BiPRO RNext company pension scheme: from initiative to release candidate

The new BiPRO company pension scheme standard with RNext enables standardised change notifications to be sent digitally to the insurance company via the RNext interface. This allows portfolio processes to be optimised, the quality of data to be increased and the customer experience to be enhanced.

The RNext company pension scheme group entered into the pilot implementation phase in a 2:2 principle of providers and consumers in parallel to the initiation, design and development phases. This enabled us to gather implementation experience and valuable feedback from the first users. And that wasn’t all. Shortly before Christmas 2020, the work on version 1.0 was completed and a release candidate was generated.

What is RNext?

RNext is the new release generation of BiPRO interfaces that follows the technological change – such as from SOAP to JSON/REST & microservices. The REST-based API architecture creates new data models and structures. REST is pursuing the goal of using a simple architectural style to create modern, lean interfaces that can be used by any device. New technical design principles such as domain-driven design are at the forefront.

RNext will be used to develop new standards such as the company pension scheme domain. The RClassic release generation will remain in place and the existing standards will, of course, continue to be maintained.

The RNext committees

Two new committees have been set up to develop guidelines to guide the work of the Standardisation Committee (Normungsauschuss, NAUS). The Architecture Committee deals with the development and operationalisation of standardised procedures and methods that are reflected in the guidelines. This committee works closely with the Reference Design Committee, which in turn focuses on creating and prioritising reference design requirements and oversees the overall design principles. The aim here is to develop a reference design in the sense of good/best practices, taking into account model implementations.

How are RNext standards developed?

In the RNext groups, prototypes are developed for value-added processes and piloted directly in at least two consumer-provider pairs.

What is an RNext group?

An RNext group is a collaboration between companies or market participants for an unlimited period of time in order to jointly develop a standard in a practical manner. The process is made up of different phases, starting with initiation and ending with implementation. An RNext group is designed to provide a domain with support throughout its life cycle. If the proposed minimum number of two consumer-provider pairs is not reached, the group is expected to put the process on hold. Each RNext group is assigned a mentor by the NAUS to ensure that the group receives support and that any questions that come up are answered.

From candidate to BiPRO standard

An initiative group was formed following the conclusion of a pilot project on company pension schemes that examined the processes involved in these schemes. The participants set themselves the goal of developing standardised, digital communication for the company pension business transactions that occur most often. It became clear during the design phase that more market participants were needed. The group started with more than ten participants, consisting of insurance companies, software vendors and IT service providers, at the end of 2019. A company pension scheme standard for the transmission of standardised change data was developed in close collaboration between the ten. After extensive work, version 1.0 was successfully completed and a release candidate was communicated to NAUS. The progress of the standardisation process is being followed with some interest, and a review of the identified artifacts and YAML is expected to take place. The standardisation of the company pension scheme standard is an important prerequisite to achieving acceptance of the interface on the market and to enable further market participants to use it.

Summary

The introduction of company pension scheme services, which can be triggered via standardised interfaces between employers or brokers and insurance companies, creates win-win situations. The employer can now use the defined specification for the interface universally, independent of the provider. This reduces complexity and saves costs. The need for digital company pension scheme processes can largely be met by combining the various BiPRO standards of both release generations.

adesso has been an active member of BiPRO for years and has extensive experience in selecting and implementing web services for the BiPRO standard. adesso assists the market participants as a strong IT partner in order to provide the company pension scheme process and the interfaces with comprehensive digital support, increasing the benefit for all parties involved. After standardisation, adesso creates a prototype connection between the interface and adesso insurance solutions’ systems. My colleague will go into more detail about how the adesso BiPRO tool suite helps with the implementation process in a later blog post.

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