Numerous pension providers are transitioning to paperless communication

High and reliable mail delivery, reduced CO2 emissions, and improved client experience are three key factors that have influenced Danish insurance and pension providers to embrace digital communication channels via e-Boks instead of continuing to use physical mail or their own My-pages.

AP Pension, the fourth-largest pension provider in Denmark, is one of the actors that previously used e-Boks to a limited extent but now has increased their usage.

-There are internal and external reasons for us to increase the volume of digital mail. In our experience, our clients, to a more significant extent, wish for us to provide a digital and more streamlined communication method where they can interact all in one place. At the same time, our new corporate strategy aims to be more client-focused and efficient to enhance the overall client experience, and both reasons are leading to increased digital mail, says Peter M Nielsen, Deputy Director of Business Development and Digital Channels at AP Pension.

He continues:

-We aim to be completely paperless within a few years to reduce our CO2 emissions. This transition requires us to restructure our processes and systems. Therefore, it will be a gradual transition, where we will start by converting our core letters, which are currently sent as physical mail, into digital mail. However, digital communication is already becoming mandatory via e-Boks, and we are collecting user data to manage it properly.

High opening rates are important

Norli Liv & Pension, part of Nordic I&P, focuses on average-rate pension schemes in the Nordic countries. After being spun off from Alm Brand, the company explored possible supplements to its traditional communication channels.

-There are some advantages of having a My-page solution. However, some disadvantages can occur, such as fewer viewing their mail trough our system. We don’t wish for our clients to miss important, valuable information. Furthermore, we want our communication to be quick and dynamic with our clients, says Steen Lærke Nielsen, Head of Customer and Claims Service at Norli Liv & Pension.

-When we first started our dialogue with e-Boks, they showed us statistics on how many documents were delivered and opened through their system. It made us realise that e-Boks has a system that Danish citizens use and accept. Furthermore, e-Boks can document the effect their system has. For instance, the opening rate is more than 90 percent. We have kept an eye on competitors with similar products. However, no one could offer the same secure and fast delivery of documents with the same opening rate.

Norli Liv & Pension intent to become fully digital with e-Boks

Norli Liv & Pension started sending documents through e-Boks in October 2023, and they are preparing to send out documents with the possibility of user interactions, such as responses and digital signatures, directly through e-Boks in the future.

-We are taking the transformation step by step. But when we have integrated e-Boks completely, we are very close to being entirely digital, except for customers who, for various reasons, do not receive digital posts or do not have an e-Boks, Steen Lærke Nielsen explains.

Pension providers increases activity via e-Boks

It is not only AP Pension and Norli Liv & Pension that noticed the benefits of e-Boks; PFA and AkademikerPension have also recently increased their collaboration with e-Boks. As a result, seven out of the ten largest pension providers in Denmark have chosen to use e-Boks as their primary communication platform leading to a tendency of less physical mail.

-We see a clear trend that more insurance and pension providers are increasing their activities via e-Boks instead of their own My-pages or other solutions in the market. It counts a lot for our customers that almost all Danes want to use us, and that we can deliver high opening rates, because in the end, it guarantees senders that their mail reaches the customers, says Anders Ørding Olsen, CCO at e-Boks.