Litigation Support

Backup Vendor Status - Initially onboarded as a backup vendor, one among seven, the company wasn’t given significant operational resources. Being a secondary vendor meant less focus on optimizing the workflow or aligning efforts with other primary vendors, causing inefficiencies and slower ramp-up times, leading to lack of operational streamlining and delays. Clients faced issues with turnaround times and infrequent status updates. Operational delays and poor tech integration led to late requests and inaccurate updates, causing client frustration and dissatisfaction.

Pilot Program with 8 FTEs - AMI introduced a pilot program with 8 Full-Time Employees (FTEs) to showcase their capabilities. This pilot quickly outperformed other vendors in terms of speed and quality. Success in the pilot led to a collaboration with the client to unify and centralize operations, with AMI handling the majority of outsourcing efforts and only one other vendor as a backup. This centralization streamlined workflows and reduced delays.

Operational Diversification & Outsourcing - As the business grew and faced high volumes, operations became fragmented. Multiple outsourced teams were engaged, each using disparate technology stacks and workflows. This led to a lack of integration between teams, making it harder to maintain consistency in performance resulting in slower operations, duplicated efforts, and missed opportunities to optimize the workflow.

AMI carried out Transition to a Unified System - AMI transitioned from multiple legacy systems to a single, unified system used across all client offices. This integration improved system compatibility and data flow, facilitating better collaboration between teams and simplifying operations. It also eliminated bottlenecks caused by incompatible systems, and provided a single source of truth for all stakeholders, improving both speed and accuracy.

Acquisitions & Varied Tech Stacks - The acquisitions of several record retrieval companies brought new technologies and processes into the mix. However, these companies operated on different tech stacks with little effort to harmonize systems across the board. This lack of coordination between the acquired teams and the core operation led to inefficiencies in record collection and retrieval processes, as systems were incompatible, data was fragmented across the board.

Process Excellence Team - To further improve efficiency, AMI deployed a dedicated process excellence team tasked with reviewing, optimizing, and refining internal workflows. This team identified pain points in the operation and worked to eliminate them, further enhancing operational speed, improving resource allocation, and ensuring that processes were constantly evolving to meet growing demands.

Lack of SOPs & Process Irregularities - There was a clear lack of Standardized Operating Procedures (SOPs) across the teams. Without these, each team or vendor handled processes differently, leading to irregularities in how work was completed. This lack of uniformity affected production, making it difficult to predict timelines or ensure consistent quality of output, and resulting in frequent delays and errors.

Quality Monitoring & SOP Adherence - AMI introduced a quality monitoring layer to ensure that all team members strictly adhered to the newly drafted SOPs. This quality control layer helped maintain consistency across operations, ensuring that the high standards of work established by AMI were upheld, reducing errors, and increasing client satisfaction.

Poor Communication - Each vendor worked in isolation with little to no communication between them, which created major bottlenecks. Since vendors were not sharing information or aligning processes, it led to duplicate work, delays in task handoffs, and lack of coordination. Poor communication practices, such as unclear messaging or slow follow-ups, happened with custodians as well resulting in low response rates. This significantly slowed down the record collection process, as vendors would wait longer for responses and often needed to follow up multiple times, further delaying workflows.

Unified Operations & Centralization - After demonstrating success in the pilot, AMI collaborated closely with the client to suggest unifying and centralizing operations. AMI took over the bulk of the outsourcing operations enables rapid execution and near-instantaneous responses, with only one other vendor handling a specific, smaller aspect. This centralization streamlined the workflow, reduced redundancies, and improved communication across departments, leading to greater operational efficiency and faster turnaround times.

Challenges in Timely Payments to Custodians - Delays in making payments to custodians created friction in relationships, further contributing to slow response times. Custodians, who are often incentivized by timely payments, became less motivated to prioritize the requests from this company, leading to additional delays in record retrievals and strained working relationships.

Triage Teams & Payments Team - For complex scenarios, AMI created specialized triage teams to handle and expedite them. This ensured that difficult cases did not delay overall operations, allowing the bulk of the work to proceed without disruption. Additionally, AMI established a dedicated payments team to ensure that custodians were paid promptly. This addressed previous issues with delayed payments, improving custodian relationships and speeding up the response time for record retrievals.

COVID-19 Pandemic Staffing Issues - The COVID-19 pandemic created a major strain on the workforce. Most vendors struggled with staffing and as a result, operations were hampered by delays, decreased productivity, and a lack of experienced staff to handle the high workload.

Trained Bench Resource Pool & Training Modules - To solve staffing shortages, AMI built and maintained a bench of trained resources who could step in as needed. This allowed them to respond quickly to sudden spikes in workload. AMI also developed comprehensive training modules for all client departments, ensuring that every new team member was adequately trained and could hit the ground running, reducing onboarding times and maintaining consistent productivity.

Acquisition of Canvassing Firm & Increased Workload - With the acquisition of a canvassing firm, the company faced additional complexities. This expansion required managing higher volumes of requests and more staff to support the new operations. However, the company struggled to handle the increased workload, as the existing workforce and processes were already strained.

Call Center Support & Staffing - AMI assisted with call center support, providing staffing and resources to manage increased client interactions. This additional support helped the client manage their growing needs, ensuring that customer inquiries and issues were handled quickly and efficiently, and contributing to overall client satisfaction.

Increased TAT of Medical Records Retrieval - The client struggled with long turnaround times (TAT) for medical records retrieval averaging between 8-9 days, crucial for continuity of care. This delay was detrimental to continuity of care, as timely access to historical medical data, images, and pathology materials is crucial for effective patient management and new patient referrals.

Impact: Delayed medical records affected patient care quality and satisfaction, and contributed to operational inefficiencies within the client’s facilities

Staffing Flexibility: Since AMI caters to the healthcare, insurance and legal domains across the US. The staffing is mapped across all the US specific time zones. Not only this helps client allocate work to the teams geographically but also ensure additional coverage due to shift diversity. Overtime requirements are often communicated by client and we extend our support by staffing overtime hours based on required skills. This agility helped client to maintain their TAT and clear the backlogs that was a primary issue at the time of on boarding them as our client.

Elevated Levels of Backlog Volume - Due to operational inefficiencies, backlog volumes reached unsustainable levels. This led to an accumulation of pending requests, resulting in unsustainable backlog volumes. This backlog not only strained resources but also exacerbated delays in service delivery.

Impact: High backlog volumes created pressure on staff, led to increased turnaround times, and hampered the client’s ability to handle new requests efficiently.

Comprehensive Ramp-Up Plan - AMI delivered a strong real-time volume projections from the onshore team’s sales team. The plan, inclusive of staffing for existing backlogs, was executed successfully, concluding with required skill set and support roles.

Lack of Multi-Tasking Abilities - Staff members, both in the U.S. and at the captive center, struggled to efficiently balance multiple tasks due to process complexities and lack of streamlined workflows.

Impact: This led to reduced productivity, increased errors, and difficulties in meeting performance targets.

Client-Centric Precision with targeted Action Plans - Effective communications by the team leads and other staff with the onshore team on a daily and weekly basis, to understand the need of the hour and changes required if any. Additionally need based action plan considering step up targets ensuring quality output and optimum resource utilization of every associate in their respective teams.

Lack of Voice Capabilities at Captive Center - The client’s India-based captive center lacked adequate voice capabilities, which are essential for managing real-time communications and ensuring smooth operations across various functions.

Impact: The absence of voice functionality hindered effective coordination, problem resolution, and responsiveness, negatively affecting overall operational performance.

Targeted Cross-Skilling - Voice to Non-Voice Training: AMI made sure that 100% cross-skilling was achieved between voice and non-voice resources, ensuring that the training did not disrupt primary queue operations and maintained seamless queue clearance.

Inconsistent Performance Metrics - The onshore team frequently adjusted performance metrics to align with shifting objectives, leading to confusion and inconsistent adherence to standards.

Impact: Inconsistent metrics made it challenging to evaluate performance accurately and maintain stable quality levels.

Frequency Based Review and Calibration Calls - AMI believes in a knowledge-intensive and quality-oriented approach towards its client’s requirements. Additional check mechanism were laid in place along with efficient and timely calibration calls with its onshore counterparts across all levels like operations and quality helping maintain consistent performance metrics.

Generic vs. Team-Specific SOPs - The onshore team’s reliance on generic Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) failed to address the unique needs of different teams, resulting in execution errors and inefficiencies.

Impact: The use of generic SOPs led to discrepancies in process execution and hindered the ability to meet specific team requirements effectively.

SOPs: General vs. Team Specific - bridging Knowledge Gaps- AMI’s trainers and team leads collaborated with the client's onshore managers to create detailed team-specific SOPs, bridging knowledge gaps and reducing execution errors. These guidelines were shared with onshore and internal quality teams for comprehensive audits. Regularly scheduled meetings were established to ensure timely updates on current SOPs company-wide.

Inadequate Controls due to the WFH Environment - Remote work introduced challenges in maintaining operational controls, oversight, and adherence to quality standards.

Impact: The lack of control and supervision in a WFH setting affected performance monitoring, productivity, and quality assurance.

Compulsory WFO: Driving Effective Coaching and Feedback - Since AMI follows only 100%Work From Office approach, it gives them an advantage over multiple avenues like Quality/Productivity, Monitoring, Real-Time Coaching Feedback sessions and improved employee relations across the organizations.

Severe Staff Shortage During COVID-19 - The client faced a significant staff shortage during the COVID-19 pandemic, which was particularly critical in their Record Retrieval (RR) division. The pandemic resulted in absenteeism and reduced capacity, straining the division’s ability to maintain service levels. The shortage caused delays in processing record retrieval requests, affecting turnaround times and overall service quality.

AMI Immediately Deployed Experienced Staff: To address the urgent staff shortage, AMI quickly integrated a team of experienced professionals into the client’s operations. Starting with five full-time employees (FTEs), this rapid deployment allowed the client to begin tackling immediate workload challenges, particularly in the Record Retrieval (RR) division. Added FTEs to the records receiving/production team to clear the backlog efficiently. As part of the acquisition of the new RR company, AMI provided highly trained and seasoned representatives capable of handling the increased workload and operational complexity to cater to the growth and acquisition of RR company.

Acquisition of a Record Retrieval Company - To strengthen their RR division and address the growing demand, the client acquired a record retrieval company shortly after the AMI pilot. However, the integration of the new company posed challenges, as it required significant adjustments in workflows, systems, and processes.

Action Plan Based on Expertise and Client Inputs - AMI, leveraging its deep expertise in operations management, collaborated closely with the client to create a tailored plan of action. This plan focused on streamlining operations, optimizing workflows, and addressing the specific pain points identified during the initial assessment. The plan effectively streamlined record retrieval processes, improved efficiency, and aligned resources to handle both current operations and future growth.

Need for Additional Experienced Staff Overnight - The sudden increase in demand and the expanded workload from the acquisition meant the client needed to rapidly scale up its workforce. The client required additional experienced staff overnight to handle the increased volume of requests and maintain their established turnaround times. Without sufficient staffing, the client risked further delays, a growing backlog, and compromised service quality, which could have led to a loss of business.

Maintained a Bench of Trained Resources for Sudden Growth - In anticipation of future growth and to ensure operational resilience, AMI maintained a bench of trained resources ready to step in as needed. This resource pool provided immediate staffing support during sudden surges in workload or unexpected staffing shortages. The availability of this trained bench ensured that the client could scale its operations without delay, maintaining service levels and managing any spikes in demand without compromising turnaround times or customer satisfaction.

Backlog Due to Payment Issues with Custodians and Record Processing Delays - The client faced ongoing issues with payments to custodians, who are responsible for processing medical records. Delays in payments and inefficiencies in record processing contributed to a significant backlog of requests. The backlog created further delays in retrieving medical records, which affected the client’s ability to meet turnaround times and fulfill customer expectations. This issue required urgent resolution to prevent further operational challenges.

Established a Dedicated Payments Team - Recognizing the challenges related to delayed payments to custodians and facilities, AMI set up a dedicated payments team. This team was responsible for managing all payment-related processes, ensuring that custodians received timely payments, and reducing the likelihood of further delays in record processing. The establishment of a focused payments team streamlined payment workflows, reduced backlogs related to payment issues, and improved relationships with custodians and facilities.

Lack of Proper Communication Channels Between Departments - The client experienced communication breakdowns between departments, which further exacerbated operational inefficiencies. The lack of streamlined communication made it difficult to coordinate efforts between teams and address issues promptly. Poor communication led to delays, errors, and misaligned priorities, hindering the client’s ability to respond effectively to the growing demands and challenges in their Record Retrieval division.

Introduction of Communication Channels and Workflows - To resolve the issues related to fragmented communication between departments, AMI introduced clear communication channels and established structured workflows. These mechanisms facilitated better coordination among departments, enabling teams to work together more effectively. This improved interdepartmental collaboration and enhanced overall operational efficiency.