How the Service Guarantee Can Create a Customer-Focused OrganizationWhat’s The Best Path?Slide 3NEDD Historical Corporate MetricsCustomersTotal Quality PrinciplesJourney Started With a VisionThe Vision Guided ActionSlide 9Slide 10Slide 11Our VisionWhy So Much Attention to Vision/Mission?Slide 14Northeast Delta DentalGuarantee #1: Smooth Implementation To Northeast Delta DentalGuarantee #2: Exceptional Customer ServiceGuarantee #3: Quick Processing of ClaimsGuarantee #4: No Inappropriate Billing by Participating DentistsGuarantee #5: Accurate and Quick Turnaround of Identification CardsGuarantee #6: Timely Employee BookletsGuarantee #7: Marketing Service ContactsSlide 23Slide 24Northeast Delta Dental’s Guarantee Of Service ExcellenceSM ProgramJune The Process: Employee Buy-InSeptember to October The Process: Guarantee DevelopmentNovember to December The Process: Employee Workshops to Face ChallengesJanuary to February The Process: Deploying The PlanGOSE ResultsSlide 31Slide 32Slide 33Sponsorship Requests From Participating Dentists in New Hampshire Giving back to the communityCommunity SponsorshipsNortheast Delta DentalLeadership in Community ServiceSlide 38Awards/RecognitionsSlide 40The Baldrige Index of Whole Company Winners (1988 - 1997)Slide 42Communication Plan Deliver and Anticipate Customer RequirementsCommunication Plan Public RelationsNothing Changes at The Bottom without Changes at The TOPContinuous Improvement Some Failure Reasons:Failure Reasons (continued):Slide 48It’s Actually Easier to Succeed Than It Is to FailDelta Dental’s Key StepsWhat Has WorkedSlide 52Northeast Delta Dental How the Service Guarantee Can Create a Customer-Focused OrganizationTom Raffio, President & CEONortheast Delta DentalBentley UniversityJune 19, 2009Northeast Delta Dental What’s The Best Path?•Each journey is unique•Delta Dental’s lessons learned may help others avoid dead-ends and progress quickly•External/Internal Communications Plans = CSFNortheast Delta Dental•Dental insurance company.•We design, market, underwrite, and administer dental programs to businesses of all sizes, and an individual product.•Network of 39 independent organizations conducting business in 50 states, District of Columbia, and Puerto Rico.•Member of Delta Dental Plans Association.•Not-for-profit organization – 501(c)(4).•Our territory: Maine, New Hampshire, and Vermont.•Corporate headquarters: Concord, New Hampshire.•185 employees.•Sales offices: Saco, Maine, and Burlington, Vermont.•Almost 700,000 covered lives.NEDD Historical Corporate MetricsRevenue Subscribers Surplus1995 $57,559,437 135,929 $8,573,8381996 $62,665,632 147,590 $9,227,0521997 $73,228,912 164,587 $9,987,6641998 $88,408,138 186,232 $11,766,7531999 $106,242,616 207,930 $14,223,2062000 $126,125,137 240,992 $21,266,6812001 $149,560,761 270,251 $27,562,2202002 $168,330,609 296,945 30,649,0802003 $189,046,731 297,413 $35,283,7892004 $195,825,068 296,771 $39,814,9922005 $208,739,474 302,694 $48,895,1362006 $219,546,842 315,198 $60,744,7012007 $233,364,804 318,944 $70,782,1882008 $252,925,633 331,842* $67,524,0272009 $275,621,000 334,600 $75,609,000Budget for 2009* This represents 688,129 covered livesNortheast Delta Dental Customers•Purchasers (DMU of Employer)•Subscribers (Patients)•Dentists (Also Suppliers)•Employees (Internal)Northeast Delta Dental Total Quality Principles•Employee Involvement•Teams•Management By Fact•Customer FocusNortheast Delta Dental Journey Started With a VisionLeadership Made Five Commitments:–Be close to the customer–One-stop service–Involve employees–No bureaucracy–Communications disciplineNortheast Delta Dental The Vision Guided Action•Resulting Actions–Professional Advisory Committee–Customer Advisory Group–Teamwork–Revise Information System–Customer Feedback Team/Integrated Survey Analysis–Brand Awareness and Perceptions StudyNortheast Delta Dental  Information System and Process Changes Boost ProductivityNortheast Delta Dental  Continued Focus on Missionand ValuesMission•It is our mission to be the leading force in the dental prepayment marketplace by offering quality, versatile, and affordable programs to benefit our purchasers, subscribers, and participating member dentists.Vision•To be the premier dental benefits provider.•Teamwork ~ Quality ~ Integrity ~ Communication.ValuesNortheast Delta Dental Our VisionTo Be The Premier Dental Benefits ProviderPurchasersDentistsPatientsBoard and EmployeesNortheast Delta Dental Why So Much Attention to Vision/Mission?•Become more motivational, inspirational•Adapt to changing marketplaces•Give direction through values•Involve employeesNortheast Delta Dental •Defines objectives, provides measures and demonstrates commitment•The first comprehensive group insurance guarantee•Began work with brainstorming and teams•Held first inside trial and customer trial with trusted customers•Communicates to all (feedback loop) Guarantee Of Service ExcellenceSMThe Heart of Our Quality SystemNortheast Delta Dental Northeast Delta DentalNortheast Delta Dental is committed to providing extraordinary service to all its customers. Accordingly, we have established the region’s first comprehensive guarantee program called Guarantee Of Service ExcellenceSM. We believe that when our people are inspired to pursue excellence in order to achieve a higher level of customer satisfaction, all those who share in Northeast Delta Dental will benefit. To emphasize our commitment, we guarantee these seven major areas of service and reinforce them by our comprehensive group refund policy:Northeast Delta Dental Guarantee #1:Smooth Implementation To Northeast Delta DentalNortheast Delta Dental Guarantee #2:Exceptional Customer ServiceNortheast Delta Dental Guarantee #3:Quick Processing of ClaimsNortheast Delta Dental Guarantee #4:No Inappropriate Billing by Participating DentistsNortheast Delta Dental Guarantee #5:Accurate and Quick Turnaround of Identification CardsNortheast Delta Dental Guarantee #6:Timely Employee BookletsNortheast Delta Dental Guarantee #7:Marketing Service ContactsNortheast Delta DentalNortheast Delta DentalNortheast Delta Dental Northeast Delta Dental’sGuarantee Of Service ExcellenceSMProgram Smooth Implementation to Northeast Delta Dental Exceptional Customer Service Quick Processing of Claims No Inappropriate Billing by Participating Dentists Accurate and