CHALLENGE:

• Improveclaimsdataandstreamlineprocesses

SOLUTION:

• CSC’sRISKMASTERAcceleratorsoftware

RESULTS:

• Reducedcostsforinjury-relatedclaims

• Improvedworkprocessforclaims,riskandsafety

• StreamlinedOSHAreporting

• Automatedaudittracking

Firm Improves Processing for General Liability, Auto, Workers’ Compensation and Property ClaimsFromitsheadquartersinMinneapolis,XcelEnergyservesmorethan3.3millionelectriccustomersand1.6millionnaturalgascustomersinMinnesota,Colorado,Michigan,NewMexico,NorthDakota,SouthDakota,TexasandWisconsin.ItsoperatingcompaniesincludeNorthernStatesPowerCompany,PublicServiceCompanyofColoradoandSouthwesternPublicServiceCo.

Operatinginahighlyregulated,physicallydemandingenvironmentgeneratessignificantexposuretophysicalinjury,propertydamageandliabilityforthecompanytomanage.XcelEnergy’sriskandclaimsmanagershandleapproximately600workers’compensationclaims—includingabout300thatarereportabletoOSHA—andabout150to200generalliabilityclaimsandanother100vehicleaccidentclaims.

Asthecompanygrew,sodidthedemandsonitsITstafftostoreandpresentthatinformationtotheriskandclaimsmanagersdependentonthemtoensureitsavailability,accuracyandtimeliness.ThecompanywasusinganolderversionofCSC’sRISKMASTER®softwareanddecidedtoupgradetothelatestversion,nowcalledRISKMASTERAccelerator.

“Thewholeprocesswasinefficient,andweweren’tcapturingdatathewaythatweneededto,”saidTatyanaDunegan,ariskanalystintheRiskManagementDepartmentatXcelEnergy.

ThecompanyupgradedtoRISKMASTERAcceleratorforbusiness,generalliability,auto,workers’compensationandpropertyclaims.“What’sniceaboutthissoftwareisthatyou’reabletocustomizeandmatchtheneedsofalltheselinesofbusiness,”Dunegansaid.“Theydodifferentfields.Theyruntheirprocessesdifferently.There’snolimittohowmuchyoucancustomize,soit’sverynicethatonepersondoesn’thavetoseethefieldsoftheotherpersonandviceversa.”

Thesoftwarealsoallowsclaimsmanagerstoattachasmanyfilesasneeded,inanyformat,toadocument,andtheycanbreakdownreservesintomultipletransactionsandtrackandanalyzethematanewlevelofeaseandgranularity.

SUCCESS STORY — XCEL ENERGY

XCEL ENERGY

HQ: MINNEAPOLIS, MINN.

REGIONAL ELECTRIC AND GAS UTILITY SERVING EIGHT STATES

SuccessStory:XcelEnergy

“People love using RISKMASTER Accelerator. It’s easy to use. People are very satisfied with the system.”

Tatyana Dunegan, Risk Analyst,

Xcel Energy

TRACKING CLAIMS AND CONTROLLING MEDICAL COSTS Anotherfunctionofthesoftware,PowerViews,helpedimproveproductivityforthecompany’sstaffbygivingthemcontroloftheinformationaccessibleoneachscreen.“WeusePowerViewstomatchourscreensetuptoourinjuryform,andtheeaseandspeedofentryimprovedalot,”saidGinaFeldhege,safetydataanalystwithXcel.

UsingPowerViewsallowsriskmanagerstomoreeasilyreflecttheimprovingclaimsexperienceintheirreports,aswellasempowerthecompany’saggressivereturn-to-workprogrambytrackingactivityinacentralizedforum.

“OurspecialistsinthatareacannoweasilyalertourgroupinSafetyifthere’sachangetoanymedicaltreatment,forinstance,thatmightaffecttheOSHArecordabilityoftheinjury,”Feldhegesaid.“Sothat’sareallynicetie-in,allofusseeingthesamethingatthesametime.”

Asaresultofthecompany’sfocusonsafetyandreturntowork,thecompanyhasbettercontrolofitscosts.“Medicalcostsarealwaysgoingup,evenifyourclaimsaregoingdown,butIknowwehavestillbeentrendingdown,andtheclaimcountshavebeentrendingdownovertheyear,whichisgood,”Feldhegesaid.

GAINING REPORTING EFFICIENCIES RISKMASTERAcceleratoralsoautomatesmanytasksthatusedtobemanual,tediousandpronetoerror.“Therearealotofauditcapabilitiesthatwedon’thavetodoanymore,it’sjustallautomated,”saidDunegan.“Soiftheauditorswanttoseeareportandreviewwhat’sgoingonbehindthescenes,thatreportisreadilyavailable.”

ComplyingwithregulatorydemandsalsohasbecomeeasierwithRISKMASTERAcceleratorasthesinglepointofentryforarangeofsafetyandworkers’compensationinformation.“Weenteritonceandweusethesameinformation,sincethesafetyrecordsmatchuptotheworkers’comprecords,”Feldhegesaid.“Itprovidesanautomaticauditcheckforusbyhelpingusmakesurewehavethemostvalid,up-to-dateinformationwhenthetimecomestopullOSHAlogsforpostingattheendoftheyear.”

Duneganadded,“WerunallofourfinancialreportsoutofRISKMASTERAcceleratorandweprovidethemtotheactuariesandunderwriters.Idon’tknowhowwewoulddothatwithoutthesystem.”

CENTRALIZING AND SHARING KNOWLEDGE Justasimportantly,thenewsoftwarewasembracedbytheusersinthecompany’smanydepartments.

“PeopleloveusingRISKMASTERAccelerator.Truly,Ialwaysgetreallygoodfeedback.It’seasytouse.It’snotcomplicated.Peopleareverysatisfiedwiththesystem,”saidDunegan.

For more information about CSC’s RISKMASTER Accelerator software, call 800.345.7672 or email inforequests@csc.com.

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