You have to know how to be good for long!

Date of recording: 24.04.2024.

In this podcast episode, we talked to Györgyi Agárdi, CIO of Allianz and Sándor Mester about how to maintain a good relationship between the customer and the supplier in the long term.

Participants

Sándor Mester - Moderator Mester Sándor
Györgyi Agárdi - CIO of Allianz Agárdi Györgyi
András Tresch - Quattrosoft managing director Tresch András

Note that the podcast is in Hungarian.

Summary

I recently participated in a fascinating conversation in the podcast series of the Hungarian Association of Leading IT Professionals. The host was Sándor Mester, and our guest was Györgyi Nagyné Agárdi, the outgoing CIO of Allianz Hungária ZRT. The conversation was particularly timely as Györgyi sat down with us just 6 days before her retirement.

The Beginning of Our Relationship - How It Started

The conversation was about long-term client-service provider partnerships and the secrets behind them. As it turned out, the collaboration between Allianz and Quattrosoft goes back nearly 20 years. Interestingly, the story didn't start at Allianz, but at Györgyi's previous workplace, where we first met and worked together on a project. When Györgyi moved to Allianz in 2009, she brought our solution with her.

Our first work at Allianz was a pilot project for the complaint management area, which was completed very quickly. This was an excellent entry point as both parties got to know each other, the system's capabilities, and the business requirements. As Györgyi put it: "we basically needed to do something with graph paper to comply with the law."

After the successful pilot, the collaboration continuously expanded to include more areas such as procurement, portfolio management, and sales support. We always progressed in small steps, which allowed for proper scheduling and resource allocation.

Project Management Philosophy - Why It Worked Well

We both agreed that one key to successful collaboration was breaking down work into smaller projects. As Györgyi put it: "I don't like big projects because they become a never-ending story." Our largest project lasted only 6-7 months, and this timeframe proved adequate to prevent requirements from "creeping" away from the original concepts.

We consistently applied this type of project management throughout the 15 years, and we were able to efficiently manage technology transitions this way as well. We aimed for concrete results at the end of each six-month period, which gave a sense of achievement to both teams and partners.

Results of the Collaboration - What We Achieved

I can proudly say that Allianz stands out exceptionally well in the insurance sector from a technological perspective, both in terms of system automation and integration levels. Our solutions played an important role in this.

When Györgyi arrived at Allianz, the company had about 3,000 employees; today there are about 1,000. This shows significant efficiency improvements, to which our systems contributed. For example, during the autumn mandatory insurance campaigns, they previously had to hire many temporary workers for three months, but with digitization and automation, this is no longer necessary – robots are set up to process the workload instead.

Our Greatest Successes

From Quattrosoft's perspective, perhaps the greatest success was the introduction of the new web interface. As I put it in the conversation: "we're talking about more than 1,000 users on a web interface," and "few others do this in such a flashy way." This solution had a major impact on the user experience.

Györgyi highlighted the success of the claims project, where we developed an integrated control system that connected the portfolio manager with BürOffice operations. This was a significant advancement compared to the previously independently operating workload manager. This model continues to operate to this day.

It's important to mention that Allianz also pays great attention to customer experience. Over the years, the interfaces have become increasingly user-friendly, and today's design is uniform worldwide. As Györgyi put it, it's "a somewhat calming interface compared to when you use very bold and loud colors."

Challenges and Difficulties in the Relationship

Naturally, in a 15-year relationship, there were low points as well. Especially when renewing contracts, there were "rock-hard, cut-throat debates," as Györgyi put it. But we always managed to move past these because both parties had an interest in maintaining good cooperation.

The disputes usually arose from regulatory requirements, such as GDPR-related demands. Allianz, as a financial institution, must comply with strict rules, and these requirements extend to the supplier chain as well. This occasionally caused tension, but we always managed to reach an agreement.

Pricing was also a subject of negotiation, especially given the more than 35% inflation of the last 2-3 years, but we always found common ground on these issues too. The key, as I put it: "not to hold eternal grudges," and to "refocus on the professional aspects."

Secrets of a Successful Partnership

During the conversation, we identified several factors that contributed to the long-term successful collaboration:

  1. Technical compatibility: It's important that the technologies work well together.
  2. Establishing a common vocabulary: It's essential that we understand the same thing by the same concept. As I put it: "we understand what the other wanted to say."
  3. High-quality service: As a provider, it's crucial that we deliver a stable, well-functioning system.
  4. Continuous communication: Györgyi emphasized that we discuss problems immediately, hold regular meetings, and come together promptly if any issues arise.
  5. Mutual respect: As Györgyi put it: "professional debates must not come at the expense of mutual respect."
  6. Innovation readiness: We devote significant resources to innovation relative to our size, up to 500-2,000 days annually. These innovations often stem from Allianz's needs or ideas.
  7. Partnership approach: Both parties provide value to each other, and we find it important to acknowledge this. As I put it: "they need what we have, and we need them to pay us."

Vision for the Future - What's Next?

At the end of the conversation, Györgyi's future plans were discussed. After 30 years as an IT leader, she's returning to her original profession, teaching. She'll be teaching digital culture at a high school in Szolnok, which she considers an exciting challenge. As she humorously put it: "I took a 30-year detour in the real world, and now I'm going back to teaching."

Regarding the relationship between Quattrosoft and Allianz, I'm optimistic. The new leader is expected to continue the established direction, and there are returning, experienced colleagues in the team. Györgyi is proud that she mentored her successor, and as it turned out, throughout her career, she has launched numerous current IT leaders in the industry.

Summary

This nearly 20 years story well exemplifies that a client-service provider relationship can be truly successful and long-term if both parties are open to continuous communication, respect each other's interests, and strive for mutual development. Along with technological advancements, building trust and a partnership relationship is equally important.

The collaboration between Allianz and Quattrosoft proves that world-class digitization solutions can be created in the Hungarian market that significantly increase corporate efficiency and improve customer experience. Both parties can be rightfully proud of this.

Note that the podcast is in Hungarian.