Auto & General (A&G), a leading privately-owned insurer in Australia since 2000, boasts an annual revenue of approximately $2.5 billion and a workforce of over 2,700 employees, primarily based in Southeast Queensland. The company is recognised for its key brands, including Budget Direct, Aussie, Australia Post, and many others. Notably, the Budget Direct brand has been acknowledged with multiple awards, including Canstar's Insurer of the Year 2023 and Money magazine's Best-Value Car Insurance for five consecutive years (2019-2023).
A&G is driven by the ambition to be Australia’s best insurer, offering affordable, comprehensive, and reliable insurance solutions. Their products span various categories, including car, motorcycle, home, contents, pet, and travel insurance, along with roadside assistance. A&G's culture of high performance and integrity forms the foundation of their customer, community, and internal interactions.
A&G chose to upgrade their technology infrastructure with IBM Power Systems Hardware and Software, IBM Storage, and iDoctor software. This decision was influenced by the need for capacity growth and increased system complexity.
OneTeam IT has been a key strategic partner to A&G since 1998. Their role in developing A&G's core insurance infrastructure has been crucial in maintaining performance, availability, and security.
The solution designed by OneTeam IT was approved easily by A&G's board, thanks to its alignment with the company's growth and complexity requirements.
A&G's previous system was reaching the end of its viable performance capacity and flexibility. The high costs associated with 'On Demand' CPU capacity and intermittent performance issues in key workloads were significant concerns, directly impacting revenue.
The implementation by OneTeam IT was a complex process, requiring extensive planning and coordination. The project, which normally would span 9-12 months, was impressively completed in about 6 months. This rapid implementation was critical as A&G's operations could not tolerate extended downtime.
Our partnership with OneTeam IT has been pivotal in evolving our technology landscape. Their deep understanding of our business and unwavering commitment to delivering the best solutions have fostered a trust that is invaluable. Time and again, OneTeam IT has proven their ability to adapt and innovate to meet our changing needs, driving our business forward.
Post-implementation, A&G experienced significant performance improvements, especially in the aggregator quoting processes, and a reduction in hardware maintenance costs. The new system provided enhanced virtual environments for various workloads and improved system performance monitoring. Additionally, data backup processes were optimised, addressing previous limitations and risks.
Over two decades, the relationship between OneTeam IT and A&G has grown substantially. OneTeam IT continues to be a strategic partner, driving innovation that aligns with A&G’s business needs. Plans for further expansion and upgrades of the platform are already in motion for early 2024.
Key outcomes
Enhanced System Performance and Efficiency: Significant improvements in system performance, particularly in the aggregator quoting processes, directly contributing to increased revenue and operational efficiency.
Cost-Effective Technology Upgrade: Achieved a balance between maintaining high system performance and reducing ongoing maintenance costs, offering a more cost-effective technology infrastructure.
Improved Backup and Data Resilience: Addressed limitations and risks in data backup processes, enhancing data resilience and reducing downtime, which further bolstered the company's operational reliability and data security.
