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3rd
Quarter 2003
Executive
Summaries
Outsourcing
- How to Build Your Business Case for Outsourcing
by Thomas P. Flannery and Larry Heckathorn
- The Changing Landscape of Outsourcing
by Michael Tomback
- Beyond Performance Standards: How to Get the Most From Your
Outsourcing Relationship
by Jesse Yallof and Curt Morgan
- Choosing Health Care Online: A 7-Eleven Case Study
by Margaret Fuller and Cindy Beauregard
- Plan Sponsors: Is Your Retirement House in Order?
by Ari Jacobs, Steve Wagner and Kim Holland
Defined Contribution Health Plans
- Will Employee Choice and Defined Contribution Health Plans Salvage
the Embattled Managed Care System?
by Peter M. Kelly
 How
to Build Your Business Case for Outsourcing
by Thomas P. Flannery and Larry Heckathorn
Outsourcing has become a powerful tool for organizations seeking
to save money, enhance service and focus on core competencies. However,
the increasing complexities of human resource programs and processes
mean that advance work is needed to ensure outsourcing's success.
In this article, the authors identify outsourcing trends and recommend
essential steps in building a solid business case for outsourcing.
The long-term rewards for taking these steps will be reflected in
employer cost savings and employees' confidence and security.
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The
Changing Landscape of Outsourcing
by Michael Tomback
Between the dynamic challenges employers face and the intense competitive
pressures in the vendor community, outsourcing has evolved to give
employers more choice and increasingly flexible, creative and comprehensive
services. This article explores some of the reasons behind the transformation
of the outsourcing industry. It then provides information to help
employers identify and meet their organization's needs within the
changing outsourcing landscape.
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Beyond
Performance Standards: How to Get the Most From Your Outsourcing
Relationship
by Jesse Yallof and Curt Morgan
Over the past few years, the most successful benefits and human
resources outsourcing relationships have developed as partnerships,
rather than contracts with vendors. The authors of this article
recommend four key actions that include tactics, tools and processes
for making vendor partnerships rewarding, productive and open. Following
these actions ensures that outsourcing relationships are singularly
aimed at meeting or exceeding the expectations of plan sponsors.
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Choosing
Health Care Online: A 7-Eleven Case Study
by Margaret Fuller and Cindy Beauregard
This article describes 7-Eleven's success in offering Web-based
health care enrollment to its diverse workforce, which made the
introduction of such service delivery strategy unusually challenging.
Through its efforts, 7-Eleven was able to meet several important
objectives, including helping employees better appreciate the value
of their benefits, providing employees with increased services and
convenience, and encouraging employees to make more cost-effective
choices in their health care coverage.
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Plan
Sponsors: Is Your Retirement House in Order?
by Ari Jacobs, Steve Wagner and Kim Holland
Given the turmoil retirement plans have experienced over the past
three years, stakeholders are asking plan sponsors tough questions.
To ensure that their retirement plan house is in order, plan sponsors
can use the overview provided by this article to examine their retirement
program's design, cost and operations. Doing so will help plan sponsors
identify areas of concern or opportunities for change, assess the
risks and costs involved, and develop an action plan so that they
are prepared to manage whatever lies ahead this year and in the
future.
.
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Will
Employee Choice and Defined Contribution Health Plans Salvage the
Embattled Managed Care System?
by Peter M. Kelly
Defined contribution or consumer-driven health approaches will
shift to employees not just the risks and rewards of the managed
care system, but also decisions that will determine whether that
system can survive. This article reviews the current state of the
employer-sponsored health care system, describes defined contribution
and consumer-driven health plan concepts, and outlines the approaches
and steps employers can take to implement them. The author argues
that, if fully implemented, such approaches could salvage the embattled
managed care system by giving employees a financial stake in controlling
medical costs while educating them to wisely take control of health
plan spending decisions.
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Full text copies of these articles are available through the
INFOSOURCE™ Document Delivery Service. Article reprints are
also available in quantities of 100 or more. For information, call
the Publications Department at (888) 33-IFEBP. You can order your
subscription (reprints and back issues) online. Four issues for
$100 (or $75 for CEBS registrants).
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