When benefits enrollment breaks down, poor benefits technology strategy sits at the root of the problem. Employers often try to manage enrollment inside platforms that never aligned with how their organization actually operates.
That misalignment shows up quickly during enrollment and continues year-round. Teams work around rigid workflows, rely on manual fixes, and struggle with systems that grow harder to manage over time. The issue isn’t enrollment itself. The issue lies in the technology decisions behind it.
At ebm, we take a different approach with our benefit enrollment services. We work directly with employers to identify, select, and deploy the right benefits administration technology for their specific needs, and we partner with brokers to provide the technology expertise required to execute successfully.
Enrollment challenges stem from technology strategy
Enrollment problems repeat when organizations make technology decisions without a clear strategy. Employers often select platforms because they feel familiar, bundled, or convenient, rather than because they fit the organization’s structure, resources, and goals.
When technology doesn’t align, teams spend more time managing complexity than necessary. Over time, that complexity compounds, frustrates HR teams, and limits a broker’s ability to deliver a strong client experience.
To resolve enrollment challenges, employers must step back and reassess the technology strategy itself.
Simplicity: removing guesswork from benefits technology decisions
Enrollment success starts with clarity. Employers need a clear understanding of what they actually require from benefits administration technology, rather than forcing their processes into a predefined platform model.
A consultative discovery process for employers
ebm works directly with employers through a consultative discovery process that examines benefits administration goals, workforce complexity, internal resources, and existing systems. This process focuses on how enrollment and administration function in practice, not how platforms claim to work in marketing materials.
The discovery process produces a clear set of requirements that guide technology selection and support long-term enrollment success.
Partnering with brokers to support client strategy
Brokers bring critical insight into their clients’ benefits strategy and market considerations. ebm partners with brokers as the benefits technology specialist and helps translate that strategy into the right platform choice for the employer.
This partnership allows brokers to stay focused on advising their clients while ebm ensures the technology supports those decisions effectively.
Flexibility: platform-agnostic benefits enrollment technology
ebm’s platform-agnostic approach plays a central role in how we support employers and brokers.
Independent recommendations without vendor lock-in
Because ebm does not own or sell a proprietary benefits administration platform, technology recommendations focus on fit rather than obligation. Through our benefit enrollment services, employers receive guidance toward solutions that address their specific enrollment and administration challenges without locking them into a single vendor.
This independence gives employers flexibility as their needs change and allows brokers to serve a broader range of clients without constraint.
Preserving existing plans and systems
Being carrier agnostic and supporting integration with existing systems allows employers to keep the plans and technology stack they already use, without tearing everything down just to fit a specific benefits administration platform.
This flexibility supports practical, sustainable technology decisions.
Success: making benefits technology work beyond enrollment
Choosing the right platform solves only part of the problem. Enrollment success also depends on how well teams implement and support that technology over time.
Implementation grounded in real-world use
ebm’s implementation approach draws on hands-on experience with benefits administration platforms. Teams configure technology with real operational use in mind, which helps prevent issues that often surface after open enrollment ends.
This approach creates a more stable and repeatable enrollment experience year after year.
Ongoing support focused on long-term success
Benefits technology evolves as organizations grow, change plans, or adjust strategy. ebm provides ongoing support that helps employers continue to get value from their chosen platform, while partnering with brokers to ensure successful outcomes for their clients.
The goal extends beyond functional enrollment. ebm helps employers use technology that continues to support the business long after enrollment ends.
A better way to approach benefits enrollment
Benefits enrollment does not need to feel like a recurring reset. When employers make benefits technology decisions strategically and support them with the right expertise, enrollment becomes a predictable and manageable process.
ebm’s benefit enrollment services help employers select and implement benefits administration technology that fits their organization, while partnering with brokers to ensure successful execution. The result is enrollment technology that works as intended and continues to deliver value well beyond open enrollment.
