“Only the best and most innovative players can join our network of experts and services.That is our benchmark – for T-Systems too.“
Claus Moldenhauer, CIO and Vice Chairman of the Board at DAK
Claus Moldenhauer, 58, is a native of Schleswig-Holstein. He is CIO and Vice Chairman of the Board at DAK , one of Germany’s largest health insurance providers. He coordinates services worth 15 billion euros for six million customers each year. Moldenhauer supervised the spin-off of DAK ’s IT to BITMARCK GmbH, a recently- founded ICT service provider for the healthcare sector. He also serves as Chairman of the Supervisory Board at BITMARCK.
“Only the best players can join our network”
Claus Moldenhauer, 58, is Vice Chairman of the Board at DAK, one of Germany’s leading health-insurance providers. He talked to Kai Schichtel, head of the T-Systems sales unit for insurers, about cost-cutting customer-service initiatives, intelligent management of 80,000 phone calls a day, and the benefits of flexible, scalable, dynamic network solutions.
Mr. Moldenhauer, when DAK was founded in 1774, Leonardo da Vinci had already been dead some 200 years. Now he is experiencing a renaissance at the company. Can you explain the significance of “da Vinci” for DAK?
We write it in capitals – DAVINCI – and it stands for “DAK Voice over IP Enterprise Computer Integration”. DAVINCI is a highly intelligent automatic call distribution system. We have made a good start on the project and I expect implementation to be complete by early 2011.
We write it in capitals – DAVINCI – and it stands for “DAK Voice over IP Enterprise Computer Integration”. DAVINCI is a highly intelligent automatic call distribution system. We have made a good start on the project and I expect implementation to be complete by early 2011.
The Florence native of the same name had many professions – for example, he was an amazing goldsmith and outstanding canal designer. Do you see any parallels with your project?
Just like the great artist and scientist, we are also treading new ground and exploring the unknown. The new phone system will optimize communications between our six million customers and 800 call centers across Germany. That means none of our customers end up speaking to an anonymous member of staff. Instead, they are quickly connected to a skilled customer-service agent – without having to wait. This employee has the customer’s entire contact history on the screen in front of them.
Just like the great artist and scientist, we are also treading new ground and exploring the unknown. The new phone system will optimize communications between our six million customers and 800 call centers across Germany. That means none of our customers end up speaking to an anonymous member of staff. Instead, they are quickly connected to a skilled customer-service agent – without having to wait. This employee has the customer’s entire contact history on the screen in front of them.
What does an optimized communications infrastructure mean for DAK customers and their relatives in everyday life?
Each year we coordinate services worth 15 billion euros with almost 200,000 doctors, 21,000 pharmacies, 2,200 hospitals and 640,000 employers. Time plays a pivotal role in the healthcare sector – in recovery, as well as prevention. To implement the necessary processes, we need a state-of-the-art infrastructure.
Each year we coordinate services worth 15 billion euros with almost 200,000 doctors, 21,000 pharmacies, 2,200 hospitals and 640,000 employers. Time plays a pivotal role in the healthcare sector – in recovery, as well as prevention. To implement the necessary processes, we need a state-of-the-art infrastructure.
And what exactly does “state-of-the-art” mean in this context?
It means we can use our central ICT infrastructure dynamically – so we only pay for the resources we use. And thanks to the integration of telephony, we no longer have to sock pile specialist knowledge in one call center. Instead, we can give employees anytime access to knowledge, wherever they are. This project will be a true success story and hard to replicate in Germany, even in Europe.
It means we can use our central ICT infrastructure dynamically – so we only pay for the resources we use. And thanks to the integration of telephony, we no longer have to sock pile specialist knowledge in one call center. Instead, we can give employees anytime access to knowledge, wherever they are. This project will be a true success story and hard to replicate in Germany, even in Europe.
What contact do you have with customers on a daily basis?
50 percent of our contact with customers is by phone. Our new telephony infrastructure will deal with around 80,000 phone calls a days and enable us to respond flexibly to all our customers’ needs. This is supported by the intelligent call distribution system, which takes into account the region a customer is calling from as well as their specific preferences or wishes – for example, if a certain request was recorded in a previous call.
50 percent of our contact with customers is by phone. Our new telephony infrastructure will deal with around 80,000 phone calls a days and enable us to respond flexibly to all our customers’ needs. This is supported by the intelligent call distribution system, which takes into account the region a customer is calling from as well as their specific preferences or wishes – for example, if a certain request was recorded in a previous call.
So that’s the benefit for your customers. But how is this reflected in financial terms?
It’s not what you would expect: our customer-service initiative is saving us several million euros each year.
It’s not what you would expect: our customer-service initiative is saving us several million euros each year.
How?
Thanks to voice over IP, all internal phone calls are completely free of charge – and external calls are charged flexibly
Thanks to voice over IP, all internal phone calls are completely free of charge – and external calls are charged flexibly
On August 15, you became Chairman of the Supervisory Board at BITMARCK GmbH, an ICT service provider for the healthcare sector. What does the company do for you?
In BITMARCK, we have created an organization with 1,250 IT staff and current revenues of 250 million euros. The aim of BITMARCK is to implement standardized health-insurance software for its 200 members, to introduce a one-stop data-center solution, and to provide access to expert consulting and customer service – for example, on data clearing. Based on these services, we are driving forward telemedicine applications and solutions and the electronic healthcare card. By spinning off our IT to BITMARCK, we have – in close collaboration with T-Systems – created the largest full-service provider of IT solutions in the health-insurance sector.
In BITMARCK, we have created an organization with 1,250 IT staff and current revenues of 250 million euros. The aim of BITMARCK is to implement standardized health-insurance software for its 200 members, to introduce a one-stop data-center solution, and to provide access to expert consulting and customer service – for example, on data clearing. Based on these services, we are driving forward telemedicine applications and solutions and the electronic healthcare card. By spinning off our IT to BITMARCK, we have – in close collaboration with T-Systems – created the largest full-service provider of IT solutions in the health-insurance sector.
