About Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana

Client: Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA) 
Industry: Healthcare Foundation 
Key Stakeholders: Kellie Duhon, Joe Smith (Director) 
Client Since: 2020 
Tools Used: SmartSimple Cloud 

Overview 

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Louisiana (BCBSLA), a nonprofit health insurer committed to enhancing the well-being of Louisianians, was managing a wide array of corporate giving initiatives, ranging from grants and sponsorships to in-kind services and employee programs. However, fragmented processes, lack of benchmarking capabilities, and an outdated CRM left their corporate social responsibility (CSR) operations stretched and inefficient. Seeking a unified, cloud-based platform, BCBSLA adopted SmartSimple Cloud for Corporate Social Responsibility in 2020. Since implementation, they have drastically reduced application review times, improved stakeholder engagement, and gained better visibility into their impact, while benefiting from customizable tools and responsive support. 

Challenges 

Before partnering with SmartSimple, BCBSLA faced several operational and strategic obstacles: 

  • Lack of benchmarking tools: They struggled to quantify and communicate the full scope of their contributions, including staff time and non-monetary support. 
  • Inefficient workflows: Application reviews were time-consuming, often taking up to two weeks to complete. 
  • Disjointed platforms: Managing multiple giving initiatives through siloed or paper-based systems created data inconsistencies and delays. 
  • Limited customization: Their legacy CRM lacked flexibility, especially in tailoring outcomes and impact metrics. 
  • Poor customer support: Previous software vendors were slow to respond to issues, hampering productivity. 

Solutions Implemented 

BCBSLA selected SmartSimple Cloud for Corporate Social Responsibility after identifying several must-have system requirements: 

  • Customizability: Ability to configure forms, workflows, and outcomes without relying entirely on the vendor. 
  • Scalability: A centralized system to manage multiple grant types and programs across different departments. 
  • Ease of use: Intuitive portals for grantees, reviewers, and internal staff with user-friendly navigation and self-service features. 
  • Efficiency tools: Automated reminders, document sharing, e-signatures, and real-time dashboards. 
  • Strong support: Highly responsive customer service with secure and seamless data migration. 

Impact & Outcomes 

Since implementing SmartSimple Cloud, BCBSLA has seen significant improvements across their corporate social responsibility operations. One of the most notable achievements has been reducing application review time from two weeks to just two days, dramatically accelerating decision-making and grant distribution. The transition to SmartSimple has also improved process visibility through real-time dashboards, giving staff immediate access to key giving metrics and program data. User engagement has become more centralized and seamless thanks to dedicated portals for grantees, reviewers, and internal teams. The system’s flexibility has empowered staff to configure and customize workflows without relying solely on external vendors. Perhaps most importantly, BCBSLA now benefits from highly responsive and knowledgeable customer support, a marked improvement from their previous software experience. 

Client Testimonials 

“We have successfully reduced review time from two weeks to two days on applications after implementing SmartSimple.” 
— Kellie Duhon 

“SmartSimple has been great. Our new system is still not perfect – no system is. I think when we first embarked on creating a new CRM, we naively believed that this new system would be perfect.  I quickly realized that for all its benefits our new system still had limitations. We would definitely recommend SmartSimple to others.” 
— Joe Smith, Director 

Key Takeaways 

BCBSLA’s partnership with SmartSimple Cloud has been instrumental in transforming their corporate social responsibility strategy into a data-driven, streamlined, and impact-focused operation. With robust reporting, user-friendly portals, and scalable infrastructure, BCBSLA is now better equipped than ever to serve its community and empower its employees to do the same.