Communications and Forms
Automation in the Cloud

Automate and digitize your communications and forms by adding data elements, tables, charts, and variable text and images directly into your Adobe InDesign templates.

Speed up Digital Conversion

Automate your templates in hours instead of months.

Digitize your communications without your IT group or a vendor. There is no need to define your requirements for IT or recreate your templates in a CCM system and hope that it turns out as you intended in your original design. You can automate your templates in hours, not months.

Do It All in
Adobe InDesign

Start in InDesign. Stay in InDesign.

Make your InDesign templates data-driven. Use enhanced InDesign features to customize your communications and make them compelling.

> Data-Ready Templates
> One Template = Many Versions
> Full Custom Branding
> Complete Design Flexibility
> Customizable Charts and Graphics
> Variable Length Tables
> Online Fillable Forms

Document Automation in the Cloud

Manage your documents globally.

Manage your communications securely on the Amazon AWS cloud. Just sign in to Appo Portal to create, test, update, manage, and distribute all your communications. You can have hundreds of users at any location collaborating on Appo Portal and in InDesign.

The Appo EcoSystem

Using Appo System, your teams can access your documents from any location, at any time, using any browser. You can collaborate with other offices and with your clients to create templates and provide data. And, your end users can access current communications and forms anytime.

Customizable Communications in Adobe InDesign

Create your own InDesign templates — or use Appo’s design team for as much or as little support as you need.

Full Custom Branding

Document Libraries in the Cloud

Appo System provides your communications and forms in online document libraries that can be accessed from your customers’ websites. End users can click on web links to access their documents, fill them out, e-sign, and return.

About Appo Group

Appo has hundreds of client users and serves millions of end users. It is the next big leap forward in technology and capability — a system that allows you to speed up the automation of your communications and forms using Adobe InDesign and the Amazon Cloud (AWS). Our management team has been providing innovative communications technology solutions for over 20 years. Having worked with many of the largest insurance, financial services, healthcare, and employee benefits providers, we have extensive knowledge and background in automating communications and forms.

Prior to Appo Group, we were the leadership team at Aon-Benefacts where we produced personalized employee benefit and retirement communications for millions of employees. At Argus Group we were an industry leader in replacing “pick and pack” fulfillment methods with automated systems to generate on-demand communications.

Watch this 2.5 minute video for an overview of the Appo System and then request a demo by clicking below.

Request a Demo

Meet the Team

Our innovative approach comes with decades of experience in data-driven communications and system automation.

Steve Wigler
President
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Cindy Jones
SVP, Consulting
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Tom Yuhas
SVP, Operations
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Joan Cox
SVP, Creative
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Steve co-founded Appo Group to provide a better and faster alternative to IT-driven CCM systems. Appo System now has hundreds of system users and millions of end users. Steve is the former President of Benefacts, one of the nation’s oldest and largest providers of personalized communications. Benefacts provided personalized statements about employee benefits to millions of employees.

Prior to Appo, Steve founded Argus Group, a leader in on-demand communications for the retirement plan industry. Argus Group grew quickly and its clients included many of the largest mutual fund, insurance, and investment companies in the US. Steve sold the company to ADP and it is now a division of Broadridge, a publicly traded company.

Cindy is a co-founder of Appo Group where she works closely with clients in their development and implementation of data-driven communications. Prior to Appo, Cindy was the VP of consulting and creative groups at Argus Group, and the VP of creative and production services at Aon-Benefacts. Cindy worked with many Fortune 500 companies to design and produce personalized benefits statements and customized employee communications.

Cindy has consulted with many of the country’s largest financial, insurance and healthcare firms including Empower, Securian, Raymond James, American Funds, ING, Johns Hopkins, Wells Fargo, Merrill Lynch/Bank of America, USF&G and Fidelity Investments.

Tom is a co-founder of Appo Group and brings his experience in managing operations focused on the creation and production of data-driven communications.

As a Vice President at Aon-Benefacts, Tom led the technology team.  He implemented new technical approaches to merging data and variable content in documents. Tom has managed the handling of highly personalized data for several of the largest employers in the country including Great West Bank and the Federal Reserve Bank.

Tom was also a co-founder of Argus Group, where he managed the technology and software development team. He was also the architect in charge of implementing online content and order management systems for Argus Group. Under his management, the group utilized data for participant communications for thousands of retirement plan sponsors and millions of participants.

Joan brings extensive experience as an Art Director and Graphic Designer to her role as SVP of Creative Services at Appo Group. She provides graphic design services and manages customer training and support on the Appo Toolset. Joan has over 25 years of experience in designing customized, data-driven communications and award-winning brochures.
While at Aon, Joan created personalized benefit communications for Fortune 500 clients such as Vanguard, Fannie Mae, Raytheon, and The Coca-Cola Company.

At Argus Group, Joan was responsible for all internal and external marketing campaigns, managing all design projects, working with both internal consultants and external design departments within major clients such as T. Rowe Price, Mass Mutual, BB&T, CitiNational and ADP.

Steve co-founded Appo Group to provide a better and faster alternative to IT-driven CCM systems. Appo System now has hundreds of system users and millions of end users. Steve is the former President of Benefacts, one of the nation’s oldest and largest providers of personalized communications. Benefacts provided personalized statements about employee benefits to millions of employees.

Prior to Appo, Steve founded Argus Group, a leader in on-demand communications for the retirement plan industry. Argus Group grew quickly and its clients included many of the largest mutual fund, insurance, and investment companies in the US. Steve sold the company to ADP and it is now a division of Broadridge, a publicly traded company.

Cindy is a co-founder of Appo Group where she works closely with clients in their development and implementation of data-driven communications. Prior to Appo, Cindy was the VP of consulting and creative groups at Argus Group, and the VP of creative and production services at Aon-Benefacts. Cindy worked with many Fortune 500 companies to design and produce personalized benefits statements and customized employee communications.

Cindy has consulted with many of the country’s largest financial, insurance and healthcare firms including Empower, Securian, Raymond James, American Funds, ING, Johns Hopkins, Wells Fargo, Merrill Lynch/Bank of America, USF&G and Fidelity Investments.

Tom is a co-founder of Appo Group and brings his experience in managing operations focused on the creation and production of data-driven communications.

As a Vice President at Aon-Benefacts, Tom led the technology team.  He implemented new technical approaches to merging data and variable content in documents. Tom has managed the handling of highly personalized data for several of the largest employers in the country including Great West Bank and the Federal Reserve Bank.

Tom was also a co-founder of Argus Group, where he managed the technology and software development team. He was also the architect in charge of implementing online content and order management systems for Argus Group. Under his management, the group utilized data for participant communications for thousands of retirement plan sponsors and millions of participants.

Joan brings extensive experience as an Art Director and Graphic Designer to her role as SVP of Creative Services at Appo Group. She provides graphic design services and manages customer training and support on the Appo Toolset. Joan has over 25 years of experience in designing customized, data-driven communications and award-winning brochures.
While at Aon, Joan created personalized benefit communications for Fortune 500 clients such as Vanguard, Fannie Mae, Raytheon, and The Coca-Cola Company.

At Argus Group, Joan was responsible for all internal and external marketing campaigns, managing all design projects, working with both internal consultants and external design departments within major clients such as T. Rowe Price, Mass Mutual, BB&T, CitiNational and ADP.

Client Case Studies

Self-Service Communications Automation Without IT Resources

A leading service provider in the U.S., supporting over 17 million participants, selected the Appo System to automate their new client on-boarding communications. Over the years, the number of system users and the volume of communications created through the Appo System has increased significantly.

Today, the client’s sales support team logs in to the Appo Portal to create their custom communications material. New client setup is initiated with a daily data feed. Supplemental data is entered in the Appo Portal as needed. The data then drives variable content into several templates in both English and Spanish. The communications are generated and then distributed electronically and/or through print.

The client uses Appo Tools in Adobe InDesign to create and update their data-driven communications. This large client has access to several CCM systems, however, they use the Appo System when they want to add communications quickly and without the cost and time needed for a technical team.

Forms Automation in the Cloud

One of our Fortune 500 clients uses Appo System to automate dozens of their forms in InDesign. Appo System allows the client to upload a Salesforce data extract so client-specific forms can be generated automatically. Thousands of custom forms are generated, updated, and posted to a document library where they are accessible on our client’s websites in the cloud. End users go to these websites, click on form links to access their forms, fill them out, and return them to the client for processing.

Enhanced Features for All

One of our clients provides communication services for thousands of large companies and millions of their employees. They wanted to use Appo System to provide custom corporate colors and fonts for each of their clients. The Appo self-service portal was enhanced to allow them to enter custom CMYK builds and upload custom corporate fonts to merge into their templates and create fully custom branded communications.  This feature has been rolled out to all Appo clients. Now when designing and distributing communications, you can create fully customized, company branded designs on-the-fly, without the need for any technical support.

Client Case Studies

Scalable, Low-Cost Environment on AWS
Self-Service Communications Automation Without IT Resources

One of the largest providers of retirement plans in the U.S. selected the Appo System to automate their new client on-boarding communications. Over the years, the number of system users and the volume of communications created through the Appo System has increased significantly.

Today, the client’s sales support team logs in to the Appo Portal to create their custom communications material. New client setup is initiated with a daily data feed. Supplemental data is entered in the Appo Portal as needed. The data then drives variable content into several templates in both English and Spanish. The communications are generated and then distributed electronically and/or through print.

The client uses Appo Tools in Adobe InDesign to create and update their data-driven communications. This large client has access to several CCM systems, however, they use the Appo System when they want to add communications quickly and without the cost and time needed for a technical team.

Create Custom Communications Using Client Data You Upload to the Portal
Forms Automation in the Cloud

One of our Fortune 500 clients uses Appo System to automate dozens of their forms in InDesign. Appo System allows the client to upload a Salesforce data extract so client-specific forms can be generated automatically. Thousands of custom forms are generated, updated, and posted to a document library where they are accessible on our client’s websites in the cloud. End users go to these websites, click on form links to access their forms, fill them out, and return them to the client for processing.

Create, Update, and Post in Minutes
Enhanced Features for All

One of the largest providers of retirement plans in the U.S. selected the Appo System to automate their new client on-boarding communications. Over the years, the number of system users and the volume of communications created through the Appo System has increased significantly.

Today, the client’s sales support team logs in to the Appo Portal to create their custom communications material. New client setup is initiated with a daily data feed. Supplemental data is entered in the Appo Portal as needed. The data then drives variable content into several templates in both English and Spanish. The communications are generated and then distributed electronically and/or through print.

The client uses Appo Tools in Adobe InDesign to create and update their data-driven communications. This large client has access to several CCM systems, however, they use the Appo System when they want to add communications quickly and without the cost and time needed for a technical team.