Bennie prides itself on providing its customers’ employees with access to top-notch benefits at affordable rates. But when Bennie partners with third-party software vendors to help administer those benefits, disjointed systems can slow clients down.

“At Bennie, we’ve all worked closely with HR tech vendors,” said VP of Strategic Technology Operations Taryn Barnes. “Most companies in that space started off as an HRIS company that added payroll, then benefits administration. Or they started off as a payroll company that added HRIS, then Ben Admin. When you start with a foundation that’s not structured for benefits, you see a lot of bandaid pieces.”

The result of this hodgepodge of systems? Delays building renewal and implementation programs, clunky integrations, and an inability for software vendors to support Bennie’s clients as their businesses change. After working with dozens of different vendors, Bennie sought a more reliable partner that could better serve its customers.

With Rippling, Bennie found a partner built with brokers in mind. “We saw an opportunity where we could grow with someone that has similar values as us and applies lessons in the right way,” Taryn said. “It seemed like a match made in heaven.”

The partnership allows for a better client experience. Bennie’s customers who use Rippling hardly ever submit support tickets and consistently breeze through painless implementations.

With Rippling, Bennie found a unified HR, payroll, and benefits platform instead of a patchwork of systems. “Rippling isn’t fitting to be one solution and neglecting the other areas,” said Taryn. “It’s a holistic approach to the technology, and we’re providing a holistic approach to consulting and benefit operations.”

The Rippling and Bennie partnership allows for the sort of collaborative problemsolving that enhances the client experience. “Understanding what our goals are for our clients really helps us implement our system,” Taryn said.

As a result, Bennie is able to configure initial plan builds and renewals faster with Rippling than with any of the other 25-plus software solutions it uses. “I work in a lot of systems day to day,” Taryn said. “My team fights for Rippling builds because they know it’s going to be so simple. It configures things accurately in such a short amount of time.”

My team fights for Rippling builds because they know it’s going to be so simple. It configures things accurately in such a short amount of time.

Taryn Barnes

VP OF STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS AT BENNIE

Taryn also found that Rippling addressed the shortcomings of some of her other vendors’ systems.

Rippling, for instance, offers robust compliance support that reduces the risk of access-to-care issues during the enrollment process. “So many systems let you enter bad data,” Taryn said. “Bad data in is bad data out. Rippling's logic tries to prevent access-to-care issues at the forefront, so we’re not getting a call when an employee is at the doctor and finds out they’re not covered.”

Taryn also appreciates that Rippling, unlike many solutions, allows her to preview deduction amounts via an enrollment test wizard before benefits go live—helping her avoid any mistakes before it’s too late. “If I can’t check things the same way I can in Rippling, something can and inevitably will get missed.”

According to Taryn, Rippling integrations save time, spare stress, and offer Bennie’s clients faster access to essential benefits.

“When a client is telling us our enrollments are getting messed up, there are always issues with EDI feeds. The first thought that comes to our mind is ‘why are they not on Rippling?’” said Taryn.

“Rippling provides that confidence in your technology where you don’t have to operate in fear,” she said. “It’s like, hey, you have a solution that you love? Great, integrate with ours.”

Such was the case with the Bennie App, which clients use to manage benefits. The app can take up to three months to build with a run-of-the-mill HR tech vendor because of their vendors’ lack of advanced data connections.

With Rippling, the Bennie App integration takes less than 30 days. “Our users want to access care information faster. With the Rippling integration, they elect benefits on a platform that’s clean, concise, and clear about how much things will cost them,” Taryn said. “Then that information flows over into an application that helps them best use those benefits. We hear the success stories, it warms our heart, and we know, okay, we’re doing something good here that’s actually benefiting people.”

With the Rippling integration, [clients] elect benefits on a platform that’s clean, concise, and clear about how much things will cost them.

Taryn Barnes

VP OF STRATEGIC TECHNOLOGY OPERATIONS AT BENNIE

Case in point: Osso VR, a healthcare tech company, used Bennie’s integration with Rippling to get a comprehensive benefits program set up as they were transitioning off their former PEO.

“My favorite thing is how quickly the Rippling and Bennie systems talk to each other,” said Jenn Perea, Osso VR’s People Operations Coordinator. “We had a team of six people from Bennie working in a very condensed three-week window to make sure we had everything we needed to launch open enrollment on time.”

One of Rippling’s most unique traits: full-scale flexibility to support different business structures as needs change. Some companies on a PEO may scale to the point where it makes more sense to bring benefits in-house. Others may lose headcount and decide to pick up an ASO.

While most solutions make you tear out existing systems whenever you want to make this kind of transition, Rippling lets you toggle between products without undergoing a from-scratch implementation or losing important employee data.

“We have clients who go through RIFs and can sustain their HR operations because the workflows and tasks within Rippling are so easy to manage,” Taryn said. “Already being on the Rippling platform and being familiar with the software allows them to have different contingency plans in place should their HR teams take a hit.”

To Taryn, the ability for Rippling to stay nimble as business needs change (which they often do) sets it apart from less agile competitors. “There are a lot of nuances that HR and payroll companies don’t think about. Rippling makes it easy to transition.”

According to Taryn, customers can use Rippling’s full suite of business applications across payroll, HR, IT, and Finance as a unified system, instead of cobbling together one-off systems in an overflowing tech stack. The all-in-one solution streamlines operations by ensuring clients don’t need a different vendor for every different benefit.

“Groups get flustered with having an HR tech platform, a 401(k) vendor, a COBRA vendor, employee benefits for medical here, dental there,” Taryn said. “It’s too many cooks in the kitchen. Having everything in-house with Rippling is a huge benefit for them.”

Lastly, Taryn appreciates the consummate expertise of Rippling’s team.

“Having that level of expertise allows us to refer clients easily. With Rippling, I know they’re going to meet someone who will have a genuine understanding of their benefits,” Taryn said. “It makes me look good.”

• Low service tickets: Bennie rarely ever gets support inquiries when clients use Rippling thanks to a navigable user experience, knowledge articles, training programs, and certifications.
• Quicker configuration: Rippling has the shortest configuration time out of any Bennie vendor. And integrating the Bennie App with Rippling takes weeks instead of the usual months.
• Stellar client feedback: After implementation, Taryn always asks clients whether Rippling met expectations. “They never say no,” Taryn said.