February 2002 - Phoenix Technology Group, a leading Irish financial software provider, has just announced the successful completion of a complex 'work flow' project for AXA Sun Life (ASL), one of the largest life and pensions companies in the UK.

The solution designed by Phoenix is aimed at providing a common operational interface and set of business processes across ASL, following the merger of AXA Equity & Law and Sun Life. The system integrates with multiple disparate IT systems inherited from the merged entities.

The solution, based on the Phoenix e² and m² software offerings and the FileNET Panagon product suite, provides users in any department in ASL with a standardised, integrated desktop. The new system is currently being rolled out to more than 700 users across two different locations in the UK.

Phoenix developed the e² solution using open system architecture, which allows for ease of integration into existing systems. e² integrates with ASL's policy management and customer correspondence systems, in order to improve the level of customer service and increase the company's overall operational efficiency.

The e² solution was initially developed to help large insurance companies prioritise the distribution of work and manage work across all customer-facing functions.

m² is designed as a contact management system allowing a company to capture incoming communications electronically, regardless of the source media, and provide a response in the customer's preferred contact medium as required.

"Although we had the capability to build our own workflow solution, we did not want to end up with a limiting system. e² and m² from Phoenix is an out-of-the-box solution based on the FileNET Panagon software suite which fits our requirement," says Rob Skuse, Systems Development Manager, AXA Sun Life.

The solution also included integration to ASL's letter production systems, improving customer service and increasing the overall operational efficiency. " We calculated that we could make a significant cost saving by reducing the 'paper chase' so the m² imaging solution was a core requirement. By automating other processes and with the e² process management solution to 'workflow' our business flows we also expect to reap prouctivity rewards" adds Skuse.

The implementation of the overall solution took place over three phases. The first phase provided a new business process solution for the life and individual pensions section. The second was focused on life servicing, while the third incorporated personal pension servicing.

In a separate recent development, Phoenix has designed and implemented a solution using XML technology to connect the front end Siebel customer relationship management (CRM) system and the key back end business applications.

This solution is designed to fully automate a high proportion of business and customer service transactions, particularly in the growing area of pension management.

About Phoenix Technology Group:
With headquarters in Dublin, and European operations in Bristol and Edinburgh, UK, Phoenix was founded in 1997. Phoenix delivers end-to-end contact and e-service solutions to global retail financial institutions. Phoenix is a leading provider of web-enabled solutions for multifunctional contact and service centres empowering organisations to manage complex service processes and high-volume transaction relationships with customers, brokers and suppliers regardless of the source media (paper, e-mail, e-form, voice).

Customers include AXA Sun Life, CGNU, Royal Sun Alliance, and Scottish Widows/Lloyds TSB. For more information, please visit www.phoenix.ie.