As the chief information officer of Australia’s biggest third party claims administrator, Gallagher Bassett, Nathan Pilgrim ensured he and his team didn’t waster the crisis that was – and still is – COVID-19 by creating a new framework for agile and remote working that has completely transformed the business. 

The Gallagher Bassett (GB) Agile Workforce program has empowered staff to make more sustainable and flexible working choices, with more than 90% (over 1,000 people) now transitioned to full-time work from home.

Key to achieving this was the determination of Pilgrim and his team to create a “sustainable sourcing model supported by robust systems and processes, IT provisioning, health and safety training, a service desk and internal talent resources”.

Several core enabling technologies were deployed on their watch, including:

-       Remote and on-premises working infrastructures to streamline security policy management and enhance capacity.

-       SaaS for hot-desk reservation and workforce management.

-       Personalised compliance-based training focused on home technology set up assessments and hardware checklists delivered through a self-service digital portal for risk appraisal and approval.

-       Microsoft 365 global cloud, which included Microsoft Teams, SharePoint, Intune and soft handsets.

-       Capturing end-user experience feedback for improvements.

Having this new framework in place meant the organisation was better able to respond to evolving needs. for instance, supporting the seamless onboarding of 28,000 new insured (employers) and 2,600 active claims to Gallagher Bassett after the unexpected exit of an incumbent agent in 2021 from the Victorian Workers’ Compensation Scheme. It’s also facilitated agile working technology beyond omnichannel work collaboration to include social activities and virtual team-building events.

“The innovations enable team members to maintain strong connections with their leaders and reinforce our unique cultural DNA (i.e. the Gallagher Way), especially given that so many of our employees no longer work together face to face,” Pilgrim tells CIO Australia. This led to the company being awarded HRD’s (Human Resources Director) Employer of Choice 2022.

The rapid adoption of new digital tools has seen staff become more “tech savvy”, helping to ensure the success of new solutions introduced by Pilgrim and his team, including automation and AI technologies for improving sentiment analysis.

Specifically, they devised a method to extract sentiment without the need for surveys, which lead to better decision making and ultimately more satisfied customers. Predictive analytics was another key focus, especially in terms of enabling early intervention to both improve experiences and reduce costs.

Pilgrim noted that the organisation's South Australian Team, a large workers’ compensation division, incorporated an occupational diagnostic guideline localised for the Australian market to provide evidence-based decision-support solutions in improving the quality of planning and intensity applied to specific claims.

Adopting the tool has helped reduce claim costs through effective treatment protocols and improved net promoter score (NPS) and business reputation.

David Binning