If the mere mention of open enrollment makes you shudder, you likely feel an overwhelming sense of disbelief that you had to go through yet another year with a less-than-stellar benefits technology solution.

When you regularly use your employee benefits technology to gather and analyze data, you'll be able to work smarter, not harder, saving you and your company time and money.

Remember, you're not always the expert, nor do you have to be. However, by staying true to and aligning with your company's core competencies, you can better gauge the right time to bring in help.

If a client isn't willing to pay for it, are they really the client you want?

Just like one carrier's products won't work for every client, one benefits technology solution won't meet every company's needs.

A good benefits technology platform engages and connects employees to each other and the company.

Today's HR professional needs to have knowledge of every department and every aspect of the employee experience.

Do you know how many calls I received for a private exchange in 2016? Zero.