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Northwestern Mutual: Providing Content Services to the Enterprise

Northwestern Mutual: Providing Content Services to the Enterprise. Michael Grimes I.S. Consultant Enterprise Content Management Competency Center. Agenda. Background Challenge Solution options Enterprise Document Management Service Benefits Lessons Learned Next steps

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Northwestern Mutual: Providing Content Services to the Enterprise

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  1. Northwestern Mutual: Providing Content Services to the Enterprise Michael Grimes I.S. Consultant Enterprise Content Management Competency Center

  2. Agenda • Background • Challenge • Solution options • Enterprise Document Management Service • Benefits • Lessons Learned • Next steps • Other Documentum Solutions at Northwestern Mutual • Questions

  3. Northwestern Mutual • Northwestern Mutual is the leading direct provider of individual life insurance in United States • Northwestern Mutual receives the highest possible ratings for financial strength from all four major financial ratings agencies • As a mutual company, Northwestern Mutual leads its industry in dividends and expects to pay a record $3.77 billion in dividends to participating policyowners in 2004 • Northwestern Mutual has more than: • 3 million policyowners and clients • $16 billion in annual revenues • $113 billion in assets • Headquarters are in Milwaukee, Wisconsin

  4. Northwestern Mutual Financial Network • The Northwestern Mutual Financial Network is the marketing name for the company's sales and distribution arm • The Network has 350 offices and 7,900 representatives across the United States • Representatives have access to a network of specialists who together provide advice on: • Asset & Income Protection • Personal Planning • Education Funding • Business Planning • Investment Services • Estate Planning • Trust Services • Employee & Executive Benefits • Retirement Solutions

  5. Challenge • Entering 2003, Northwestern Mutual had only implemented a couple of Documentum solutions • Documentum Desktop interface • Captiva Software’s InputAccel • Three large corporate projects got funded in 2003 which require Documentum to be integrated with Line of Business (LOB) applications • No experience integrating Documentum into LOB applications!

  6. Project #1 - Requirements Ordering Service System • This project implemented a scanning and ordering system for Attending Physician Statements (APS) and eliminated redundant data entry by automatically retrieving data from existing systems. • The new system required a solution that allowed them to image and electronically store Medical Authorization documentation which would be electronically transmitted to vendors for processing. • ~300 users with a 90 day retention period for documents

  7. Project #2 – Disability Income Processing Platform • Managing disability claims is a critical function for our company and the Disability Income Benefits processing and service systems were out of date and not poised to meet future service demands. • The new system required a solution that allowed them to electronically store case and claim documentation. • Letters sent to the insured • Completed forms received from the insured through fax and mail • Details of telephonic conversations related to the case • Any other notes related to a case. • ~250 users

  8. Project #3 – Franklin Workflow E-Files • In 2002, Northwestern Mutual announced a major expansion program to build an additional campus in Franklin, a suburb of Milwaukee • Three business areas relocated to the new campus • Represented almost 15% of the Home Office organization • In the existing environment, most of the file documentation used for underwriting resided in paper format. • If only paper remained after the move to Franklin, the existing service level goals would be compromised. • The system required a solution that electronically captured and stored documents that would be need by underwriting areas at both locations. • ~600 users / ~800GB of content per year

  9. Application Infrastructure • All three solutions would be Java-based web applications running on IBM WebSphere • Client interface would be through Internet Explorer • Content would consist mostly of images stored in PDF format • Adobe Reader and Acrobat Standard

  10. Documentum Infrastructure • Documentum 4i Content Server (v4.2.8) • Application Server • HPUX 11.00 • HP9000 N4000-55 server • 8 CPUs / 16GB of memory • Sybase Database Server • HPUX 11i • HP9000 rp8400-16 server • 8 CPUs / 16GB of memory • Storage • Network Appliance FAS960c • 24 TB • SnapLock Compliance software (WORM) • Documentum Foundation Classes (v4.2.8) • Network Appliance's Filer • Network Addressable Storage (NAS) • Mounted on multiple servers

  11. Solution Options for Documentum Interface • Desktop • Projects required Internet Explorer interface • Webtop • Projects wanted custom interface / experience • Integration with LOB applications • WDK or direct Documentum Foundation Classes (DFC) calls • Engineers wanted to insulate applications from Documentum-specific components and API calls • Internally develop “Service” • Methodology had precedent within company for data access and email integration

  12. Enterprise Document Management Service (EDMS) • Java program which provides a “wrapper” around the Documentum DFC • MQ Series-based communication • Java “proxy” available for applications • Client interfaces • MQ Series / XML • Java objects

  13. Services provided by EDMS • GetDocument • GetDocumentList • GetDocumentListQuery • ModifyFolderAccess • UndoCheckOut • UpdateAttributes • UpdateAttributesQuery • AddCustomFolder • AddFolder • AddDocument • CheckInDocument • CopyDocument • CopyMoveFolderAllVersions • CopyMoveDocListAllVersions • DeleteDocument • GetCurrentDocument

  14. <AddDocumentRequest nml-type="Structure" nml-version="001"> . . . . . . <OperatorNam nml-type="String">di_monitor</OperatorNam> <DocTypeTxt nml-type="String">di_correspondence</DocTypeTxt> <CreateFolderInd nml-type="String">Y</CreateFolderInd> <FolderPathNam nml-type="String">/DI BENEFITS/CASE/0000877388</FolderPathNam> . . . . . . <Attributes nml-type="Array"> <object_name nml-length="10" nml-type="String">Preliminary Notice</object_name> <di_title nml-length="10" nml-type="String">Preliminary Notice</di_title> <authors nml-length="10" nml-type="String">Sachin</authors> <dept_div_cde nml-length="10" nml-type="String">DIB</dept_div_cde> <di_doc_status_cde nml-length="10" nml-type="Number">1</di_doc_status_cde> <case_num nml-length="10" nml-type="String">0000877388</case_num> <online_doc_ind nml-length="10" nml-type="Number">1</online_doc_ind> <significant_ind nml-length="10" nml-type="Number">0</significant_ind> <doc_type_cde nml-length="10" nml-type="Number">4</doc_type_cde> <commun_mode nml-length="10" nml-type="Number">0</commun_mode> <intrnl_pro_doc_ind nml-length="10" nml-type="Number">1</intrnl_pro_doc_ind> <owner_create_dte nml-dateformat="MMDDYYWithSlash" nml-type="Date">05/14/2004 09:28:04:349</owner_create_dte> <prim_doc_catg_cde nml-length="10" nml-type="Number">1</prim_doc_catg_cde> </Attributes> <ACLNam nml-type="String"></ACLNam> </AddDocumentRequest>

  15. <GetCurrentDocumentRequest nml-type="Structure" nml-version="001"> . . . . . . <OperatorNam nml-type="String">lep03</OperatorNam> <FolderPathNam nml-type="String">/New Business/Policy/</FolderPathNam> <DocumentId nml-type="String">090060ed801011fc</DocumentId> <DocTypeTxt nml-type="String"> nb_document </DocTypeTxt> <URI nml-type="String">file://NAS/directory/data/nb/view/Personal_History_Interview_08_27_2004_15_07_22_zIYvk9sP6_ZhSJNQvBYDXkI_1093961689360.pdf</URI> . . . . . . . <DocCheckOutInd nml-type="String">N</DocCheckOutInd> </GetCurrentDocumentRequest>

  16. Enterprise Document Management Service – Technical Design • Enterprise frameworks and class libraries • Written in Java for use within Northwestern Mutual business application software • Core frameworks and libraries provide: • base data types • string utilities • file utilities • XML parser • data structure framework for mapping objects to strings/XML • application logging/tracing facilities • application .ini framework classes • Object-oriented abstraction of queue-based messaging systems (MQ Series)

  17. Enterprise Document Management Service – Technical Design • Customized dm_check_password to support single sign-on • Run multiple JVM instances of the service • Multi-threaded • Runs from Network Appliance's Filer which is mounted on multiple servers • Two different methods of execution: • Online access • Batch processing • Instance is tuned for large batch processing of documents • Does not interfere with online performance • Does not wait for reply

  18. Document Management System Retriever Application Document List This screen displays all the documents associated with an application. The search feature can be used to fetch documents for a specific policy number, insured name, etc..

  19. Benefits • Lower costs for DFC upgrades / changes • Insulates project / support teams from DFC knowledge • Lower development costs for future projects • Isolates Documentum code and infrastructure from client applications • EDMS is fairly portable

  20. Lessons Learned • Aggressive approach when considering our Documentum experience • Tried to run before we knew how to walk • Performance tuning • Created indexes • Modified client connections • Separated batch processing • Managing shared infrastructure • Manage DFC versions better • Maintaining dm_check_password

  21. Next steps • Support upgrade of Content Server to 5.2.5 SP2 • Upgrade to DFC 5.2.5 SP2 • Support migration of Content Server to AIX / DB2 • Maintain performance • Enhancements • XML processing • Session pooling • Remove application / Docbase references

  22. Other Documentum Solutions at Northwestern Mutual • Enterprise Resource Library • Managing large manuals in XML format presented through FAST’s (formerly NextPage’s) NXT web publishing solution • Trust Services • Office document management (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Images) with Documentum Desktop • Private Placements • Imaging (InputAccel) deal documentation for online reference • Customer Identification Program (CIP) • Compliance solution storing XML content on Network Appliance’s SnapLock (WORM) technology • Utilizes EDMS Service • Payroll • Imaging (QuickScan Pro) employee payroll documentation

  23. Organization • Enterprise Content Management Competency Center • Content Management Infrastructure Team • Engineering Competency Center

  24. Summary • Decided to “wrap” the DFC to insolate applications • Supports single sign-on • Upgrades of DFC more manageable • Costs for future Documentum projects have been reduced

  25. Questions Michael Grimes Northwestern Mutual - I.S. Consultant Voice: (414) 665-5095 E-Mail: MichaelGrimes@NorthwesternMutual.com

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