| Insight |
Early digitalisation
off for AXA AFFIN
Adapting to the work from home concept has pro
seamless as it went digital in 2018
BY KHIRTINI K KUMARAN
WHEN the Movement
Control Order (MCO) was
implemented in March,
many companies were
in a whirl trying to adapt
to the lockdown. Most of
them were having a hard
time getting their staff
to change to the Work From Home (WFH)
concept, which has since become the new
normal.
But not for AXA AFFIN Life Insurance
Berhad. That’s because two and a half
years ago, the company had embraced
digitalisation and introduced and adapted
an agile working environment. By going
agile in 2018, AXA AFFIN added options of
WFH and flexible working hours.
Its CEO Rohit Chandrasekharan Nambiar
said the early transition to being agile had
prepared it to adapt its operations and
business to the MCO period with less hassle.
But, obviously weren’t prepared for such a
prolonged period.
“We are used to the agile environment.
Everyone owns a laptop, and there are also
softphones to facilitate those who WFH. You
can reach me at my desk phone and equally
on my mobile. I carry my office wherever I
go,” he told The Health.
As for staff productivity for those who
WFH, he said it very much depended on
the individual. Some were more productive
due to the time saved from travelling to and
from home while others did less work in a
home environment.
AXA AFFIN was the first insurer in
Malaysia to fully embrace the strategy of
going digital and as such, is a pioneer in
integrating automation and digitalisation
into its business. It has been able to build
a robust online presence and platform to
distribute its products and services.
“We are No 1 in digital life and health
insurance in Malaysia,” Rohit said.
AXA AFFIN recently organised a Covid-19
crowdfunding campaign and collected
close to RM70,000 from the public,
employees and agents.
This is an achievement for the compa
considering that it is ranked the seventh
biggest life insurer in the country. It was
incidentally, the fastest growing life insu
in Q1 2020 achieving a growth rate of 158
cent.
AXA AFFIN offers consumers the opti
to purchase directly from the company,
either through a phone call or digitally v
the website by providing customers with
comfortable digital experience. A consum
can buy a health insurance product onli
from the company in less than ten minu
“We have made it exceptionally simp
and everything is digital,” Rohit explain
Customers would only need to answe
three underwriting questions and if nee
be, can contact the company via chatbot
or make a call. Its medical card is availab
on an app, and the claims and policies ar
available for download at the customer
portal.
While AXA AFFIN’s digital business h
been growing actively, it has not been at
expense of its traditional agency busine
“For a long time, many people have