A Major U.S. Insurer Turns Its Print and Mail Operation into a Growth Platform

Challenge

A large U.S. insurance provider, running a high-volume in-house print and mail operation, faced increasing operational pressure. Production was split between two facilities, with acquisitions adding printers, inserters, and workflows that could not easily share work. Many jobs were tied to specific machines, creating islands of production and growing operational complexity.

On a typical day, the operation received hundreds of unique jobs, generating millions of images and hundreds of thousands of mailpieces in multiple print description languages, including AFP, PCL, Metacode/LCDS, PostScript, and PDF. The environment included a mix of print and inserter devices and relied on hundreds of distinct processes and “tribal knowledge,” with limited system-level tracking. Leadership determined the fragmented environment could not support modernization goals, including cloud-friendly architectures, and engaged Crawford Technologies for a post-composition workflow solution.

Goals: Standardize, Scale, and Future-Proof

The insurer set several objectives for the new environment:
• Standardize incoming print data so jobs were no longer tied to specific devices or locations.
• Automate file delivery, inserter barcodes, mailpiece tracking, reprints, and reporting with piece-level visibility.
• Reduce manual workflows, scripting, and dependence on a shrinking pool of legacy experts.
• Support consolidation of production into a single facility.
• Establish a common workflow for all print and mail applications, including new acquisitions.
• Lay a foundation for future cloud and digital initiatives with a modern, workflow-driven platform.

The business case centered on productivity, integrity, scalability, and controlled capital and operating costs.

Solution

Crawford Technologies deployed IntelliMerge PRO to normalize incoming print streams and replace application-specific workflows with a single, data-driven process. All formats are converted into a consistent, device-independent structure with standardized control over page boundaries, mailpiece definitions, inserts, and production rules. This allows jobs to run across compatible print and inserter devices without application-specific processing.

Barcoding, batching, routing, reprints, and tracking are applied within the workflow, providing centralized control while integrating with existing Canon PRISMA and inserter environments.

As part of this effort, inefficient PDF workloads were addressed within the same process. Files were consolidated into production batches, redundant resources were removed, and structural issues were corrected before processing, reducing staging time and manual intervention.

The implementation focused on post-composition processing, allowing upstream systems to remain unchanged while establishing a scalable, repeatable production environment.

Results

Following implementation of IntelliMerge PRO, production was successfully consolidated into a single facility, and the secondary site was deactivated. Normalized workflows enabled jobs to run on any compatible equipment. Production equipment was no longer sitting idle, waiting for work that required a specific device.

• 50% reduction in inserter fleet Specialized equipment was retired as work shifted to a standardized production environment.
• One primary workflow Approximately 90% of the work now runs through a single workflow, replacing application-specific paths and improving control and stability.
• Improved throughput Concatenated and optimized batches keep high-speed equipment more fully utilized, while standardized control information and barcodes reduce downtime and enable automated reprints.

Supporting Growth

The new architecture was tested when the insurer absorbed a new property and casualty book of business with a mix of print streams and processes. Previously, the insurer might have added dedicated hardware and workflows, increasing fragmentation and potentially requiring more space and staff. Instead, Crawford Technologies and the insurer normalized the incoming print streams and configured IntelliMerge PRO to handle barcoding, tracking, reprints, and routing without custom code.

This additional volume was fully integrated in less than 45 days using the same standardized workflow, routing logic, and production controls already in place. New volume can be absorbed through the same approach, giving the operation a repeatable model for onboarding work quickly and consistently.

Outcome

The common workflow improved reporting and management across lines of business. With IntelliMerge PRO, the operation gained real-time dashboards, job management, piece-level tracking, and reporting, replacing limited system-level visibility into print, insertion, and mailpiece status. Standardization also simplified disaster recovery by eliminating multiple device-specific definitions of document behavior and making replication easier in a secondary environment.

The relationship continues as Crawford Technologies supports ongoing onboarding projects, software upgrades, and larger transformation initiatives, while the insurer’s programming group manages day-to-day operations. Over time, the insurer has become more self-sufficient through Crawford Technologies’ online training, with Crawford Technologies’ professional services supporting complex normalization work and specialized projects.

The result is a repeatable production approach that improves control, supports acquisitions, and enables growth without adding operational complexity. New volume can be absorbed through the same operating model, giving the insurer a scalable foundation with greater production consistency, fewer exceptions, and less dependence on additional infrastructure or custom development.