Insurance
S.L.P. Vertriebsservice AG.
S.L.P. AG has been developing and marketing high-performance insurance products in the accident, household and liability insurance sectors in cooperation with leading insurance companies since 1995. It also offers associations and organisations group framework agreements for life insurance specifically geared toward each target market. Many insurance brokers, especially independent brokers, also broker insurance solutions for their clients through S.L.P. AG as the underwriting agent. Both policyholders and brokers as well as cooperating insurance companies value S.L.P. as a skilled and reliable partner.
S.L.P. AG cooperates with more than 30 insurance companies and some 6,000 insurance brokers and multiple agents and regularly achieves top ratings for products brokered in independent ratings such as Stiftung Warentest.
The project
Insurers process vast amounts of personal and sensitive data. As a result, data protection is an essential part of insurance companies’ everyday work. This is especially true when dealing with policyholder files.
S.L.P. AG’s external archive was already at capacity in terms of storage and the files were difficult to access. Because of this, the customer wanted the archive emptied. They wanted the archives scanned, stored or destroyed. However, there was no way to precisely estimate exactly how many boxes of files had accumulated in the external archive over the years. The greatest challenge was that the external archive was located on the top floor and the building had no lift. The only available windows on that floor opened onto two busy main streets or were inaccessible from the outside. Due to the height of the building, it was not possible to dispose of the files via the window into a skip. It seemed that the only way to transport the file-laden boxes was by carrying them down four floors using a spiral staircase.
S.L.P. placed their confidence in REISSWOLF to ensure they met the data protection requirements as well as to find a solution for this unique logistical challenge.
In a preliminary meeting with REISSWOLF, including a visit to the external archive, the team was able to estimate that there were a total of around 500 boxes of archived files. The boxes were labelled with stickers, allowing for a clear distinction to be made between files destined for digitalisation, archiving and destruction. A sample folder was packed in a sealed security container so that the customer could be certain of the scan quality of the files sent for digitalisation.
REISSWOLF then tested the feasibility of transporting the boxes down four floors using the spiral staircase. Removing the boxes would only have been possible with considerable expenditure and would have taken around two full business days. After providing an SSL-encrypted download link for the scanned sample folder, the customer made other arrangements with REISSWOLF, part of which included returning the folder. REISSWOLF was also able to present an alternative to the costly method of transporting the boxes via the staircase: by using an inclined lift on the outer wall of the building, the collection time could be considerably shortened. Because the lift would partly protrude out into the street, REISSWOLF contacted the city administration to apply for a permit for a no stopping zone.
The inclined lift meant that the collection itself could be completed in a quarter of the time originally scheduled – in just one morning. A REISSWOLF archive truck picked up the files marked for archiving/digitisation, and a REISSWOLF Safety.Car. came to take the files to be destroyed.
This allowed the S.L.P. AG’s old files to be archived securely and cost-effectively at REISSWOLF. The scanned folders were saved as read-only PDFs with a scanning resolution of 300 dpi. In addition, the files were signed with a qualified electronic signature, thereby protecting the documents from subsequent alterations or manipulations.
The digital files were delivered to the customer on a USB stick.
Customer benefits
REISSWOLF cleared the poorly accessible external archive with minimal time and effort. The legal obligation to retain the files for the relevant statutory period no longer represents a challenge for the customer in terms of space. All files more than ten years old were destroyed.
The archived files are automatically destroyed after ten years and upon approval by the customer. The customer is now able to access the digitalised files quickly, without first having to physically go to an external archive and search for the right file among all those boxes. And fire and water protection is also no longer an issue.
Customer feedback
“Clearing the archive” was the logistical challenge! We approached our long-standing partner and document shredding service provider REISSWOLF with a challenging task.
Our external archive, which, with 450 boxes, was completely full, had to be cleared and the files had to be sorted for archiving, digitalisation or destruction. Mr Axthelm at REISSWOLF took charge of this project and we arranged a meeting for him to view the archive. It was during this meeting that we realised that we would have to dig deeper in terms of logistical planning. At no point were we given the impression that our project was impossible or even complicated.
On the day the archive was to be cleared, Mr Axthelm was there waiting for me promptly at 6:30 am with his team, a coffee and three large vehicles.
The road in front of the building was closed off thanks to a permit requested by REISSWOLF. A rented inclined lift was professionally installed, and we were able to get started on clearing out the attic floor. Originally, four skilled employees were scheduled to work the entire day. At 12:30 pm, we received the surprising call letting us know that the job was done.
We would like to express our gratitude to REISSWOLF for their friendly, expert and relevant advice, their logistical implementation, and their human touch – a hot cup of coffee was just the thing to start the day off right.
