Willis of Texas is a leading insurance broker and part of Willis Group Holdings, one of the largest insurance brokerage firms nationwide. Ron Moore, Managing Director, developed a basic FileMaker system more than a decade ago to keep track of vital client data such as employee coverage plans, deductions, premiums, and other administered programs. “We deal in group health, life and disability benefits plans,” explains Ron. “Clients must maintain data on all their employees. FileMaker Pro is a tool that allows us to help our clients to manage this data.”
As the scope and complexity of business increased, Ron knew it was time to renew the insurance policy on the system he built years ago. That meant leaving the system upgrade to the professionals—”to take it beyond what I could do,” says Ron.
The Technology
Ron turned to Mike McAbee, Willis’s Senior Systems Analyst, and Kirk Bowman, Visionary of Value, of MightyData. These two technology-driven powerhouses were the welcome insurance policy Ron was looking for to transform a basic FileMaker Pro system into a mighty, but versatile, data management tool for those keeping track of employee benefits programs.
“The system has seven to fifteen tables to manage the various components that determine in which benefits a person can enroll, the payroll deductions for employees, and the premiums owed to vendors,” explains Mike. “We have modules that allow us to do direct imports from human resources, exports to payroll, and exports to files for carriers.”
The Transformation
Willis of Texas introduced a Web interface that was designed by MightyData. The Benefits2000 interface lets employees enter their benefits information.
There’s no need to go to Human Resources and fill out a form, comments Mike.
“And there’s no need to send that form to us to be entered into the database. With the web interface, the information comes directly from the employee to us—and we can send it on directly to the insurance carriers. That capability allows us to provide even more personal, more accurate service to our clients and their employees.”
Because of this technology transformation, clients of Willis of Texas and their employees are benefiting every day from the power of FileMaker Pro—not only an award-winning database software application, but also a welcome insurance policy.