereturn-to-workprogrambytrackingactivityinacentralizedforum.
“OurspecialistsinthatareacannoweasilyalertourgroupinSafetyifthere’sachangetoanymedicaltreatment,forinstance,thatmightaffecttheOSHArecordabilityoftheinjury,”Feldhegesaid.“Sothat’sareallynicetie-in,allofusseeingthesamethingatthesametime.”
Asaresultofthecompany’sfocusonsafetyandreturntowork,thecompanyhasbettercontrolofitscosts.“Medicalcostsarealwaysgoingup,evenifyourclaimsaregoingdown,butIknowwehavestillbeentrendingdown,andtheclaimcountshavebeentrendingdownovertheyear,whichisgood,”Feldhegesaid.
GAINING REPORTING EFFICIENCIES RISKMASTERAcceleratoralsoautomatesmanytasksthatusedtobemanual,tediousandpronetoerror.“Therearealotofauditcapabilitiesthatwedon’thavetodoanymore,it’sjustallautomated,”saidDunegan.“Soiftheauditorswanttoseeareportandreviewwhat’sgoingonbehindthescenes,thatreportisreadilyavailable.”
ComplyingwithregulatorydemandsalsohasbecomeeasierwithRISKMASTERAcceleratorasthesinglepointofentryforarangeofsafetyandworkers’compensationinformation.“Weenteritonceandweusethesameinformation,sincethesafetyrecordsmatchuptotheworkers’comprecords,”Feldhegesaid.“Itprovidesanautomaticauditcheckforusbyhelpingusmakesurewehavethemostvalid,up-to-dateinformationwhenthetimecomestopullOSHAlogsforpostingattheendoftheyear.”
Duneganadded,“WerunallofourfinancialreportsoutofRISKMASTERAcceleratorandweprovidethemtotheactuariesandunderwriters.Idon’tknowhowwewoulddothatwithoutthesystem.”
CENTRALIZING AND SHARING KNOWLEDGE Justasimportantly,thenewsoftwarewasembracedbytheusersinthecompany’smanydepartments.
“PeopleloveusingRISKMASTERAccelerator.Truly,Ialwaysgetreallygoodfeedback.It’seasytouse.It’snotcomplicated.Peopleareverysatisfiedwiththesystem,”saidDunegan.
For more information about CSC’s RISKMASTER Accelerator software, call 800.345.7672 or email [email protected].
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