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hen the "Good Hands People" wanted to get personalized transactional documentation and marketing materials into the hands of their customers faster and on a more frequent basis, the Allstate Insurance Co. knew it was time to look for an alternative solution for its massive printing needs.
The solution the company found was to integrate technologically advanced, duplex-capable web printers combined with sophisticated barcode automation insertion equipment to ensure complete document integrity.
The results were impressive: the new technology from Oce Printing Systems USA Inc. dramatically increased productivity, reduced printing and mailing costs, and enabled the insurance giant to individualize communications with its more than 30 million policy holders.
Allstate, the nation's largest publicly held, personal lines insurance company, had relied on standard preprinted forms printing for much of its policy document production, and offset presses for its in-plant operation. A decision was made to review the preprinted method for policy production and to integrate some of that work into the in-plant on a print-on-demand basis.
The need for error-free production
The insurance industry's largest application is the insurance policy, followed by the DECset, Explanation of Benefit forms, billing documents and policyholders' ID cards. Until very recently, the perception among insurance companies was that the only way to make certain that the policy correctly matched the insured's identification card was to use multiplebin cut-sheet printers. Any error or mismatch in this process could result, for example, in an Indiana insured's ID card being sent to a policyholder in Illinois, requiring additional time and expense to rectify the mistake, and the potential for a loss of credibility for the insurance company.
Because an impressive nine out of 10 people link the "You're in Good Hands with Allstate" slogan with Allstate insurance products and trust in its reputation to serve its customers, the issue of credibility is paramount to Allstate.
Integrated document production
For Allstate Printing and Distribution Services employees, the chance to reduce printing and mailing costs and to improve productivity was...