Skip to content
CASE STUDY

Revolutionizing Benefits Administration with New Technology

Mid-sized businesses often struggle with administrative burden when managing employee benefits. Their employees are less engaged and often do not perceive the full value of the company’s benefits when they are difficult to interact with and understand. 

Company profile:

A Dallas-Fort Worth financial services company with over 600 employees struggled with benefits administration. Their benefits platform, embedded in their payroll system, was hard to use, and processes were fragmented and partially manual. 

The challenge:

The company’s HR department was overwhelmed by the inefficiencies of its legacy system: 

  • Manual enrollment & data entry: Open enrollment required physical forms, later entered by HR into their systems (payroll and benefits, insurance carrier portals). This was time-consuming and highly prone to errors.

  • Poor employee experience: Limited visibility into their benefits led employees to call HR for basic information (e.g., "What's my deductible?", "How do I add a dependent?"). This created frustration and a perception of a disorganized HR department. 
  • Compliance risks: Eligibility tracking, ACA, COBRA, and other regulations were a constant struggle, relying on spreadsheets and manual checks that increased the risk of costly penalties. 

  • Lack of data & reporting: No centralized way to pull comprehensive reports on benefits utilization, costs, or employee demographics related to benefits. This slowed down strategic planning.

  • Inefficient onboarding: New hires faced delays in benefits activation due to a mountain of paperwork, creating a poor first impression. 

  • High administrative burden: Transactional tasks consumed HR’s time, limiting focus on strategic priorities. 

The solution: 

Recognizing the need for modernization, the client decided to move to a modern, fully comprehensive platform. After a thorough vendor evaluation process, they selected "Employee Navigator," a cloud-based HRIS solution with robust, integrated benefits administration modules, including: 

01
Online self-service enrollment

For new hires and open enrollment. 

02
Automated eligibility & life event management

Automatically tracks employee eligibility and streamlines changes for life events (marriage, birth, divorce). 

03
Compliance tools

Built-in reporting for ACA, COBRA, and other regulatory requirements. 

04
Employee self-service portal

A single portal for employees to view their benefits, access plan documents, compare options, and manage their dependents. 

05
Reporting & analytics dashboard

Real-time data on enrollment, utilization, and costs. 

Primary goals:

  1. Improve efficiency: Automate manual processes and reduce administrative time.

  2. Enhance employee experience: Provide employees with easy, 24/7 access to their benefits information.

  3. Strengthen compliance: Reduce compliance risk and improve accuracy.

  4. Gain data insights: Enable data-driven decision-making for benefits strategy.

  5. Cost savings: Reduce direct and indirect costs associated with manual administration. 
SGL Graphic Photos (6)
SGL Graphic Photos (1)

Implementation 

The company approached the implementation strategically: 

Project team formation

HR, IT, Finance, and key employee representatives. 

Advisor partnership

Close collaboration with SGL Partners and Employee Navigator specialists. 

Data migration & integration

Migrated employee and benefits data; integrated payroll.  

Configuration & customization

Matched company benefits plans, eligibility rules, and branding. 

Testing & QA

Verified workflows and data accuracy.

Training

Training sessions for HR staff and managers, staggered rollout of employee training sessions, plus user guides. 

Communication strategy

Explained the benefits and ease of use of the new system through a coordinated rollout plan. 

Results and impact

AdobeStock_329873628 (1)-min
AdobeStock_329873628 (1)-min
AdobeStock_1460051612-min-1
AdobeStock_1460051612-min-1
AdobeStock_1617914719-min-1
AdobeStock_1617914719-min-1
AdobeStock_565152029-min
AdobeStock_565152029-min

Key takeaways:

By embracing modern benefits technology, this company transformed its chaotic, partially manual benefits administration into a streamlined, efficient, and employee-centric process, positioning itself for continued growth and talent retention. 

Identify pain points first

Define problems before seeking solutions. 

Prioritize employee experience

User-friendly interfaces boost adoption and engagement. 

Invest in integration

Avoid new data silos by ensuring payroll and HR system compatibility. 

Don't underestimate data migration

Allow time and resources for this complex phase.  

Phased approach & training

Consider phased rollouts with thorough training for HR and end-users. 

Leadership buy-in

Secure executive support early on, as these projects require significant investment and cross-departmental collaboration. 

SGL Graphic Photos (3)
Your people strategy, simplified

Let’s explore a benefits strategy that works for your business and your people.