Investing Wisely in Digital Transformation
Customer Company Size
Large Corporate
Region
- America
Country
- United States
Product
- Adabas
- NaturalONE
- webMethods EntireX
Tech Stack
- Database Management System
- Application Development
- Application Modernization
Implementation Scale
- Enterprise-wide Deployment
Impact Metrics
- Cost Savings
- Customer Satisfaction
- Productivity Improvements
Technology Category
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Data Exchange & Integration
- Application Infrastructure & Middleware - Database Management & Storage
Applicable Industries
- Finance & Insurance
Applicable Functions
- Business Operation
Services
- Software Design & Engineering Services
- System Integration
About The Customer
The American Armed Forces Mutual Aid Association (AAFMAA) is the longest-standing not-for-profit military aid association. It provides current and former military families with affordable financial solutions, including life insurance, wealth management, mortgage services, and Survivor Assistance Services. Its service-focused employees manage investments in excess of $1.2 billion. Forty-two percent of AAFMAA’s employees are military related. Members were paid more than $88 million worth of benefits in 2017 alone. The member-owned AAFMAA serves “soldier, airman, sailor and marine”— more than 90,000 of them actually. And its services are crucial. In 2017 alone it helped more than 16,000 survivors obtain 100 percent of their entitled benefits. AAFMAA provides all its services, including investments, without charging a single cent in commission. Keeping operating costs low and services efficient is, therefore, business critical for AAFMAA. Not only that, but every dollar saved goes directly back to work for its members.
The Challenge
The American Armed Forces Mutual Aid Association (AAFMAA) was facing a need for new digital services to attract a new generation of members. However, the business was anchored in legacy IT systems, and a rip-and-replace project was deemed too costly and risky. In 2005, AAFMAA needed to innovate and change because the old ways of doing business simply didn't appeal to the new digital generation. Digital business transformation was the answer, but IT could barely handle current business needs. Rip-and-replace projects often seem like the only answer. But getting rid of old systems means losing decades of investments. Worst of all, these expensive multi-million dollar projects come with no guarantee of success. As a practiced investor used to managing risk, AAFMAA didn’t like these odds.
The Solution
AAFMAA reached out to Software AG for a solution that lowered costs while enabling AAFMAA to better attract new members. Software AG helped transition to a Linux®/UNIX®/Windows® environment on open systems, which resulted in costs dropping by more than 50 percent. To grow the business, AAFMAA launched “AAFMAA 2020,” a multi-year initiative that would introduce a full complement of services suited to the changing needs of members over their lifetimes. Software AG and MetroStar Systems recommended a continuous IT modernization practice. Software AG’s EntireX was the right tool for cost-effective IT modernization. NaturalONE enabled rapid application development and upgrading using EclipseTM, the most widely used Java® integrated development environment. MetroStar Systems went on to modernize the AAFMAA website. Then, in 2016, it launched omni-channel service delivery featuring a self-service offering via web and mobile. With it, members could access products and services anywhere, anytime, any place.
Operational Impact
Quantitative Benefit
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