Life 4.0 Upgrade
Whether your company’s plans to implement Life 4.0, TAI’s recent administration system platform upgrade, are immediate or a few years from now, here is a helpful overview of the process, and how your company can best prepare for it.
About Life 4.0
Life 4.0 is a completely re-platformed upgrade to our admin system. Built on the C# stack, the system moves away from COBOL, providing many additional functionalities and benefits to speed and enhance processes, such as:
A custom modernized user interface
Database enhancements
Cloud enablement
Improved security and data protection
Improved reporting
Improved cycle setup and parameters visibility
Ability to streamline future upgrade processes
Improved reporting
Improved cycle setup and parameters visibility
Ability to streamline future upgrade processes
Upgrading your system to the C# platform will require robust discovery and implementation processes, but focused efforts on both sides will ensure the transition takes place as smoothly and efficiently as possible
What to consider when preparing for an upgrade
Timing: Balance timing among your other IT projects and business initiatives.
Risk: When considering an upgrade, weigh the need for newer features, newer versions vs. the “penalty” of not upgrading, and receiving budget approval.
Resources: Upgrades require the client’s involvement throughout the implementation process. Ensure resources will be available for the duration of the project when participation is required.
Step 1: Upgrade Discovery Workshop
Who should attend?
TAI
System Developer
Business Analyst
Project Manager (if necessary)
Business Development/Client Experience team members
Client
IT/Data Security team members
Project Manager
Reinsurance Administration Lead and SME
IT Support team members
The amount of time needed to implement the upgrade may differ from one company to another, and will depend on each client’s unique reinsurance processing needs and specialized software. In order to ensure a successful upgrade, we recommend that anyone at the client company who interacts in any way with the TAI system be available for some or all of the workshop.
And as a result, TAI may not require all of the above participants be included and, depending on the project, may work with a combination of those listed above.
Next Steps
Within four to six weeks, TAI delivers Business Requirements Documentation and the SOW for your review.
Project start dates and resources are committed and confirmed after execution of the scope of work.
Implementation of the upgrade begins.
Implementation steps after the Upgrade Discovery Workshop
Project Kickoff Meeting
This phase will outline baseline deliverables and milestones, clarify roles, and determine communication cadence. From a technical perspective, during this time, the client delivers their data to TAI, a development environment is set up at TAI, and the new TAI environment is installed at the client site.
Conversion and retrofit
During this phase, baseline files are converted and custom modifications are made. Comparison testing also begins to start validating the database. Any outstanding requirements are also finalized.
TAI Validation
TAI will validate the data between the two systems via parallel testing and view the results between the two environments to include:
Monthly cycle parallel (EDI Compare – all in-force records, EDT [FA1] Compare – all billing transactions, comparison reports)
Interface testing and comparison reports
Unit-testing retrofit of modifications
Functional regression testing
Support of client QA/UAT testing and optional parallel processing
Final conversion testing (counts, monthly cycle, database checks)
Training and interface cycle
Initial training on navigation and new features takes place around the first conversion. Additionally, several variations of testing take place to test the interface cycle.
Client QA/UAT
Prior to this phase, many tests are conducted by the TAI team. During this phase, the client takes on the testing while being supported by TAI. Any final changes to the software or database are made at this time.
Go-live/post go-live
The client will receive technical support from TAI as they go live on the new environment. Any final conversions and testing are also conducted to ensure smooth sailing.
Tips for success when planning for an upgrade:
Understand the scope of the project (It’s much more than just flipping a switch)
Take the time to review your existing TAI implementation. Examples:
Are there any processing steps requiring manual intervention that might benefit from automation?
Are you aware of any upcoming organizational projects that may affect your TAI system?
Get the right people involved from the start.
Ensure resources available to work with TAI during the upgrade.
Be prepared to test, test, test.
