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NEPS, LLC.

In a world where computers store unprecedented volumes of information, turning that data into properly designed, accurate, easily understood documents is a constant challenge. It is at the intersection between data and document production that NEPS, LLC, has carved out a robust business niche. With an office in Chicago and its main operations in Salem, N.H., where the company was founded in 1988, NEPS serves a range of industries, from leading financial services firms, insurance companies and hospitals to auto manufacturers, gaming operators and hospitality companies.
Richard Heuer, who combines the role of chief financial and chief operating officer, divides his time between the Chicago and Salem locations. Meanwhile, company president and co-founder Denise Miano oversees the Salem office, where 30 of NEPS’ 45 employees are based.

NEPS has two distinct business units, explains Heuer, who has been with the organization for two years. One segment, known as EPS (which stands for Enabled Printed Solutions) helps companies convert manual, pre-printed forms to automated, on-demand print forms generated at the point of need with all required data included. The primary industries served by EPS are healthcare, gaming, automotive and financial services. For health care, NEPS developed its Health e-Connect™ family of care solutions that integrates easily with hospital information systems to deliver such essentials as patient admissions packets, photo wristbands, secure pharmacy labels, photo ID cards, patient records and more.

For the gaming industry, NEPS created its Dealer’s Choice solution that helps track all the activity in a busy casino and quickly generates the accurate documents that must be printed in the casino pits and restaurants or when guests check in or out. The second major component of NEPS is its strategic consulting services, primarily geared to the needs of insurance and other financial services providers.

“We offer a range of options that are compatible with clients’ existing software systems, yet let them create the forms and communications needed to meet their business needs and comply with the regulatory frameworks under which they operate,” Heuer explained. A national insurance company marketing a single product in numerous jurisdictions, for example, must generate a unique set of documents for every customer, and each set must comply with relevant local regulations. What’s more, those regulations are likely to change over time, and all documents related to the product must be kept abreast of those changes.

Through its CMX enterprise content management and production systems, NEPS gives clients the ability to manage forms, images, complex publications, presentations, reports, records and statements on paper or via the Internet. “Our consulting services often act as a specialized supplement to our clients’ own I.T. capabilities,” said Heuer. “Frequently we have the knowledge and resources to achieve their objectives more quickly and cost effectively than in-house staff can. Not long ago, for instance, an insurer wanted to develop a comprehensive system to print, store and retrieve its policy documents for a new line of business. After its own I.T. department estimated the project would take 18 months, the company turned to NEPS, and we were able to get the entire operation up and running in 105 days.”

NEPS also assists companies in designing new, more effective communications, whether that is a monthly account statement, hospital wristband or an explanation of insurance coverage. Designing documents that convey the right information in a way that meets the needs of the recipient as well as the sender, is a specialized discipline, and NEPS designs have won numerous DALBAR awards for outstanding financial communications. Another way in which NEPS distinguishes itself is its flexibility in service delivery, which in turn gives NEPS’ clients multiple options for meeting their financial objectives. Clients can take solutions in-house, using their own staff and equipment, or they can work with NEPS to put in place a solution that relies in part or entirely on an outsourcing strategy. Also, NEPS provides comprehensive hosting services through Software as a Service (SaaS) approach, allowing companies to avoid or significantly delay capital expenditures and enjoy the benefits NEPS delivers while treating the cost as an operating expense.

“Whether we are providing what amounts to a turn-key service that we fully manage or we develop the right software to work with an existing in-house system or provide something in between those alternatives, our goal is to give clients a solution entirely tailored to their needs,” Heuer said. Its comprehensive blend of capabilities has spurred the growth of NEPS, making it a nationally recognized leader orchestrating information delivery for major businesses. Yet, with that success came new challenges. “Our work with major companies almost always reaches a point where they begin asking detailed questions about our financial position. After all, if they were committing to a multi-year contract with us, they needed to undertake their own due diligence,” Heuer said.

That and other needs prompted Heuer to begin thinking about making sure NEPS had access to auditing capabilities and other resources that would meet its needs as the business grew.

“I had worked with Jon Segal some years ago before he joined KRD and called him just to get some advice on an issue related to that year’s audit,” recalled Heuer. “As we talked, it became clear that KRD had the experience and resources we needed, not just for audit and tax compliance work but also for tax and business planning. KRD certainly has delivered on those, but just as important, I’ve been impressed with the speed and quality of their response. We have to do that for our clients, and KRD certainly has done that for us. And in the process, Jon has become a trusted advisor to me and our business.”