2020 INTEGRATED REPORT

also expanded and enriched to assist them, as was the functionality of our PRO-FiT online engagement platform. The fact that we were able to respond quickly and effectively to an extensive reorganisation process, demonstrated the flexibility of the PPS business model, which was reassuring for members, financial advisers and staff alike. INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT The move to remote working, by definition, made our system more vulnerable, so we undertook a major review and upgrade of all cyber security protocols. As part of the cyber risk management process, PPS cooperates with worldwide providers and obtains alerts about known and evolving risks. This gives our systems a further level of security. PRODUCTS AND SOLUTIONS In the area of product development, we enhanced our Critical Illness Cover for Professionals in January 2021. This was launched to the market in February 2021. The enhanced benefits include coverage for critical illness, such a pre-Stage 1 cancer, which is detected at an early stage. Medical technology has made it much easier to detect critical illnesses like these very early on and, in keeping with our values, we wanted our members to be able to benefit from these advances. Amendments to the cover also include the reinstatement feature that increases potential payouts by up to 200% under the Cancer and Cardiovascular benefit categories, for any related condition provided the severity is higher or equal to 100% severity of the first claim, the enhancement of Child Critical Illness benefits and the expansion of a number of new disease categories. We introduced a new short-term insurance app, which is available from all major app stores. This makes it easy for members to add car and home insurance to their existing portfolios and to start earning additional Profit-Share. They can submit claims and manage their insurance policies using the app. They also have access to our PPS Concierge Services via the app. As a company that services professionals, we are acutely aware of the demands on their time on a daily basis. For this reason, we extended our service hours to members with long-term insurance products, making it possible for them to engage after hours. Member Services operating hours were extended to 07:00 to 21:00 on weekdays and 08:00 to 13:00 on Saturdays. Taking into account the educational challenges posed by the extended lockdown, we formed a partnership with service provider, AdvantageLearn. This online platform helps learners between Grades 8 and 12 to excel at high school and to be fully prepared for a successful university career. AdvantageLearn gives PPS members who have signed up for PPS PRO-FiT free access to online mathematics tutoring videos for their children or the children of their relatives. They can also benefit from additional tutoring in physical science and other subjects at a 25% discount. In another innovation – and delivering on an objective set for 2020 – we significantly enhanced our offering to the Graduate and Early Professional market, providing an improved introduction to PPS. The Graduate Modular Product is specifically designed for this market and offers an easy, menu-driven way to browse and select from the full range of PPS products and services. INNOVATION | 35