Leadership Perspectives

Everything You Need to Know About HRIS (Including What It Is)

by Mark Rieder
SVP, HR Technologies and Benefit Administration Services

You land an amazing job. The company says it’s a cutting-edge, forward-thinking place to work and you couldn’t be more excited. Then on day one you’re handed a huge stack of new employee paperwork to fill out. By hand. Seriously? While technology seems to be “everywhere,” many employers struggle to use it to simplify human resource (HR) functions. The problem isn’t a lack of solutions; it’s a lack of knowing how to choose. That’s where Mark Rieder’s team, which specializes in HR technology such as HRIS and benefits administration platforms, comes in.

Q. What exactly is an HRIS?
A. An HRIS, or human resource information system, is a platform or group of platforms organizations use to track, store and organize employee data throughout the employee life cycle. From applying for a position, onboarding and logging PTO, to accessing training, managing benefits and offboarding, the technology automates tasks and eliminates paper. Think of an HRIS as the umbrella over all the systems an HR department uses to manage their workforce.

Q. Ok, wait. If I’m not part of a benefits-focused office, should I keep reading?
A. Definitely. All of our offices – benefits, retirement, property and casualty – are in a great position to use HRIS as a door opener or value add. You just have to understand what that value is. The purchasing decision often extends beyond HR and, in many cases, involves most of the C-suite.

Q. How does your team support our offices and their clients?
A. Our job is to consult with clients of any NFP office. We help the clients evaluate and select a full HRIS platform or individual components of a platform, such as benefits administration, applicant tracking or performance management. We can work with them to either add new technology or improve existing platforms. Because without the right HR technology, a company will have a hard time attracting, developing and retaining employees. It will also be prone to data errors and noncompliance issues that can result in fines and other costs.

Q. What services do you offer clients?
A. Google “HRIS” and you get thousands of hits. Our process narrows the solutions down based on what we know about the client, its market segment and its industry. We talk with the client’s stakeholders to understand what they need and to define what HRIS means to them. It’s an expensive process for them in terms of time, effort and technology, so it has to be done right. Not only do we help find the best solution for the client; in many cases we also support implementation. The goal is to make sure that there are no surprises and that the selected vendor stays on track and follows through on its commitments.

Q. To be clear, you don’t build HRIS platforms?
A. No. We made a conscious decision not to buy or build a solution. If we owned technology, we couldn’t be vendor agnostic. The reality is that no one HRIS solution fits every company. We do, however, have some preferred partners that we believe to be the best in their class. These partnerships allow our clients to take advantage of the size and scale of NFP from a terms and price perspective. One example is our partnership with bswift, a benefits administration platform. As bswift’s largest broker reseller, we can provide clients of all sizes a platform that’s typically reserved for large markets with 2,000+ employees.

Q. What does the future of HR technology look like?
A. It’s growing fast. New players enter the market on a regular basis. Several years ago, technology in the office would be far more sophisticated than what you had at home. That’s flipped now, and employers need to catch up. Luckily for us, many of them are now realizing that. Online tools and mobile access are now a must. Any HR technology needs to be optimized for mobile devices and needs to shift away from being employer-focused to employee-focused. There’s also an increased focus on video and interactive capabilities that enhance communication.

Q. With all this great technology, who needs people?
A. Technology is in high demand, but it definitely doesn’t replace all people. It’s simply a tool that makes people more efficient. You still need folks in place to provide what a computer can’t. Any client that thinks they’re going to purchase a technology system and then close their eyes and let the system handle everything is going to be an unhappy client. As with all things NFP, our personalized service sets us apart. Our consultants help clients navigate the market and make sense of their options. Our Client Services team provides the support needed to implement and maintain the technology.

Q. How do NFP offices make the most of your team?
A. As an extension of the offices, we’re available to strategize with a producer, consult with a client, demo a platform or even attend a finalist meeting. In some cases we position our consulting team; other times we’ll make our in-house benefits administration team the focus. It all depends on what the client wants in a partner.

Regardless, HR technology is a hot topic that clients want to talk about. It should be discussed and documented for every single NFP client or prospect. We need to ask, “Who’s your payroll vendor?” “Do you have a global HRIS platform?” “Are you using benefits administration technology?” “What tools do you use to communicate to employees?” If we don’t, someone else will, and we’ll be at a competitive disadvantage. As important, the technology doesn’t just benefit clients — it benefits NFP. The more employers we help, the more client data we hold. That data allows us to mine for other opportunities, be they new sales, white paper development or benchmarking.

Want to get more information about HR technology or Mark’s team? Email Mark.

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PeopleFirst

Register Now for the NFP Company Call

Register now — then tune in for the next Company Call on Wednesday, Sept. 7, at 2:00 p.m. ET. Executive leadership will share an update on key company initiatives that are moving us forward as well as a look at where we are today. Call in to get PeopleFirst updates, and the latest on our newest offices and financial performance reporting.

Unable to call in? The recording will be posted shortly after the call on the PeopleFirst Portal.

Have a question to submit? Send your questions prior to the call by emailing marketing@nfp.com.

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RECOGNITION

Unsung Hero, Michelle Schiavo

Michelle Schiavo, a senior sales and marketing specialist out of our Aliso Viejo office, is our secret weapon in dealing with RFPs and so much more. The number of consultant RFPs that her office prepares has quadrupled in the last few years, but that doesn’t slow Michelle down. When her office recently began to respond to RFPs for 457 plans, Michelle was determined to figure them out. If that wasn’t enough to make her an unsung hero, Michelle is also the editor of their own office’s monthly client newsletter. She proofreads and edits all documents that her office prepares, and even tracks and sends materials to multiple Compliance departments for review. She always keeps a positive attitude while taking ownership of each and every task she’s assigned, and she ensures that her office puts its best foot forward with prospective and existing clients. Michelle has shown that she isn’t just an unsung hero … she may even be a superhero!

Michelle loves spending time with her dog and tries to attend as many Dave Matthews Band concerts as humanly possible. She’s also been known to bake and share tasty homemade treats with her office.

Unsung Hero, Leroy Oates

Leroy Oates is known for always having a smile on his face. He’s also earned a reputation for excellence in service among clients and co-workers in our Charlotte, NC, office since joining the Southeast region two years ago as an account manager on the Emerging Markets team. He’s quickly proven to be an asset to the organization. Leroy is typically the first to greet co-workers each morning, and he’s always willing to jump in on special projects for other departments. Leroy expertly supports his office’s Client Management team by tirelessly working directly with clients and their employees to solve issues related to administration or claims. The constant unsolicited, positive feedback from clients about their customer service experiences with Leroy has helped our office retain and even win new clients. Leroy’s work ethic, positive attitude and humility clearly make him an unsung hero.

Leroy and his family love to relax and vacation together. They enjoy spending quality time together on Caribbean cruises.

Know an Unsung Hero? Submit a nomination form to humanresources@nfp.com.

Chicago Employee Appreciation Party Cruises Lake Michigan

The first NFP Chicago Summer Employee Party was fun for everyone. Our Chicago-area employees joined executives from Dearborn National, Travelers and Chubb to enjoy a lunch cruise on the Spirit of Chicago. This afternoon of appreciation included games, dancing and views of the Chicago skyline from Lake Michigan. Now that’s how to enjoy a hot summer in the windy city!

L to R: Jane Gibson, Aneta Duguid, Mike Schneider, Sherri Zion, Karim Qamruddin, Rich Fahn, Rachel Herod, Joanne Garzonetti and Jordan Pockross

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COMMUNITY

NFP and Our CEO Ride to Cure Cancer

The Pan-Mass Challenge raises money for lifesaving cancer research and treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Our own CEO Doug Hammond, along with Adam Wilkins and Brian Wilkins, both VPs out of our Plainview, NY, office, joined 6,000 riders who bicycled 163 miles from Wellesley to Provincetown, MA. Team NFP raised over $100,000 for the Jimmy Fund and the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. And Doug exceeded his personal goal, raising more than $25,000 with the help of company leaders and employees. Amazing job, and thanks to all who participated!

Front Row (L to R): TJ Freedman, Brian Wilkins, Jesse Damashek, Adam Wilkins and Jonathan Klein
Back Row (L to R): Louis Cohen, Michael Jupiter, Doug Hammond, Stefan Spazek, Michael Razewski, Andrew Bernstein and Daniel Mense


L to R: Adam Wilkins, TJ Freedman, Doug Hammond and Brian Wilkins

NFP Sponsors Summer Charity Fun in Long Island

NFP was one of the sponsors of the Marcum Workplace Challenge, a 3.5-mile run-walk for charity and Long Island's largest office picnic. Employees from our Northeast region offices were some of the 10,000 participants from over 215 local teams that gathered at Jones Beach State Park. The event benefited four local charities: The Long Island Children's Museum, The Children's Medical Fund of NY, Long Island Cares and The Nassau County Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. Nothing’s better than good times for a good cause — unless it’s for four good causes.

Back Row (L to R): Ingrid Amato, Beth Blumencranz Salm and Peter Salm
Front Row (L to R): Roger Blumencranz

NFP Invests in Young Minds

Operation Backpack is a nonprofit organization that collects school supplies and distributes them to thousands of students in need. This school year, our offices helped to set kids up for success by providing thousands of supplies and hundreds of backpacks. You all get an A+ for your NFP spirit. Here are a few great pics from some of our offices:

Fort Washington, PA
Kadedra Warren


Warrington, PA
L to R: Andy Sheldon, Kathy Kerstetter, Trish Howard, Jessica Bostock, Stacy Colvin, Maureen Lewis, Amy Coyle and Jill Jacquinto


Jamison, PA
L to R: Charlene Gumkowski, Diane Reed, Patti Devlin and Beth Loubet


Austin


Lenox Advisors, New York City


Massachusetts


New York

We Put the Pedal to the Metal to Fight Multiple Sclerosis

Our own Christine Matheney, a commercial lines producer in our Barrington, IL, office, supported one of our clients, The Room Place, on their team charity ride to help those with multiple sclerosis (MS). In addition to providing NFP-branded water bottles and lip balm for athletes competing in the Bike MS: Tour de Farms in northern Illinois, Christine biked with “The Room Place Riders” for over 100 miles. The team raised over $37,000 to fight MS and fund research to end this devastating disease.

Christine Matheney

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WELL-BEING

Kevin Brady Shows His Strength in Canadian Triathlon

Kevin Brady, managing director in our Burlington, Ontario, office, is a serious athlete with some serious accomplishments. He recently competed in the Ottawa Triathlon and finished fifth in his age group. He swam, biked and ran his way to qualify to compete in the world triathlon championships in Cancun, representing Canada. We wish him the best of luck, although the way he’s going, he doesn’t need it. Keep it up, Kevin!

Urgent Care Vs. ER

What do you do when you or your child is running a fever and your primary care doctor is unavailable? In the past, the only place to go for immediate care was a hospital emergency room, which meant waiting for hours and missing work or school. Fortunately, health care access is continuing to evolve. Now you can visit an urgent care center or utilize your health plan’s virtual visit option to address your immediate health care needs.

When to use virtual visits or to visit an urgent care center: Check out this option when your primary care doctor is unavailable and you’re experiencing symptoms such as bladder/urinary tract infection, cold/flu/sore throat, fever, migraine/headaches, pink eye/rash, stomach ache or sinus problems. Urgent care centers are equipped with many of the same resources as an emergency room but provide significant cost savings. Want to learn more about the virtual visits offered through your health plan? Learn about:

• UnitedHealthcare Virtual Visits
• CareFirst BCBS Video Visits

When to visit your primary care doctor: Visit your primary care doctor to treat and manage complex or chronic conditions so that they can be more closely and consistently monitored.

When to visit an ER: Always go to the nearest hospital emergency room when in a life-threatening situation, such as an allergic reaction, chest pain, severe shortness of breath, deep wound or head injury.

Cook Better — Feel Better

UnitedHealthcare offers free, interactive online seminars and events focused on keeping you and your family healthy. This month’s webinar topic is “Be a Better Cook,” hosted by Kathleen Zelman, MPH, RD. You don’t need culinary school or expensive equipment. You don’t even need that much experience. All you need is a little bit of kitchen know-how, a well-stocked kitchen and the desire to enhance your cooking skills. Register and join us for this seminar on Sept. 13 at 12:30 p.m. ET, to get inspired, learn a few tips and tricks, and begin mastering the art of healthy, delicious cooking. Bon appetit!

Vitality Step Out Walking Challenge Goes the Distance

We challenged you to join us for the summer well-being steps challenge to get moving this summer and to raise awareness for our company diabetes initiative. You not only rose to the challenge — you blew it away! A whopping 425 NFP employees participated and walked a total of 142,961,981 steps. Everyone who joined and participated in the challenge will receive 100 Vitality Points, and we have extra prizes for our top walkers. Drum roll, please …

1st Place: 1,000 Vitality Points — Rena Bell from our Glendale, AZ, office

2nd Place: 500 Vitality Points — Wanda Leonard from our Atlanta, GA, office

3rd Place: 250 Vitality Points — Connie Boden from our Glendale, AZ, office

Not yet enrolled in Vitality? Sign up today and start your path to a healthier you!

Keep Walking to Stomp Out Diabetes

Now that you’re in top walking shape, be sure to join us for one of the American Diabetes Association Step Out: Walk to Stop Diabetes events near you. Check out our NFP team page to see how much we’ve raised in support of the American Diabetes Association. Then click on “Join a Team” to see if there’s an NFP team near you. No team in your area? Click “Create a Team” to start one. Check out this full list of events to see if there’s an event near you. If not, you can always register as a virtual walker online. Let’s get to stepping!

Questions about Step Out activities? Contact your local Vitality champ or Human Resources.

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DEVELOPMENT

We Love Our Interns

Over the last 10 weeks, the NFP Summer Internship Program hosted 17 fantastic interns in our Chicago, New York and Austin offices. Some events they were involved in included executive interviews, executive luncheons, job shadowing and NFP Learning Circles. They even participated in community and team-building events, such as scavenger hunts and boat trips. The talented interns each presented the projects they’ve been working on throughout the program to our executive team and their managers, and it’s safe to say this year’s program was a success.

Interested in hosting an intern next summer? Contact your HR Business Partner or email Human Resources.

Chicago Office
L to R: Jon VanDerWatt, Mary Thorsen, Brittany Winbush and Nick Rice


New York Office
Front Row (L to R): Kevin Conlon
Middle Row (L to R): Erin Vance, Carolyn Cai (Intern), Tim Robb, Lara Nichols, Jeanmarie Contegni, Kiersten Martin, Doreen DePaola and Taha Elhammar (Intern)
Back Row (L to R): Brad Bradford (Intern), Jason Sickle, Lorraine Harrison, Lexie Rolih (Intern), Nicole Rende (Intern), Connell Schmitz (Intern), Duncan Cummings (Intern), Lindsay Stearns (Intern), Regan McDuffee (Intern), Morgan Littman (Intern) and Mike Campbell


Austin Office
Front Row (L to R): Erin Vance and Carissa Federico
Back Row (L to R): Emily Britt, John Hickman, Chris Magott, Kalyne Meier (Intern), Ryan Gold (Intern) and Megan Copeland (Intern)

NFP & GenHERation Build Strong Relationship

GenHERation is an interactive media company that provides young high school women access to career exploration, female executives, skill-building activities and scholarships through its digital platform and national events. This year, our Women in Leadership Council and our New York interns Carolyn Cai and Lindsay Stearns got involved with GenHERation during the company’s Discovery Days. Our very own Kate Henry, managing director at our New York office, was one of 150 female executives asked to speak on GenHERation’s Discovery Day shuttle. We think everyone benefitted from this relationship, so we’re working hard to get GenHERation out to more NFP offices next year.

Did You Complete Your Mandatory Compliance Training?

The 2016 compliance training deadline was Aug. 15. If you didn’t complete your assigned courses, you and your supervisor have received an email from HR outlining a brief extension to ensure that we’re 100 percent compliant across the organization. The mandatory training is for all employees and long-term contractors (90 days or more) and includes Cybersecurity Basics and Workplace Harassment training. Accessing the training is easy:

• Training website: NFP Compliance Education Center
• Username: Your six-digit NFP Employee ID number, which you can find on the PeopleFirst Portal under the Employee Summary section of the “Myself” tab; if you don’t have an Employee ID because you’re in our Puerto Rico, Canada or England offices, or because you’re a temporary employee or long-term contractor (90 days or more), log in using the email address on file with NFP as your username.
• Password: Training

Thank you for your support in this important initiative.

Questions? Contact Human Resources.

We Support Your Leadership Development

We’re happy to provide you the opportunity to grow your leadership skills through a training series called Emerging Leaders. This virtual series consists of seven courses designed to provide a solid leadership foundation. Each course is offered four times per year to eligible leaders. Those who complete the series are recognized for their achievements through a framed certificate signed by our CEO, Doug Hammond.

Congratulations to the following people who have completed the Emerging Leaders training program:

• Danielle Foster — Aliso Viejo, CA
• Catherine Gabriel — San Jose, CA
• Janet Gagliardo — Plainview, NY
• Jordan Graubard — Plainview, NY
• Cindy Hickling — Endwell, MA
• Jessica King — Eden Prairie, MN
• Kathleen O’Donnell-Hager — Endwell, MA
• Julia Taylor — Endwell, MA
• Dana Webb — Aliso Viejo, CA

Want to do more than follow in another’s footsteps? We can help you learn how to grow your leadership skills and forge your own path to success. Talk with your manager to find out if this course is open to you and then contact Chris Magott.

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FINANCE

Get Out from Under Student Loan Debt

Burdened by student loan debt? You’re not alone. That’s why NFP has teamed up with SoFi, the largest provider of student loan refinancing, to offer assistance and debt reduction to NFP employees and their family members. Benefits include:

• Rate Discount — NFP employees receive an additional .125 percent rate discount for refinancing through sofi.com/NFP.
• Savings — SoFi borrowers save $19,000 on average over the life of their loans when they refinance.
• Rates — Variable rates as low as 2.15 percent APR and fixed rates as low as 3.5 percent APR (with autopay).
• Simplicity — Consolidate all student loans into a single loan with one monthly payment.
• Perks — SoFi offers career counseling, unemployment protection, a referral program and more.
• No fees — No application fees, no origination fees and no prepayment penalties.

Register now for one of two upcoming educational webinars on lowering student loan debt with SoFi:

• Tuesday, Sept. 20, 12:30 p.m. ET
• Thursday, Sept. 22, 3:30 p.m. ET

Questions? Visit sofi.com/NFP or call SoFi directly at 855-456-7634.

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Regional Office & Platform News

One Success Leads to Another

Teamwork, Relationship-Building and Integrated Selling
The power of one integrated selling success story often brings about another, as shown in the following highlights from our Retirement division. It all started when Allison Kaylor-Flink, SVP of ERISA Consulting and Plan Due Diligence in Austin, TX, was introduced to Cooper Johnson, VP and Director of Sales, Oklahoma City, and our Oklahoma team through Todd Broussard, VP of Executive Benefits, and Robin Johnston, SVP of Business Development, both in Austin.

Todd and Allison went to Oklahoma City to introduce their expertise and services to our team there. Over the next couple of months they continued to develop their relationship and discuss potential cases. Knowing these new combined services were now available, Cooper and Ben Klaus, Business Development in Oklahoma City, discussed opening up a new direction for one of their opportunities, an automotive F&I solutions provider in Austin they hadn’t been able to secure. Allison analyzed their Form 5500 data that is filed annually on all qualified plans as well as other tax and financial information they provided. Allison explained to Cooper and Ben the possible enhancements, and the Oklahoma team made the call to the prospect to pique their interest. With the collection of the plans' current data, Cooper’s team determined it was time to visit Austin and present these findings as a joint effort. The Retirement team presented ways to enhance the program and reduce expenses to the participants. Through this meeting, the client realized it made good sense to move both their health and retirement to NFP, since it all could be serviced and coordinated from one entity and service center. We won the business, and this case will generate $275,000 in annual revenue. Our next step is to work to secure their property & casualty business.

Integrated Selling Methods for Success
News of the above success traveled fast. As a result, when a discount food store in Oklahoma complained about its 401(k) plan offerings, Todd Chapman, VP of Select Markets in Oklahoma City, knew to speak up and tell them that we have a solution. He said, “Let me introduce you to our 401(k) specialist, Allison Flink.”

Allison connected with the client right away. Instead of trying to immediately “sell” him, she listened to his concerns so she could offer solutions. It was clear that the client appreciated her willingness to listen and provide help without an expectation of moving the business. They scheduled a meeting and the NFP team traveled to Oklahoma City to meet the potential client’s entire team. Having been given all of the company’s key plan information, we progressed with analysis of their Form 5500 information, which was critical for suggested plan improvements. By the close of that meeting, the client asked, "When can you start?”

This case will generate almost $50,000 per year on the retirement plan alone. And it doesn’t stop there. A plan is in place to grow our success through taking on their P&C and non-qualified business down the road.

So what’s our secret to success? Simply, listen to your client, uncover other potential issues and solve their problems — no matter how small. Then follow up promptly and deliver on your word. That’s how we do it, and that’s how we’ll continue to achieve integrated selling success.

PGA Golf Celebration in Full Swing

The 98th PGA Championship, hosted at the Baltusrol Golf Club in Springfield, NJ, merged business with pleasure. Several of our employees from many offices in the New York area are members of the club and played major roles during the championship, such as volunteering for crowd control and scoring attendees to select foursomes.

In honor of the celebration, we partnered with Mass Mutual and Lenox Advisors to host a suite near the 16th green for the week of the tournament. This was the perfect background for several of our offices in the area to come together and continue to build solid relationships with one another. A number of office leaders, employees and their clients enjoyed opening day by playing a round of golf at a local course before spending the afternoon at Baltusrol watching the pros tee it up. It was definitely a memorable experience for our clients that attended.

Our participation throughout this event helped expose more of our businesses to current clients while also forging stronger relationships among our regional leaders and senior employees in the Northeast. When it comes to NFP and golf, is there any wonder that green is our color?

P&C Wildfire Protection Offers Opportunity

Wildfire season puts everyone on high alert. Diane Beatty, regional vice president of P&C in our San Francisco office, discusses in an Insurance Business America article how the right wildfire coverage can not only put clients at ease, but also save them money.

Those living in areas prone to wildfires are seeing an 8 – 10 percent average increase in homeowner’s premiums over the past two to three years. Certain underwriting factors, including brush clearance and access points to the home, have jumped this increase to as much as 25 percent, depending on the carrier. But there’s more to consider. “While rates are rising and standard market appetite is dwindling, however, there have been some developments in the space that benefit both producers and their clients,” explains Diane.

Read the article to learn more about wildfire protection that could save policyholders thousands of dollars in premiums and carrier programs, save homes and help our business. Then find an opportunity to talk with your clients about these issues and the right solutions to benefit them — and us.

Bringing Business Together — Integrated Selling

It’s really no surprise that when we work together, good things happen. This recent tale of integrated selling is one more success story to add to our list of wins. Alan Littman, a producer in our New York office, had an opportunity to grow his relationship with a private equity firm in Boston with three portfolio companies: two in Boston and one in Coral Springs, FL. Alan proposed consolidating all of the firms’ insurance with one broker for property and casualty and benefits. We presented the client with all of the services that NFP has to offer, keeping a focus on P&C and benefits. Thereafter, every meeting was a joint meeting that included our experts in those areas.

Harris Tsangaris, vice president of Corporate Development in our New York office, represented the P&C side. After meeting with the prospective clients, Harris brought Dan Whyte, a regional manager out of our Boston office, into the process. Dan and Harris did a forensic review of the insurance policies, and during the gap analysis, they discovered deficiencies in coverage for all of these portfolio companies as well as the private equity firm’s P&C policies. Their analysis and presentation impressed the clients, and they were awarded a broker of record for all P&C policies, creating a total P&C revenue of $75,000.

When discussing the benefits aspect of this deal, Kate Henry, managing director in our New York office, and Paul Lunn, director of Client Management in our Boston office, presented to the portfolio companies in Boston. From our New York office, Sarah Wollschlager, director, and Lindsey Lornell, account executive, presented to the portfolio company in Coral Springs, as they already had a client in that area. We consistently discussed our strategy, services and resources with the client, and the portfolio companies quickly decided to award us the broker of record, with about $115,000 in benefits revenue.

Through intentional integrated selling, we brought both benefits and P&C together, rounded out accounts and made the deal for both business lines. With the help of Corporate Development, we were able to impress our client by providing solutions in multiple areas. It’s another example of us working better together.

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Tools & Resources

Say Hello to the Benefits Compliance Portal 2.0

The updated Benefits Compliance Portal is now live! For those who don’t know, the Benefits Compliance Portal is an online, customizable compliance checklist that allows advisors and their clients to develop and track compliance items. It contains major federal compliance requirements that may apply to an employer-sponsored group health plan, including a short description of the requirement and applicable due dates and penalties. The portal allows space for the advisor or client to add comments and check off requirements as they’re marked compliant. It also lets clients develop a task list and compliance calendar with due dates and reminder dates.

The new and improved version 2.0. Available now, version 2.0 features an even more user-friendly interface that’s both visually pleasing and intuitive. Additionally, it includes the ability to upload and save supporting compliance documents. Current-year plans from the previous interface were mapped over to the updated version.

Missed the training? View the recording.

Questions? Contact Ford Darger.

A Better Benefits-at-a-Glance Mobile App for Client Employees

The newly improved Benefits-At-A-Glance^™ mobile app version 2.0 is here! This employee-facing application lets our clients’ employees:

• View their benefits offerings
• Store images of their medical identification and prescription drug cards
• Find contact information
• Access documents and third-party hyperlinks

New features are here. Thanks to advisor feedback and ideas, we’ve made some exciting changes. Enhancements to version 2.0 include:

• Client-Level Documents — Users are no longer restricted to uploading/attaching documents only at the plan level. Our latest version allows documents to be uploaded or attached at the client level.
• Employer Logo — The previous version restricted an employer logo to the Web version of the mobile app. With this version you can display the employer’s logo on the Web and mobile app versions of Benefits-At-A-Glance^™
• Third-Party Hyperlinks — While the prior version supported the inclusion of third-party hyperlinks, advisors weren’t able to add hyperlinks on their own and required assistance from the NFP Technology department. Version 2.0 gives advisors, as administrators, the ability to add hyperlinks without assistance.
• Benefit Plan Disclaimer Language — Version 2.0 incorporates static text informing clients’ employees that in the event of any discrepancies between the information in the mobile app and the plan document, the plan document shall govern. This adds clarity for all parties.
• Email Encryption — Our latest version contains email encryption for those instances when an employee chooses to email images of his/her health identification cards to a third party.
• Plan “Preview” Mode — Version 2.0 has a plan “preview” mode, which enables administrators to review built plans before publishing them for employee use.
• Contact Record Required Fields — In 2.0, we removed some of the fields that were required in order for the Contact Record to be successfully saved by the administrator. In the prior version of the mobile app, the administrator was required to enter all of the required field in order to save a Contact Record.
• Phone Number Link — This latest version allows users to automatically dial a phone number once it’s selected.
• Incorporation of Retirement Plans from Salesforce (NFP360) – Version 2.0 will receive active retirement plans from Salesforce (NFP360) every night.
• Client & Contact Record Modified for Canadian Address Format — The latest version allows administrators to enter client and contact information for Canadian addresses.
• Excessive File Attachment Character Length Warning Message — Version 2.0 will prompt administrators with a warning message if they attempt to attach or upload a document with a name that is too long according to the program’s naming convention.
• Plan & Product Sequencing — Version 2.0 gives administrators the ability to control the sequencing of plans and products with respect to the order they’re displayed and viewed by an employee.

Ready to learn more? View a demo of the latest Benefits-At-A-Glance^™ enhancements through this webinar recording.

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Procurement

More Ways to Save with the Q3 Vendor Partnerships Guide

We enjoy significant discounts from several companies, including Xerox, FedEx, Dell, W.B. Mason, Hertz and Avis. Get all the information you need in the latest edition of the NFP Vendor Partnerships Guide, which includes these new opportunities:

• The Parking Spot — We receive discounted rates at all Parking Spot locations nationwide, including 21 airports and 38 off-site locations.
• Denihan Hospitality Group — Denihan Hospitality Group offers us corporate rates at some of its NYC and Chicago properties, including The James, The Surrey and The Benjamin. Interested in hosting an event at one of their properties? Need 10 or more lodging rooms for an event? Contact Stacy Anthony.
• Egan Sign — Egan Sign is our new preferred vendor for signage needs, including reception signs, exterior building signs and vinyl.

Questions? Contact Silver Chaudry.

Get Caffeinated with WB Mason’s Keurig Promotion

Sign and sip! WB Mason is offering free Keurig brewers to our offices that sign a one-year agreement to purchase K-Cup pods from the NFP storefront. Once signed, installation takes about 3-5 business days. This promotion expires Sept. 30, 2016.

Questions? Contact Silver Chaudry.

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Marketing

Do Your Email Signature and Linkedin Profile Show Up Correctly?

With the launch of the new NFP.com, more people are visiting the site via our social media outlets than ever. And this traffic goes both ways. While it’s exciting to see, we’ve noticed that many of you still aren’t showing our correct company information on your social media profiles, like LinkedIn. It’s important to ensure that your email signature and your LinkedIn profile are up to date with NFP guidelines.

We’ve provided easy-to-follow instructions on how to update your email signature and ensure you’re using the right logo and information at NFP Brand Central. In addition, you’ll find a one-pager on how to update your LinkedIn profile to reflect the updated NFP story and to link yourself to the correct NFP LinkedIn corporate page.

Used correctly and consistently, our brand tells a clear story of who we are, what we do and our core values. Thank you for helping us communicate effectively and in one voice.

Our Company’s a Hit — Brand Update Ahead

Have you checked out NFP.com? We’ve been working hard for more than two years to refresh the NFP brand so that we can tell a much clearer story of what we do and what we stand for. For the first time, we have a single site that fully reflects our capabilities and unique value proposition. Here are a few things we’d like to point out since our launch:

AdvisorComplete — Looking for the link to AdvisorComplete? Because of the sale of Kestra, we removed the link from NFP.com — but you can still find it, along with other tools, here.

Traffic update — Analytics show that traffic to our company’s website is increasing. We’re getting hit after hit on our social media pages. And when it comes to recruiting and careers, the clicks keep on coming, which shows lots of interest in our company. Did you know that 447 people a day are curious to know about NFP? And we’ve had a 14 percent increase in engaged visitor traffic since May!

We’ll continue to monitor monthly reporting and evaluate success criteria along the way. Look for traffic updates and more in the months to come.

What’s Your Sign? Brand Central Has It

Our new preferred vendor, Egan Signs, has all your signage needs covered. Are you a rebranded office looking to replace your interior or exterior signage? Egan Sign offers negotiated rates on various types of NFP signage, including reception signs, exterior building signs and vinyl. Contact them directly through NFP Brand Central. NFP looks good on you!

MRL Gets an Upgrade

The Marketing Resource Library (MRL) recently went live with enhancements to make searching for marketing materials a little easier. Here are some new features:

Saved Items Removed — The “Saved Items” section of the tool has been permanently removed, as the Document Manager serves the same function, and can be used for saving and emailing materials. Please note that the Document Manager organizes materials on two different tabs, “Documents” and “Emails.” If you’re saving an email like Compliance Corner, it’ll be under the “Emails” tab.

More Flexible Email Field — You now have the option to separate email addresses using a comma or a semicolon. Please note that there should be no spaces between email addresses.

Questions? Contact MRL@nfp.com.

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