Mutual admiration society
By decentralizing content authoring and publishing, Catholic Mutual Group wants to speed the time it takes to post information on its Web site.
The insurance provider says that a Web content management system, VIP Platform, from Gauss will help it overcome the bottleneck of funneling Web site updates through a third-party provider. Instead, Catholic Mutual will manage and deploy content itself for its Internet initiatives. MSI Systems Integrators is working with Gauss to integrate the Web content management component of the platform.
Says Mary Ellen Freyermuth, director of Management Information Systems at Catholic Mutual, “We operate in a highly specialized insurance market, so we need the ability to scale our business through the Web to reach a wider audience and provide added value to our customers, while reducing costs. Using Gauss’ VIP Platform, MSI will help us build a Web content infrastructure that enables us to publish timely, personalized content for a whole range of claims and inspection services, strengthen content exchange with partners and branch offices, and promote our company image.”
Relying on a third party to publish content, Freyermuth says, meant waiting days and sometimes weeks to get the information posted. Those delays had a ripple effect throughout the content supply chain, making it difficult to maintain the company’s customer service standards.
With the new system, Catholic Mutual’s partners and branch-office contributors can publish content without the need for outside intervention or technical resources. Because the software separates layout from content, the company can maintain centralized control of the Web site’s layout so both internal and external contributors can enjoy the freedom of publishing content without compromising the site’s security or its look and feel.
Patrick Williams, a senior consultant with MSI, explains, “We elected to implement the VIP Platform because it is written in Java, so the company can minimize investment and training costs as contributors can post content using their favorite desktop publishing tools.”
XML technology will enable the company to create content once, and then share or syndicate it with partners regardless of the technology they use to access it. That way the company can enhance collaboration, cut transaction times and improve cash flow, according to a recent press release.
Catholic Mutual Group is a 111-year-old self-insurance fund of the Catholic Church, headquartered in Omaha, NE, with more than 30 service offices throughout the United States.