The Government`s Adult Learning Inspectorate progresses to 4th Contact to manage and communicate flexible benefits online; 4th Contact moves into public sector for first time.

M2 PRESSWIRE-26 January 2004-4th Contact: The Government`s Adult Learning Inspectorate progresses to 4th Contact to manage and communicate flexible benefits online; 4th Contact moves into public sector for first time(C)1994-2004 M2 COMMUNICATIONS LTD

RDATE:01262004

The government`s Adult Learning Inspectorate (ALI), a non-departmental public body, is implementing 4th Contact`s online solution to save time and money after previously running a paper-based flexible benefits system for its employees.

The ALI`s role is to inspect and report on the quality of education and training for adults and young people funded by public money and it employs 250 people to do so.

By implementing 4th Contact`s online system to manage and communicate benefits, it means that the HR team can spend less time administering the system and more time working strategically.

"Initially, we used flexible benefits as a harmonisation tool," explains Sue Lanigan, HR Adviser Compensation and Benefits of the Adult Learning Inspectorate, "as the ALI was formed from 3 separate organisations, each offering staff different benefits. Providing flexible benefits enabled us to effectively coordinate and manage all benefits so that the system was fair to all. It also gives each employee the chance to choose benefits which suit their own personal circumstances.

"The downside of flexible benefits, however, was the administrative burden," adds Lanigan. The sheer amount of time it took to manage the paper work hindered the team and decreased its ability to work on higher value projects.

James Verner, account director at 4th Contact, says, "Our team has put a great deal of work into developing a streamlined system that reduces workload and makes financial sense for HR and benefit teams in the public sector. Each team has its own unique challenges and they want to partner with a company that understands and relieves their benefits problems. This has been our goal and gaining the Adult Learning Inspectorate`s support shows that we`ve jumped the biggest hurdle". www.4thcontact.co.uk

About the Adult Learning Inspectorate

The Adult Learning Inspectorate is an executive non-departmental public body established under the Learning and Skills Act 2000. It began inspecting in April 2001.

Its role is to inspect and report on the quality of education and training for adults and young people funded by public money. It can also be commissioned to inspect private training provision in the UKand overseas.

Inspection is at the heart of the government's drive to increase skills and productivity and help individuals reach their full potential. It works closely with a wide range of partners, including the Learning and Skills Council (LSC), Jobcentre Plus and the Office for Standards in Education (Ofsted).

About 4th Contact

4th Contact is the dominant provider of technology solutions for the management and communication of employee benefits in the UK. In March 2003, the companybecame apart of the Star Technology Group, the leading independent Internet technology provider.

Star provides the financial backing and technical expertise to enable 4th Contact to capitalise on its position as market leader in the online benefits space.

4th Contact was founded in March 2000 by a team of specialist financial services professionals and software developers to address Return on Investment issues associated with communicating and administering benefits. The company drew on the expertise of its world class team to design, build and support one of the most feature-rich benefits management systems available on the market today.

4th Contact`s suite of applications - called Working Wealth - is simple in design, requiring a single browser to give employees across the organisation fast access to easy-to-understand benefits information. Working Wealth automates employee benefits, using live data from financial institutions to give employees up to the minute information about their pension, health insurance, stock options, holidays and other benefits. The full value of their salary package, which most employees underestimate, becomes apparent at a glance, via an online Total Rewards Statement.

4th Contact expects rapid growth in this market. Benefits administration is still a manual process in most companies, and HR staff are struggling to keep pace with the paperwork generated by the trend towards flexible `cafeteria style` benefits and the advent of stakeholder pensions. According to Paul Watson, 4th Contact`s CEO, "In three years, an HR manager without on-line benefits management will be as unthinkable as an accountant without a spreadsheet".

CONTACT: Kay Phelps, The PR Department for 4th ContactTel: +44 (0)1932 761889e-mail: kay.phelps@theprdepartment.netWWW: http://www.4thcontact.comWWW: http://www.ali.gov.uk

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