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© 1999-2008 | Ixion, L.L.C. |
SmartFlex Connector
Hand Benefits & Trust |
| Media: | Web/Lotus Notes Client |
| Type: | Middleware Interface for Prescription Drug Cards |
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 SmartFlex Success Story |
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| Features: |
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 Live transactional dashboard
 Live updates to Prescription Accounts
 iSeries integrated and hosted
 Secure encrypted data processing |
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| The Technology: |
 Domino Web Server
 Lotus Notes Client R6.5
 LotusScript
 Javascript
 DHTML |
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| The Challenge |
As a third party benefit plan and trust administrator, Hand offers their clients 401k Retirement Plans, Profit Sharing, Claims Servicing, and other financial related products. Many of those enrolled in their Flexible Benefits plan carry a card that is used when purchasing prescriptions from a pharmacy retailer. Hand provides its clients with the SmartFlex Card from Motivano. Once this prescription card is swiped, the transaction information along with the dollar amount is sent electronically to the Motivano data clearing house. It is then the responsibility of the third party administrator, such as Hand, to retrieve, process, and report on this information.
Over the past several years, Hand Benefits & Trust has been utilizing an antiquated system for processing these prescription card transactions. Several hundred man hours were dedicated each month in data processing and quality control. To further complicate things, there was no standardization for how this data was sent to Hand for processing.
The customer needed three main issues addressed: data processing standardization, reliable data communications, and accurate management of the data to their existing accounting system. With a wealth of systems integrators in the greater Houston area, Ixion was chosen to architect and implement the new software system. Why? Patrick Ransom, Ixion President, says that it simply came down to understanding the concept and delivering the solution with value-added services:
“Ixion dedicated the time to really understand the Hand Benefits & Trust SmartFlex system and how the operation could benefit from a state-of-the-art middleware solution. From that point, we worked to deliver a quality product and raise the business value by integrating our solution with an existing customer self-service solution.” |
| The Solution |
When the technical capabilities exist, the SmartFlex Prescription Card service uses an XML based delivery mechanism to send their data to third party administrators. Ixion capitalized on the existing XML transfer technology in its software system, employing open source data standards and saving costs over developing a new proprietary system. The SmartFlex standards-based XML schema definition document (XSD) identified a specific structure for the data provided to Hand.
Ixion built the Java based XML interface on an IBM iSeries Lotus Domino® web application server. Using Java technology on the iSeries platform to communicate with SmartFlex helped to eliminate unreliable connectivity and created timely updates to the central database. The software system sends XML requests over the Internet to the SmartFlex Corporation through a secured SSL connection and retrieves data based on those requests. That data is validated automatically and written to the Hand Benefits & Trust custom iSeries database.
Ixion included a real-time dashboard that provides a snapshot of all current activity as well as transaction history. With this dashboard, Hand Benefits & Trust administrators can easily see the overall health of the system, transaction failures, transaction details, and overall activity history. |
| The Benefits |
| ““The success of this solution and the reason why Ixion was originally selected is simply because they have expertise in the toolsets and the environment.” said John McCleskey, Jr., – Hand Benefits & Trust Vice President of Technology. “Both the solution and the services provided after the implementation have exceeded our expectations.” The SmartFlex Interface was designed to be both scalable and configurable so as the Hand Benefits & Trust company grows, so will the capability of the tool. The SmartFlex Interface system currently processes over twenty thousand transactions a month and the bottom line is that it saves Hand Benefits & Trust, Inc. both time and money. |
| About Hand Benefits & Trust, Inc. |
| Hand Benefits & Trust, Inc. specializes in both the planning and administration of defined benefit and contribution retirement plans, including a comprehensive 401(k) offering that features a self-directed investment option. As a subsidiary of Hand Benefits & Trust, Inc., Flex Corp is a proven leader in providing Section 125 Plan and Cafeteria Plan administration. For more information, visit http://www.flexcorp125.com/smartflex.html. |
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