What We Accomplished
About Atlas General Insurance Services, LLC
The Challenge
Proper staffing needed to keep up with high volume processing. Previous outsourcing provider did not meet their high service needs.The Solution
Client Profile:
- MGA
- California
Challenges:
- Too much time addressing quality control issues
- Less time with customers
- Keeping up with processing requirements
- Overstaffing
Requirements:
- Proper staffing needed
- High volume processing
Patra Solution:
Positive Outcomes:
- 55% Patra Services Increase
- 33% Processing Time Decrease
- $2.2M Aggregate Expense Savings
- 99% Accuracy Rate
- Operating costs lowered
- More focus on customer interaction
Atlas General & Patra Partnership
Atlas General Insurance Services, LLC (“Atlas”) is a national full-service multiline program administrator (MGA) focused on proprietary products and programs. Established in 2009, the Atlas business model is based on underwriting experience, analytic analysis, market intelligence, and select distribution with franchise value. Atlas operates three core business segments: Workers’ Compensation, Commercial, and Specialty Property.
The Atlas business model is predicated on aggressive growth, with a commitment to annual premium expansion. Early on, Atlas identified the potential for both overstaffing and understaffing as key concerns, given the cyclical nature of their business. Proper staffing to administer quick turnaround times is essential for MGAs to provide consistent service for customers. Thus, workflow efficiencies became a corporate initiative.
As Atlas experienced early rapid growth, they engaged an outsourcing provider. Unfortunately, Atlas determined that the quality of outsourced work was inconsistent and the partnership was not meeting their high service expectations. Atlas found that, with this initial outsourcing provider, they were increasingly spending time on quality control and becoming less focused on desired customer-facing growth initiatives.
Achieving Desired Results
In July of 2014, Atlas engaged Patra. After a comprehensive needs assessment, Patra and Atlas designed a workflow plan specific to Atlas’ unique needs. As part of that plan, Patra began processing high-volume transactions around the clock, decreasing turn-around times while maintaining Atlas’s organizational service standards. At the same time, Patra helped Atlas achieve their desired reduction in seasonal headcount, thereby saving both time and expenses associated with hiring and onboarding temporary staff. Strategically, Patra afforded Atlas the ability to become more flexible during times of higher than average processing volume, spending more time on customer-centric activities.
Building on Early Success
As the relationship grew over the next several years, Atlas entrusted Patra with an increasing number of services that currently include submission entry, renewal preparation, risk evaluation, policy delivery, loss runs, mail-in audits and other various special projects. This has allowed Atlas the ability to focus on new projects and strategic growth opportunities that could not be supported with the disruption of daily production issues. Atlas’s hourly utilization of Patra services has increased nearly 55% over four years while the average task processing time has decreased by 33%. The below chart illustrates Atlas’s increasing utilization of Patra as well as the efficiencies realized within task times:
By accelerating Patra usage and gaining incremental process efficiencies, Atlas’s annual expenses related to outsourced activities decreased roughly 55%. Additionally, Patra has helped Atlas realize over $2.2M in aggregate expense savings over the last four years. The enhanced profitability has subsequently allowed Atlas to accelerate reinvestment capital back into the organization’s aggressive growth initiatives.
Each of Atlas’s three business segments has incrementally incorporated Patra services and are realizing consistent expense savings that translate directly into increased profits and enhanced organizational value:
A Successful Partnership
Atlas believes that the Patra team can maintain (and in some cases improve) service levels and standards on all assigned tasks while also being able to quickly pick up new tasks/special projects with minimal errors. The team is proactive with questions or issues and prompt when responding to emails with all departments and business owners. Overall the Patra team maintains a 99%+ accuracy rate.
Atlas notes that their Patra Client Consultant has been extremely easy and enjoyable to work with. The Patra operations team communicates with Atlas regularly to deliver quantifiable results and collaborates to solve issues. Atlas recognizes that their Patra Consultant has always given Atlas the flexibility to adjust workloads based on business needs whether that be providing additional resources and/or coordinating specific services.
