From Legacy to Leadership: elipsLife's Strategic Platform Modernization

elipsLife Netherlands, part of the Swiss Life Group, faced the challenge that is a key imperative of transformation for many insurers: outdated legacy systems replacement that hampered client service and generated unacceptable operational costs. Long-term dependence on outdated solutions is just as much a burden of high license fees as a source of escalating operational risk. From the perspective of strategic business evolution, replacing the inefficient system was a top priority, as well as the fastest path to a fundamental redefinition of operations and client servicing management. The collaboration between elipsLife and Comarch enabled the transformation of this challenge into a catalyst for sustainable growth.

Defining the Path to Modernization

elipsLife's core need was to fundamentally modernize its employee benefits management system and seamlessly integrate it into the global Swiss Life ecosystem. This strategic initiative aimed to do more than just reduce costs. Its main goals were to improve user experience and enhance end-to-end process automation. The project also successfully included migrating the entire portfolio and deploying the system on Comarch Infrastructure Cloud. This was a comprehensive continuation of  elipsLife transformation and a clear shift from a legacy operational model to a future-ready, integrated digital platform.

The Blueprint of a Modernized Platform

Comarch implemented a transformative, end-to-end platform by integrating its Comarch Digital Insurance, Comarch Life Insurance, and Comarch Insurance Claims solutions. This comprehensive approach delivered a unified, complete platform designed to meet and exceed elipsLife's strategic objectives.

The project's scope and coordination were centered on key areas critical for operational excellence and the continuation of the business transformation:

• Product definition: A single administrative interface for product lifecycle management, dictionary configuration, and more.
• Core Policy Administration: Streamlined processes for policy registration and ongoing administration.
• Efficient Claims Handling: Modernized claims management to optimize workflows and accelerate resolution.
• Integrated Financial Operations: A cohesive solution for finance and accounting functions.
• Automated Document Management: Comprehensive control over document generation and output, ensuring consistency and compliance.
• Advanced Analytics and Reporting: Powerful capabilities for data extraction and business reporting to drive data-driven decision-making.
• Extensive System Integration: Seamless integration with over 12 external industry or national platforms, including key systems like Berichtenbox or Pondres, to ensure a connected ecosystem.
• Full-Scale Data Migration: A complete migration of the entire historical portfolio, ensuring business continuity and data integrity.
• Managed Deployment: Deployment of the system on Comarch Infrastructure Cloud to support security and scalability.

Driving Strategic Transformation and Operational Excellence

The partnership between Comarch and elipsLife has delivered a system that is an accelerator for continuing strategic transformation. The key success indicators demonstrate a solution that reshapes operational dynamics and positions elipsLife for future growth. It goes beyond mere functionality, making it much more than just a technological upgrade. It also fits perfectly with current trends in IT modernization in insurance, emphasizing flexibility, automation, and compliance with local Dutch market requirements.

The new platform's high-performance architecture is a game-changer for critical business processes. The ability to import, activate, and generate premiums for 30,000 affiliates in just under 1 hour and 20 minutes is a testament to its efficiency and a clear driver of advanced business outcomes.

From an operational standpoint, the system's intuitive user interface (UI) represents a shift toward enhanced user adoption and productivity. By prioritizing clarity and ease of use, the design minimizes training overhead and maximizes efficiency, enabling teams to focus on strategic tasks rather than navigating complex systems.

The underlying technological architecture is built for the future. By leveraging modern, scalable technologies, the solution seamlessly integrates into contemporary IT ecosystems, ensuring long-term adaptability and resilience. Continuous monitoring, stress testing, and optimization are embedded practices that guarantee sustained performance, data integrity, and strict compliance with industry standards.

In essence, this solution is more than a tool – it's a strategic asset that provides elipsLife with a stable, secure, and highly scalable foundation to exceed future business challenges and maintain the company’s competitive edge in a dynamic market.

Conclusion: A Partnership Driving Transformative Success

The project with elipsLife powerfully demonstrates that successful IT transformation is not just a matter of technology, but fundamentally a function of a strong strategic partnership. As stated by Kaspar Weiss, CTO at elipsLife, Comarch’s robust approach to migration, rigorous testing, and its flexibility in adapting requirements were crucial elements of success.

This new platform is a prime example of how modular, adaptive solutions can fully align with and support comprehensive business needs. Comarch and elipsLife's close collaboration creates a synergy that transforms their shared vision into a real, flexible and future-ready technology solution.

Choosing a Partner for Strategic Transformation

Being a leader in employee benefits and private pension coverage, elipsLife recognized that selecting the right technology partner was crucial to guarantee the future success of its major transformation project.

The decision to collaborate with Comarch was based on a strategic assessment of several key factors:

• Deep Industry Acumen: With over 30 years of experience in insurance technology, Comarch brings a profound understanding of the industry's complexities. More than just providing software, it was about Comarch’s expertise in building a robust, future-proof platform.
• Localized Expertise: Comarch's in-depth knowledge of the Benelux market and its regulatory compliance requirements was a critical differentiator. This local insight ensured the solution would be fully compliant and seamlessly integrated into the specific operational landscape.
• Collaborative and Agile Model: The partnership was built on an agile delivery and co-creation mindset. This collaborative approach allowed for flexibility, rapid adaptation to changing needs, and the ability to jointly innovate, ensuring the solution was precisely tailored to elipsLife's strategic goals.
• Proven Global Trust: Comarch's reputation as a trusted end-to-end transformation partner for insurers in the Benelux region and over 30 other countries provided a solid foundation of security and stability of cooperation. Such a track record of global success in IT projects, including large-scale data migrations, demonstrates the company's ability to deliver high-impact, reliable solutions on a worldwide scale.

Ultimately, elipsLife chose Comarch for both its technology and strategic value as a partner capable of co-creating a solution that would drive long-term business success and market leadership.

Author: Sylwia Frątczak, Product Marketing Manager at Comarch