ASG Scales Its Pre-Tax and Flexible LSA Programs Across 25+ Entities

Background

ASG is a dynamic and fast-growing software company that specializes in acquiring and scaling technology businesses. Over the years, ASG has completed over 60 acquisitions to date, with nearly 1,500 employees spread across various entities. ASG owned companies encompass a predominantly hybrid and remote workforce that spans almost half of the U.S., with some operations extending globally.

ASG’s structure required a benefits platform that could cater to the unique needs of each entity while maintaining overall consistency and efficiency. The organization wanted a system that allowed individual businesses to customize their benefits programs without creating administrative silos or inefficiencies.

Recognizing the need for a more flexible, scalable solution

“We were really pleased that the LSA could be offered at the entities’ discretion. Depending on the needs of the employer, we want to be able to offer it and be equitable in doing so.” - Olivia Hoggatt, HR Manager

ASG sought a vendor that could seamlessly integrate new entities into its benefits platform while offering lifestyle spending accounts (LSAs) to support employees’ individual wellness needs. The ASG team prioritized a solution that provided white-glove customer support, advanced technology, and streamlined reporting to enhance the efficiency of benefits administration.

The team was particularly drawn to Benepass’s dedicated account management, which has helped them explore creative solutions to evolving challenges.

“I had not chatted to a vendor that offered a dedicated account manager at the level at which Benepass did,” Olivia said. “As we continue to grow, it was so important that we have a dedicated contact to scale with us.”

Transforming benefits administration through partnership

The implementation of Benepass marked a significant shift in how ASG managed its benefits programs. The time required to integrate new acquisitions was reduced to just one month, allowing the company to deliver value to employees faster. This efficiency gain was particularly crucial given ASG’s frequent acquisitions and desire to quickly onboard new companies to an improved benefits ecosystem.

“Working with Benepass on new entity integration has allowed us to deliver value to employees much faster,” Olivia said.

The partnership with Benepass, particularly through their dedicated account manager Maxine, has transformed how ASG approaches benefits administration. Olivia meets with Maxine every other week to stay current on leveraging Benepass effectively, training new users, and setting up new companies on the platform. This regular collaboration ensures that ASG can respond quickly to changes, whether transferring employees between entities or setting up new LSA programs.

“Maxine is always excited to get it done, and I really feel like she’s so curious about how we look at and approach a challenge,” Olivia explained. “She brings an interesting new perspective that I think is quite unique.”

Revolutionizing the employee spending experience

“Employees can easily add their virtual Benepass card to their mobile wallet and download the app, allowing employees to easily view their benefits, access their virtual card and manage their spending. The card-first technology provides great flexibility, increasing engagement and usage of the benefits.” - Olivia Hoggatt, HR Manager

One of the most significant improvements Benepass brought to ASG was a transformed employee spending experience. Employees now enjoy faster, more seamless access to their benefits, particularly for programs like Dependent Care FSAs, which require regular reimbursements for childcare services.

“I feel confident that my employees are getting reimbursement for their spending in a timely way, which builds a lot of trust with our staff,” Olivia said.

Benepass revolutionized the spending experience with its platform funding model and digital wallet integration. Rather than relying on traditional reimbursement methods, Benepass’s pre-funded platform ensures seamless transactions for employees while maintaining proper controls for employers. The platform’s intelligent payment system is backed by sophisticated IIAS technology, which automatically recognizes FSA-eligible items at major retailers and pharmacies. This means employees’ cards work reliably at the point of sale without requiring manual receipt submission in most cases—achieving a 98% auto-substantiation rate while maintaining IRS compliance.

“That is something I have never seen before, and it is something employees tell me that they love all the time,” Olivia said.

The improved system has also increased benefit utilization, as the efficiency has built trust with employees and ensured they’re getting the full value of their benefits.

“I’m reaching out to fewer people at the end of the year saying, ‘make sure to spend those FSA dollars down’ because it’s easy to spend on Benepass’s tool,” Olivia said. “We want employees to use those benefits, so it’s really amazing.”

Empowering entities with flexible benefits solutions

“Employees are our most valuable asset and ASG’s benefits strategy reflects that. We’re really trying to position ourselves with benefits as meeting employees where they, by offering benefits that support all areas of an employee’s life .” - Olivia Hoggatt, HR Manager

A key factor in selecting Benepass was ASG’s ability to offer customizable lifestyle spending accounts tailored to each entity’s needs. Previously, many companies managed lifestyle benefits through payroll reimbursements, creating significant administrative burden and potential for error. What started with just two or three companies implementing LSAs has grown to six entities, with adoption continuing to increase as teams witness the program’s success.

“Each company has their own set of operational needs,” Olivia explained. “Some teams are fully remote and wanted to get a more formal process for creating at-home stipends where the LSA was a really quick solution to do it at scale and cost-effectively.”

The switch from payroll reimbursements to Benepass’s platform has transformed the experience for both finance teams and employees. The improved reporting gives finance teams confidence in benefits administration, while employees enjoy easier access to their benefits without the burden of submitting reimbursements.

“Employees really like the ease of administration,” Olivia noted. “They don’t have to submit things for reimbursement through a tool or use a company credit card.”

This success has created a positive ripple effect throughout the organization, with companies sharing their positive experiences and encouraging other entities to take advantage of Benepass’s flexibility and expand their lifestyle programs.

“When we get to have a team that says, ‘I just took all of my reimbursements out of payroll, my finance team loves me, it saved them so much time,’ we get to use that chatter and that energy to show other companies how they can do the same,” Olivia explained.

Exploring future innovation in benefits delivery

“I’m looking forward to thinking creatively about how we can use vendors such as Benepass in place today to continue to meet employees where they are as needs change.” - Olivia Hoggatt, HR Manager

ASG continues to explore new ways to leverage the Benepass platform as their organization evolves. The team is particularly excited about the potential to use LSAs in innovative ways, including supporting learning and development initiatives, manager development programs, and recognition systems.

“I’m really excited to consider thinking about how we can use LSAs in a new creative way,” Olivia said. “Benepass is a great way to stand those things up. The options are pretty endless in terms of what we can achieve, and I’m excited to give the different companies across ASG more options in how they can achieve those goals.”

The partnership with Benepass has solved ASG’s immediate challenges and also opened up new possibilities for how they think about and deliver benefits to their employees. As ASG continues to grow and acquire new companies, they have confidence in their ability to scale their benefits programs effectively while maintaining the flexibility and personalization their diverse workforce requires.

“Benepass really digs into our needs as a customer,” Olivia said. “We feel like as we continue to grow, Benepass can grow alongside us and that’s super important.”

Key results

“When companies are acquired by ASG, we help them put the structure in place to scale their operations, and Benepass is a great tool to do so.” - Olivia Hoggatt, HR Manager

• Accelerated implementation process: Benepass reduced new entity implementation time from 2.5 months to just 1 month, enabling ASG to deliver benefits faster to newly acquired companies and their employees.
• Simplified management: Benepass’s flexible architecture allows each of ASG’s companies to customize their benefits programs while streamlining administration and compliance
• Expanded lifestyle benefits adoption: What began with 2-3 companies implementing LSAs has grown to six entities, with ongoing expansion as finance and HR teams celebrate the reduction in administrative work and improved reporting.
• Strategic partnership for growth: Regular collaboration with a dedicated account manager ensures ASG can quickly respond to business changes, setting up new companies efficiently and exploring innovative applications for lifestyle spending accounts.