costly and time-consuming. Benefits outsourcing important business issues

1. Evaluating internal factors

Consider your desired customer service model. Do you currently have the internal staff to function as a call center to ensure employee matters are being resolved in a timely manner?
Do you have the internal staff or the budget for outside counsel to answer specific benefits questions about rules and changing regulations?
Will you need to purchase new software? Consider the cost and demands to maintain it, such as IT support if you are planning to run it internally.
Consider your finance and accounting team. Does your finance team like paying 15 benefits invoices a month, or perhaps they prefer just one payment once a month to the outsource partner?
Think about your strategic goals. What is the best use of your staff's time?

2. Deciding what to outsource

COBRA administration

3. Re-organizing your team

4. Getting started

Financial strength & security of the candidate company
Commitment to customer service
The breadth of their benefits plan options
Their service and cost structure
Industries and professional services
Administrative and management expertise and competence
How employee benefits are tailored
Technology usage, experiences and innovation

5. Moving forward

Bradley Taylor is the executive vice president of business development at PlanSource. He founded and led Next Generation Enrollment, a leading provider of benefits administration technology services, which was acquired by PlanSource in 2016. Prior to Next Generation Enrollment, Bradley was a group sales representative at Unum, one of the largest insurance carriers in the world. Bradley has helped thousands of companies build effective benefits strategies and implement programs that have created a better benefits experience for administrators, employees and their families.

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5 steps to successful benefits outsourcing

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