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Pension systems in Asia: Welcome to the digital fast track

Embedding digital technologies means striking a balance between efficiency and service innovation

Overview

For Asian pension systems, digital is a stepping-stone to greater efficiency and better citizen outcomes. The most digitally mature agencies are already using automation to cut the cost and burden of administration. And they are using digital innovation to create a simpler and more effective service.

Yet pension systems in Asia should not underestimate the challenge ahead. Digital maturity means disrupting tried-and-tested processes, meeting liquid expectations, and creating services that are compatible across a host of different devices. Crucially, it also means helping pensioners find their feet in the digital future—while assuring them that their personal data is safe in your hands.

The good news is that these challenges are fully achievable. Here we set out the big questions that Asian pension systems should ask as they embed digital technologies across the entire enterprise.

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Background

Overcoming ad hoc digital

According to Accenture research, many Asian pension systems are still following an ad hoc approach to digital maturity.

They are making headway in some areas—notably in building their online presence—but developing more slowly in others. Some struggle to know where to focus activity, and which initiatives to prioritize.

Key Findings
 If pension systems can answer “yes” to five key questions—outlined below—they are likely striking a balance between efficiency and service innovation and are heading in the right direction.

Recommendations

Are you robot-friendly?

One of the priorities for pension systems should be to identify which processes and tasks can be automated by digital technologies such as “no touch”. The result is a domino effect on efficiency, which frees up resources that can be focused on providing more in-depth support to citizens.

Do you know who you’re talking to?

In recent years, consumers have come to expect personalized services that are geared around their individual preferences. Digitally mature pension systems will be able to provide a “myPension” landing page that is populated with the visitor’s details.

Can you satisfy “digital immigrants?”

Agencies with a high level of digital maturity recognize that self-service digital tools are most effective when anyone can use them. This is where intelligent user experience (UX) design comes into play.

Can you outsmart the hackers?

One outcome of digital maturity is a growing reliance on personal data, which means agencies can expect their citizens to become increasingly demanding about information security and transparency of use. Whether or not their fears are warranted, citizens will be reluctant to adopt digital tools if they are at all concerned about data privacy and security.

Are you compatible with a multitude of mobiles?

Across the continent, however, citizens are using mobile devices at different levels of maturity. Digitally mature pension systems in Asia must therefore ensure their services are compatible across a range of evolving—and frequently outdated—devices.