Client Spotlight

FirstGroup America (FGA)

Chances are you saw a FirstTransit bus, FirstStudent school bus, or Greyhound coach on your commute in today. Your family may have even used their services without you knowing it. Headquartered in Cincinnati, Ohio, FirstGroup provides safe and reliable bus transportation in the United States and Canada. In fact, they are the largest provider of surface transportation services in North America and are better known for their five business units, First Student (school buses), First Transit, First Vehicle Services, First Canada, and Greyhound. FirstGroup drives over 70,000 school and transit vehicles on our roads daily.

Of course, with that many vehicles traveling daily, there is substantial risk. RSG is proud to have helped them analyze that risk for the last 24 years. That’s a lot of history, and not just data history.

The risk management department at FirstGroup is a savvy team. There are two things they understand very well, 1) the benefits of a long standing RMIS partner and 2) the importance of data consolidation. Realizing that teamwork is the key to a successful program, FirstGroup and RSG have cultivated a dedicated, creative team mindset. Patty Furterer, FirstGroup’s VP of Risk Management, says “We are lucky to work with people who understand the importance of our data integrity, customer service, and are willing to work with us to meet our claims and risk management needs.”

FirstGroup currently has 97 RSG users whom take full advantage of the features within Sigma Encore, such as diary alerts, email, report scheduling and distribution, customized table maintenance, adjuster notes, and analytical reporting. FirstGroup utilizes RSG for self-administering and check issuance on property damage claims. RSG also manages their workers compensation return-to-work program data.

As a company that has grown through acquisition, claims, payment, and transactional data are loaded into RSG from 10 data sources, allowing FirstGroup to easily manage their program. To coin a phrase from the transportation industry, this is not “the end of the line”! FGA continues to provide RSG with new challenges. In June 2011, FirstGroup will further consolidate their program utilizing RSG for their Canadian claims. Welcome First Canada and Greyhound Canada!

At 24 years, it feels like the partnership is just getting started. FGA and RSG continue to do great work together. We both continue to grow together and explore new ways to control the overall cost of risk.