Our Operations

Hong Kong Document Imaging

"As the Operations Director in Hong Kong, I oversee Customer Services, Claims and Business Processes. Increasing cost pressure coupled with more sophisticated customer demand has created a need for us to continuously improve and streamline our claims and underwriting processes.

Currently in our operations we use a Central Filing Mechanism for document management. It is time consuming and over 28% of our office space is used for paper filing storage.

However, starting to use new technology such as the Document Management System (DMS) allows us opportunities to achieve cost savings, to improve operational efficiencies, and to provide better customer services. DMS is a computer system that tracks and stores electronic documents or images of paper documents.

Reduced turnaround time of policy processing improves customer service while productivity is increased due to process efficiencies. We save on operational costs by using less paper and reducing storage space. In addition, we enhance company image by embracing high technology in business operation.

In July 2008, we launched Document Imaging in the policy issuance process of our Manulife channel. In three months, we saved 30,000 sheets of paper and 250 square feet of filing space. We have started Phase 2 of the project to roll out Document Imaging to other distribution channels by June 2009. We plan to roll it out to Claims processes in 2010."

Alice To
Operations Director, RSA Hong Kong

We continue to set ourselves a range of stretching targets achieving 73% including our Group-wide target to reduce CO2 emissions by 2.5%. The following examples of action in 2008 demonstrate our commitment to continue improving our performance:

The energy-efficient specification for our headquarters building in Ireland, which opened in 2008, was recognised with an award for its outstanding and innovative environmental management. We have commissioned a new HQ in Italy to the same high standards and in 2008, Johnson moved into a new building in Halifax, Nova Scotia with an excellent environmental profile. Features include water efficient landscaping that requires no additional fertiliser or piped water, trees and plants in a “Winter Garden” that will purify the air in the building, and large windows to maximum the use of natural light. The number of parking places are limited to encourage car pooling and the use of public transport;
In Sweden, we signed an agreement to use only taxis powered by bio-fuel or electricity, part of a new Nordic travel and meeting policy that aims to reduce the number of air flights and increase the usage of ‘virtual meetings’ through video conferences;
Codan and Trygg-Hansa introduced a new concept called ‘Green IT’. One aspect was a new set of ‘multi-printers’ that can be used to copy, fax, print or scan. The result is a significant 50% reduction in energy use and a lot less paper wasted;
In Canada, we began an office supplies programme to discourage small orders which result in extra deliveries. Orders under $50 incur a $5 surcharge, half of which is donated to Tree Canada, an organisation that plants and protects trees to help counter climate change. We also introduced EZ-Docs, an efficient, electronic way for Personal Insurance brokers to receive their copies of documents electronically. It helps reduce storage space for brokers, increases efficiency and provides better service while helping reduce the use of paper;
RSA Hong Kong began to use document imaging, which makes it easier to share documents between teams as well as reducing paper use, the time spent on filing and file retrieval and office space requirements;
After merging three offices, RSA Ireland worked with a furniture provider to remove old furniture and redistribute it to charities and communities at home and in Sierra Leone.

A green culture

We aim to promote an environmentally responsible culture among employees, encouraging responsible behaviour at work and at home. We have Green Teams and local representatives around the Group to encourage local action. Here are examples of activity in 2008:

Colombia made climate change one of its three corporate responsibility programmes. They worked with the Bogota Chamber of Commerce to promote awareness and began to plant RSA’s own “forest” with the help of employees’ families. A new recycling and waste programme was also introduced in RSA offices;
Ireland ran Recycle for Charity, encouraging staff to hand in old mobile phones and other material. One charity received more than 40 mobile phones and a box of CDs/DVDs. Another received more than 250 books and 150 toys;
RSA Lithuania has introduced Bicycle day, encouraging employees to leave their cars at home and come to work by bike every Friday. An unexpected benefit is that the average journey time fell from an hour and a half to just 35 minutes.

"For more than a year RSA Italy has been searching for a new location to bring together our employees into one building from the four we currently occupy in Genoa. Finding a more efficient, teamwork supporting and flexible environment was identified as one of the Italian Operation’s priorities.

We initially looked at a solution outside the city centre which would have meant a great deal more travel and a big change for employees. Now we’ve found a solution with two buildings in the centre: the new one is only 200 metres from the current HQ which means less travelling between locations, better access to public transport, increased productivity and a much lower environmental impact from occupying only two buildings. Within the new office, Underwriting and Claims people will work closer together, improving performance and service for our intermediaries and customers.

The new welcoming reception area, larger meeting rooms and waiting areas along with an open plan office layout will really contribute to improving internal teamwork, efficiency and hosting our intermediaries and customers. We're going to be starting to relocate in September 2009 with the move completed by November 2009.”

Paola Dodero
Infrastructure Manager, Italy

"Although we will not be the sole occupiers of the building and therefore unable to change some of the existing air conditioning and energy systems of the building, we've identified actions which will allow us to engage our people in being more responsible towards the environment. For starters we are taking away the general bins to encourage recycling, making sure the print systems are set-up to reduce environmental impact, automatic switch off devices for electricity at night and web-conferencing to minimise travel even further. Occupying a single building instead of three, we expect to significantly reduce our resource consumption and environmental impact.

We're conducting site visits and organising online votes on the local intranet for the employees to see progress and get people to submit ideas for the new head office. This will help us engage people, obtain their creativity and help us do the right thing for the move"

Carlo Capuzzo
IT Infrastructure Manager, Italy