Heywood
As member expectations continue to evolve, pension schemes need to deliver experiences that feel modern, intuitive and accessible. Heywood Engage was built to meet that demand. It’s a secure, online member engagement platform that gives members a clear, seamless way to access and interact with their pension information.
With a user-first design, Heywood Engage has been shaped by research, tested with real members and refined to create an intuitive experience that mirrors what people now expect from digital services. Whether they’re logging in to check their annual benefit statement, update their details or manage key decisions, members are empowered to take control of their pensions journey.
The digital shift
For schemes, this shift online reduces pressure on administrative teams while helping cut the cost of traditional methods like paper mailings. According to Heywood Pension Pulse, schemes waste over £7,000 per 20,000-member mailing due to inaccurate addresses, posing not just a resource issue, but a potential data risk as well. Online delivery significantly reduces this burden and introduces a safer, more efficient way to communicate with members.
Heywood Engage also helps schemes work smarter. With built-in analytics, it becomes easier to understand how members are engaging with content and where additional support may be needed.
Enhancing the digital journey with online processing
Now, schemes can get even smarter with the digital experience they deliver to members. New this year is the introduction of Online Processing, which expands Heywood Engage’s capabilities by replacing paper-based forms with secure digital workflows.
These forms are configured by users, using a no-code builder, making it easy for administrators to create and customise forms without any technical expertise. A library of templates is available to help schemes get started, and each form is designed to be flexible, accessible and aligned with Altair workflows, or to operate as a standalone tool where required.
Members complete forms directly in their Engage portal. The experience is seamless, with to-do lists clearly displaying any outstanding tasks and a full history of current, previous and completed submissions. Administrators can choose which sections are mandatory or optional, helping to tailor the journey based on need.
These forms are fully integrated into Altair's highly automated workflow, and once submitted, data flows back into Altair either as a generated document or, where applicable, is written directly into the system. This removes the need for manual rekeying, enables automation and introduces significant efficiency gains.
These forms, coupled with other available member tasks such as document upload and document acknowledgment, not only allow pension providers to easily bring standard processes online, such as refunds or retirements, but also empower admin teams to bring any process online with simple configuration.
Post-implementation, Surrey Pension Fund's average retirement takes just twelve days from request to payment, a 40% drop in processing time and an equivalent cost saving of £80,000 of the team's time. The Fund is now reallocating administrative work to address more complex cases without requiring additional resources.
For more compelling Heywood Engage success stories and statistics, please visit our case studies page.
Heywood Engage continues to evolve, shaped by the needs of schemes and members, with new functionality such as Online Processing helping schemes deliver a personalised, secure and seamless digital experience for every member.
