2021
Redesigning Workforce Tools To Support Better Performance
I led the redesign and technology upgrade of a desktop application, making it easier to use. This effort was to support auditor assessment of claims processing workflows and assist claims specialists in identifying areas for improvement.
UNUM provides income protection benefits to over 45 million employees worldwide through their employers, when critical and urgent life events interrupt their income.
When these benefits are needed, claims specialists handle the filing and processing of claims, request necessary documents, and follow specific workflows. To maintain consistent service, the Workforce Management team develops tools that help claims specialists do their job better and ensure customers are well-served.
Customer Problem
Challenge for UNUM
“As auditors, we represent the (CBS) Customer Benefits Support org. We audit and assess intake claims specialists on the importance of consistency in our workflows when serving customers. We use an outdated auditing solution that gets the job done, but I feel frustrated that we don’t have an intuitive, stable, more modern-looking tool to help assess how customers are being served.”
Challenge for Customer
”I got into a car accident and I can’t work right now. I have benefits through my employer through UNUM that alleviate my money worries, so I don’t have to stress out about bills and life. There’s a process for filing a claim. I just got hurt. I’m overwhelmed and I need help getting all the information to UNUM which makes me feel overwhelmed and nervous.”
- Discover & Define
Project Onboarding
Organizational Impact
The audit tool is utilized in UNUM's Chattanooga and Portland offices by 17 auditors, accessed by 450 to 475 employees who can review their assessment scores at any time. Without this tool, the risk of compliance violations and associated costs would heighten. Additionally, fluctuations in quality and accuracy would lead to a threat to brand reputation.
The Opportunity
Redesign, rebuild, transition from outdated tech, and leverage more modern development frameworks. Opting for Microsoft’s .NET Core framework, our team capitalized on its extensive array of pre-built code libraries, modules, and tools, providing a robust foundation for constructing and operating applications within Microsoft Enterprise environments.
Innovation for the business org
Development Approach
As a front-end developer and designer, I worked with back-end developers to propose a transition plan.
After successfully demonstrating our use case with the CBS Audit Tool, leadership approved and supported our efforts enabling us to develop robust, dependable, and scalable applications using Microsoft .NET Core for the business units we support beyond the CBS team.
Speed Up The Design Process
Be scrappy
Given a tight three-month deadline and the absence of a mature design system, I used UNUM’s brand style guide and reviewed internal and external digital experiences for inspiration.
We also faced technical constraints. I had to take into account the native Microsoft UI library that would drive the look of the app. Then, I developed designs based on these Microsoft components, customizing them through code.
Sample Screens
Things I Designed + Coded
Preloader Screen
The old tool lacked any visual indication that something was loading, leaving users unsure if they needed to wait. I introduced a splash screen so that when users launch the application from their desktop, they see a visual cue that something is loading, improving their experience during the wait.
Personalized Assessment Views
Instead of creating a bespoke tool exclusively for the CBS business unit, we wanted to think “scalable” - imaging how other claim areas could access their assessment tools in one central place, increasing adoption for not just the tool but for the technology.
Assessment Hub
This hub is the first place users land to fulfill the tasks to be done. Users would receive a personalized greeting. Greetings are personalized with an employee’s name, based on the employee ID linked to the user's machine.
Upon arrival, users can accomplish two main tasks: creating an audit or searching for a completed assessment with a score. Every user has business logic assigned to their user type in the code, translating into a view type required for their role.
Creating An Audit
Because of the confined screen space, numerous iterations took place to ensure that all essential data points could fit. Additionally, since this application operates on Windows, the appearance and functionality of the user interface were largely dictated by the Windows OS's native component libraries.
Scoring
Every identified error is attributed to a specific point value. When chosen, both the error and its corresponding point value are recorded in the audit. Real-time scoring indicates whether the user remains within an acceptable threshold, negating the need for additional training. If the threshold falls, users are prompted to revisit the claim and rectify the errors.
Next Steps for Claims Specialist To Take
While auditors assess claims, the application offers real-time scoring by deducting points assigned to each error encountered. If an employee's score dips below a specified threshold, color indicates that the score is approaching the level necessitating additional training.
Completed Audit
Following the conclusion of an audit, a database record is generated, and the outcomes are showcased in a Tableau dashboard. This dashboard serves as a data source for managers and leaders to monitor claims specialists' performance conveniently.
Project Praise
“When the new version of the tool was rolled out, it was well received by end users and could effectively handle many concurrent users at a time (both agents and managers). One of the app's biggest " wins " was the tool's responsiveness and effectiveness with hundreds of concurrent users, one of the specific problems Matthew and Jonathan worked hard to solve in the design phase.
In addition to the app's excellent technical performance, the other feedback from the end users was that the tool was "intuitive," "sleek," and "modern”. The tool also integrated Unum enterprise labeling and styling (colors, logo), making it "look and feel like an enterprise-level application."
Ben Gomoll, Former Metrics & Reporting Manager at UNUM
Project Lead for the CBS Audit Tool