Compliance boost for insurance group

Challange:

To outsource, consolidate and centralise document archives from separate service centres across Germany

Solution:

Unified records management service featuring a bespoke emailbased ordering system and secure destruction of time-expired files

Value:

A secure archive process improving the retrieval of paper files with integrated access from a single source

Client

Zurich Group Germany is part of the worldwide Zurich Insurance Group. With premium income of about EUR 6.1 billion (2012), investments of more than EUR 31 billion, and nearly 6,000 employees, Zurich is one of the leading insurance companies in Germany. It offers innovative and superior insurance, pension, and risk management solutions from a single source, with a focus on high quality and individual customer orientation.

Zurich Service GmbH runs the central support operation for Zurich Group Germany.

"As a support services partner Iron Mountain has done a great job. Its continued support is highly appreciated."

Raphael Lamskemper
Head of Document Logistics, Germany
Zurich Service GmbH

Challenge

Although Zurich Group Germany has operated an electronic document and workflow management system for many years, it still has an extensive legacy archive of paper documents. To meet statutory and regulatory requirements it is required to retain some of these, particularly insurance contracts and any documents generated in support of insurance claims.

Historically, the document archives were stored at eight Zurich service centres and four other external storage locations across Germany. But with a planned rationalisation of service centres and the adoption of a new standardised and centralised workflow, the legacy archives had to be consolidated into one new home.

Raphael Lamskemper, Head of Document Logistics, Germany at Zurich Service GmbH, explains: "Our aim was to centralise the document archives and standardise the process across the business. Logistics and storage arrangements needed to assure security and allow fast and accurate retrieval of files when required."

Zurich Group Germany issued a tender to prospective records management service providers for the consolidation and off-site storage of its paper archives. Iron Mountain emerged as the successful bidder.

Raphael Lamskemper says: "Our specialists audited the Iron Mountain facilities including processes, security and fire protection arrangements. Iron Mountain satisfied all our requirements and tabled a cost-effective proposal."