SBK Siemens-Betriebskrankenkasse – Secure and Modern Collaboration on the Board of Directors

SBK Siemens-Betriebskrankenkasse is Germany’s largest company health insurance fund and ranks among the 20 largest statutory health insurance funds. To ensure that its collaboration with its board of directors remains future-proof and efficient, it sought a user-friendly solution that meets the highest standards for data protection and information security. With idgard, SBK gains a flexible platform that enables the paperless exchange of documents as well as digital organization and coordination – while ensuring maximum security at all times.

The Customer

SBK Siemens-Betriebskrankenkasse (SBK) was founded in 1908 and is now the largest company health insurance fund in Germany, with over one million insured members and approximately 1,700 employees. Its headquarters are located in Heidenheim an der Brenz, and its administrative headquarters are in Munich. With over 110 years of experience in the health insurance business, SBK combines tradition with modern standards. In the interests of its members, SBK combines the best of the personal and digital worlds and actively drives digitalization in the healthcare sector.

The Challenge

As a modern service provider, SBK was looking for a solution that would enable it to streamline its collaboration with its Board of Directors and its subcommittees in a modern, digital way. The primary focus was on:

• The highest standards of data protection and information security, particularly when handling sensitive social data
• Easy to use on various devices (including mobile devices) for approximately 50 users, including members of the board of directors and staff members
• Efficient coordination and distribution of meeting materials without time-consuming paper-based processes
• Reduction in resource consumption

Even before idgard was introduced, SBK had tested various analog and digital solutions, including a competitor’s product and, of course, paper documents. However, none of these solutions proved satisfactory in terms of security and user-friendliness.

The Solution

To sustainably optimize collaboration with its Board of Directors, SBK introduced idgard as its central collaboration platform in 2023. “The decision was made following a thorough evaluation process in which several providers and solutions were reviewed,” explains Corinna Ross, who, as Head of Staff at SBK, played a key role in the implementation of idgard.

According to her, idgard stood out not only for its user-friendliness but, above all, for its patented Sealed Cloud technology. Using a confidential computing approach, this technology ensures a very high level of data security that meets all social data protection requirements – a must for a statutory health insurance provider like SBK, as Corinna Ross emphasizes: “With idgard, we have resolved the issue of data protection and data security. This was very important to us in order to be truly secure – not only as a legal obligation, but also out of genuine conviction.”

Phased rollout and active support

The implementation took place in several phases: After selecting idgard in the summer of 2023, the health insurance company first rolled out the platform internally so that staff in the administrative department could become thoroughly familiar with its features. Only then was idgard gradually rolled out to the board members. Thanks to its intuitive interface and customization to meet the SBK’s specific requirements, the solution could be implemented quickly and effectively.

The solution was implemented with the active support of the idgard team: “Especially in the initial phase, we were able to resolve all questions quickly and competently,” recalls Corinna Ross. “The administrative support and the willingness to assist users during their first login also helped to overcome initial reservations and increase acceptance of the new platform.”

Thanks to this smooth collaboration, the integration was completed within a few months, so idgard has been fully operational since December 2023. And the service continues to perform well in day-to-day operations: “There really isn’t a question you can’t ask the support team,” says Corinna Ross. “The team is extremely solution-oriented and always offers helpful support – my expectations have been more than met here.”

Greater security, efficiency, and flexibility on the board of directors

The platform is used in a variety of ways today: it serves not only to provide documents for meetings of the Board of Directors and subcommittees, but also to digitally share information such as meeting schedules, forms, and articles. Particularly valuable is the ability to upload updated documents directly, ensuring that all participants are always up to date. The paperless approach significantly reduces resource consumption and promotes sustainable working practices – an aspect that is particularly important to the SBK. In addition, idgard serves as a secure tool for digital voting and feedback during meetings.

SBK staff and board members primarily access the platform via tablets, but also use smartphones (both Android and iOS), PCs, or laptops as needed. This flexibility allows them to view and efficiently work on meeting documents regardless of their location – whether in the office, on the go, or directly in the meeting room. The platform’s intuitive design simplifies daily work and ensures a seamless experience for all users. “I personally really appreciate the fact that I can largely manage the system myself without any IT knowledge. Plus, the service center is very user-friendly and always provides a good introduction to the topic at hand,” emphasizes Corinna Ross.

Conclusion: idgard and SBK – a strong partnership

The SBK’s success story demonstrates how idgard’s collaboration solution not only makes day-to-day work easier and more efficient, but also meets the highest security standards, thereby ensuring data protection in sensitive areas. The platform enables meeting documents to be made available securely and in compliance with data protection regulations, workflows to be digitized, and board members to be involved flexibly and in a resource-efficient manner – regardless of where they are currently working. Since a board of directors that is both operational and capable of making decisions is the be-all and end-all of a functioning health insurance fund, idgard thus plays a key role in ensuring the stability and operational capacity of the SBK. The solution’s intuitive usability and the ability for self-administration also make it an indispensable part of daily collaboration.

With idgard as a partner, the SBK is sending a strong signal in favor of a modern and secure way of working that meets the requirements of one of Germany’s largest company health insurance funds.