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Since the first broker management systems were introduced in the early 1980s, professional brokers have become mature systems users. Principals and operations managers have learned that the success of technology from a business perspective depends as much on HOW technology is applied as on WHAT technology is introduced.

This full day seminar showcases the HOW technology has been and continues to be a key element in the business success of independent insurance professionals.

Seminar Topics

8:00 – 8:30: Registration and Coffee

8:30	Welcome and Introduction; Patrick Vice, I/T Manager, Frank Cowan Company Ltd.
8:45	Low Hanging and Delicious Fruit from Existing Technology - Craig Tilford, Insurance Communications Network Inc.
For 300 years our industry has made promises to pay when there is a loss. For most of those 300 years we accomplished this by a handshake and a few pieces of paper. In the last 20 years we have attempted to automate this process through technology. And despite making great progress, there is still more, actually a lot more. But don’t let that statement intimidate you. There are many ways you and your staff will notice a big difference by just a hand full of changes. Changes that will save precious time and increase productivity. And the big surprise for most, is that the tools, process or technology required, are already in your office. Craig will touch on various ways in which your team can save time and effort. Ways to manage the many emails, the endless paper, the constant battle to find, utilize and deliver information in time to meet clients’ expectations. And all of this is already at your fingertips. It’s simply low hanging fruit from your existing tools and technology.
9:15	Insurance and the Internet: An Insurer's Perspective - Keith Martin, Royal & SunAlliance Canada
Royal & SunAlliance Canada was an early adopter of the Internet in Canada, for many different uses. Keith will review what the company has done and what its plans are -- with an emphasis on the importance of implementation and execution -- in other words, while strategy is important, how you roll out is even more important.
9:45	break
10:00	Agency Performance Management - Craig Carothers, Senior Business Solution Specialist, SAS Institute
This presentation will provide insights to assess up-selling and/or cross selling opportunities and prioritize agency interactions based on which interactions will be the most profitable for the agent and your organization. It will also provide insights into how performance intelligence at the agency level is being used to prioritize efforts, maximize profitability and identify enhancements. By focusing on a holistic view of performance, you can identify opportunities to strengthen channel performance to drive increased profitability for your agents and your organization. Agency Performance Management lets you ... Prioritize customer interaction based on the impacts on profitability Track, measure and challenge performance Simplify communications company-wide in order to act quickly and efficiently Tap the collective knowledge of your Agents and unleash each person's potential
10:30	Vendors as Partners for Integration and Real-Time Processing - Lee Slack, Applied Systems
Brokers have invested many dollars to automate their offices. The question remains, are they getting their money's worth and are they maximizing this technology? Applied Systems has developed tools to easily allow integration with partner vendors and to allow for Real-time insurance with carriers in order to ensure that brokers are maximizing their technology investment.
11:00	break
11:10	Have Your Cake and Eat It Too -- Using Web Services to Build a Real-time Commercial Lines Quoting System that Satisfies All Brokers - Kevin Campbell, Tec4 Systems Inc., and Tom Reid, ING Insurance
Most insurance companies have successfully streamlined the broker distribution channel for personal lines using Electronic Data Interchange (EDI) to interface to the broker's systems. More recently, companies have augmented this functionality by creating web sites that provide added functionality, such as billing inquiry and policy change. Progressive companies are now starting to look at ways to achieve the same efficiencies for commercial lines. In the absence of a universally accepted standard to communicate with the brokers' systems, companies are jumping on the web bandwagon to offer real-time commercial quotations. While this is a real advantage to brokers who are not automated in commercial lines, it is a hindrance to those who have automated their commercial lines because it requires re-keying of data. Wide scale adoption of commercial lines standards for data exchange remains the best solution, however it still is a long way off in Canada. ING Canada and Policy Works are pleased to present an alternative solution that uses Web Services to offer the best of both worlds: a web-based quoting facility for brokers who are not automated and a gateway that eliminates double entry for those brokers who are.
11:40	Wireless Technology - The Latest Information You Need to Provide the Optimum Service - Steve Parry, Bell Mobility
In today's Insurance market increased efficiency via reduced operational costs and higher productivity is key to succeed. Clients rely on fast, efficient service. Find out how insurance brokers can use wireless for all their business needs: Newest industry standard applications and protocols to allow easy application/software integration for electronic (online) forms processing and interoperation with existing systems Understand the insurance applications available for the newest technologies such as application processing, claims processing, billing and customer service, storage of financial records, easily accessible customer data processing, electronic signature capture and more... Voice and high speed radio data networks, voice devices, PDAs and specialized devices with embedded radio modules.
12:10	lunch
12:50	Automating Risk Inspections and Risk Management for Brokers and Insurers - Terry Neilson, Insurance Systems Inc.
Insurance customers, brokers and companies have been using the power of Internet communications to improve service levels for some time, often in a casual or informal manner. Insurance Systems Inc. has been developing insurance systems which cross organizational boundaries for several years, with a more formal systematic approach with both process and procedures. One Canadian customer has been using WebWriter Inspections now for some time, and a second is about to implement this new application. WebWriter Inspections is a complete end-to-end solution for field risk inspections for both in-house and outsourced inspector environments. Terry will describe how the application works, and how it uses the power of computing and Internet communications to improve the risk inspection process, the value of information captured and the management of the resulting recommendations for all parties.
1:20	How To Think About Technology In Business Terms - Chris Venn, Inventive Networks
Too many Brokerages unnecessarily struggle with technology. As a result, their technology is out of control, not delivering what was expected of it, is over-deployed or is costing too much. But technology can be dealt with just like many other business issues. The challenge is that many managers and owners alike, don't have a framework for understanding it. Forever ease the way you think about technology by using our five simple tools to think about technology - Solution Selection, Performance, Availability, Control, and Data Integrity.
1:50	The CSIO Insurance Portal - Paul Taylor, IBAO
The vision of the CSIO insurance portal is the single entry multiple company interface, or SEMCI vision. With the portal’s phase one up and running, and phase two targeted for March 2005, how close to the original goal of the SEMCI operating system is it? How will it compare to the vision when phase two arrives? Paul Taylor will look at the overall workflows created by the using the portal, the changes which will appear when phase two of the project arrives, and compare these to the alternative workflows facing brokers today. With the current EDI transaction set up, and multiple company websites which brokers are becoming expected to use for transactions on customer files, the idea of SEMCI becomes more and more valuable. Paul will look at the portal as it currently exists and explain the advantages to taking part in its evolution to become the communication model of choice.
2:15	break
2:30	Automating the Claims Notification Process to Companies and Brokers - Mike Marsden, Accident Support Services International Ltd.
Accident Support Services' paperless reporting system, known as the Collision Reporting and Occurrence and Management System (CROMS), is in use throughout the Collision Reporting Centres. CROMS will set the standard for the delivery of the police reports, provided through the CRC’s in Ontario. Our presentation explains what information is gathered for police and insurance companies, and how, through CROMS, brokers can now be provided with immediate notification of their client’s collision. We will include what details are provided to brokers and the available methods of delivery for receiving these notifications. Ground breaking, extensive and innovative, CROMS not only provides a new level of customer service opportunities for brokers and insurers, but also helps keep the costs of rental cars, towing, storage and insurance fraud to a minimum.
2:50	Best Knowledge Management Practices for Brokers - Michael Tabor, Knowledge Management Consultant, Tetraplex Limited
The Internet and web-based technologies promise to radically change the way agencies do business. Emerging trends will affect property and casualty much more than life insurance. Carriers are rapidly changing the way they communicate with agencies. Similarly, customers expect ever more information about the choices open to them. To build a sustainable competitive advantage your agency needs to communicate effectively with those who have insurance products as well as those who need them. This session introduces Knowledge Management as a collection of principles, best practices, and technologies that can place you in control of all your information and prepare you for the changes your carriers and clients demand.
3:20	Close: by Doug Grant Insurance-Canada.ca

Seminar Sponsors:

Speaker Information

Craig Carothers, Senior Business Solution Specialist, SAS Institute

Craig Carothers is a senior business solution specialist with 19 years of diversified experience building, business intelligence and CRM solutions to optimize performance. These solutions are used to grow revenue, promote customer loyalty, navigate operations, identify new opportunities, and optimize investments. Measurable outcomes are higher acquisition rates, improving retention, increasing customer value and improving operational effectiveness.

Kevin Campbell, President, Tec4 Systems Inc.

Kevin is co-founder and President of Tec4 Systems Inc. Kevin has spent the last 12 years pioneering the development of commercial management systems. His dream, to bridge the communication gap between brokers and insurance companies, became reality with the creation of Policy Works. With Policy Works, a broker can electronically deliver a submission to one or more insurers, complete a proposal, and bind the risk all within a matter of minutes. Kevin’s current focus is on using Web Services and XML to exchange commercial insurance information between brokers and companies.

Tec4 Systems Inc. - pioneers and industry leaders in commercial management systems have been developing commercial insurance software for over 10 years. Their flagship product, Policy Works is a single system application specializing in commercial lines entry and policy management. Policy Works is fast becoming the industry standard and is being integrated with Broker Management Systems throughout Canada.

Mike Marsden, Sales and Customer Relations Officer, Accident Support Services International Ltd.

Mike Marsden is a recent addition to the sales and support team as our Sales and Customer Relations Officer. Mike is working with Bob Gutwein.

Prior to joining the Accident Support Services team, Mike worked in sales, marketing and promotional capacities for a major Toronto sports team, a Toronto based radio stations and most recently in the automotive industry, where his keen ear, sincerity and enthusiastic nature propelled him to the top of their ranks.

An accomplished public speaker, Mike has hosted a radio open-line talk show, organized player appearances, marketing campaigns and public events. As Sales Manager at a radio station, Mike helped lead the group to record listeners and sales.

A former Notre Dame Hound, he excelled on the varsity baseball team. Mike equates business to his dedication to sports, and is anxious to speak to your organization on the ground breaking technology and services, provided exclusively from Accident Support Service Int'l Ltd.

Keith Martin, WebBusiness Leader, Personal Insurance, Royal & SunAlliance Canada

Keith Martin’s professional focus is on E-Business management, with a combination of strategic, tactical, and planning experience. He blends strategic knowledge with implementation and management capabilities. Mr. Martin rounds out his business skill-set with a strong policy and public affairs background. Mr. Martin specializes in how the Internet and E-Commerce can offer new opportunities to businesses, and from 2001 to 2003 he lectured part-time at Ryerson University, where he taught a course on "the Concepts of E-Business."

Since January, 2003 Mr. Martin has been employed at Royal & SunAlliance Canada, a leading international P&C (Property and Casualty) insurance firm, with over 55,000 employees internationally. The Canadian subsidiary has been a leader in developing new internet-based tools to improve its business. Since January, 2003 he has been the Web Business Leader in the company’s Personal Insurance Division. In this role, he leads a team that is developing new business functionality and building new online assets for the company and its broker partners.

Terry Neilson, President, Insurance Systems Inc.

Insurance Systems Inc. (ISI) is a Canadian Software development company that specializes in developing transactional Web sites for Insurance Companies. Terry was an Insurance Broker for 25 years and in 1997 started ISI to develop web based solutions to increase productivity between Insurers and Brokers.

Steve Parry, Wireless Data Consultant, Bell Mobility

With over 12 years of experience in I.T. and telecommunications, Stephen Parry is a senior member of Bell Mobility's Enterprise Sales Data Solutions Team. Previously,Mr. Parry wasthe prime forthe two of Bell Mobility's leadwireless data products, Research In Motion’s BlackBerry wireless handheld solutions, and Digital Data To Go--with respect totechnology development, strategy and execution. Prior to joining Bell Mobility, Mr. Parry held enterprise sales, marketing solutions and management positions at GE Capital ITS and Xerox Canada consulting with top 100 Canadian enterprises.Mr. Parry also holds a Honours B.A. from the University of Toronto. Bell Mobility, a division of Bell Canada, provides a complete range of innovative wireless communications solutions: PCS and cellular, web-browsing and data, two-way messaging, paging and airline passenger communications services.

Tom Reid, ING Insurance

Tom Reid is the Vice-President of Technology Services for ING Insurance, Western Region. Tom joined the insurance industry with Wellington Insurance in 1993 and has held roles in IT, Finance and Process Re-engineering. Tom's current focus is on streamlining ING's business processes with brokers through point-of-sale technology.

Lee Slack, Director of Product Development, Applied Systems Canada.

As Director of Product Development at Applied Systems Canada Inc, Ms. Lee Slack has 15 years experience in the insurance industry, working for the broker community and insurance companies. With a background in programming and project management, Ms. Slack has worked for Applied Systems Canada for 10 years and has sucessfully led her group in the deployment of 7 major versions of The Agency Manager.

Michael Tabor, Knowledge Management Consultant, Tetraplex Limited

Every business, every organization, is based upon a body of knowledge. This is its intellectual capital -- that which differentiates it from its competitors. Successful organizations know how to nurture their know-how, to use it to their competitive advantage, communicate its advantages to the marketplace, and leverage it to the benefit of their clients. Knowing how to author, archive, and disseminate knowledge is Michael’s core competence and the foundation of his career.

Michael believes in simplicity, elegance, clean design, and ease of implementation. He believes that information design is not merely about look and feel. The ability of published material to thrive in an information-rich world depends on its survival skills -- its method of production, mode of archiving, ease of access, and amenability to reuse. He has an Award of Achievement from the Society for Technical Communication.

Michael has a visceral feel for the process of communicating. He has spoken at conferences sponsored by a variety of organizations, including the Canadian Periodical Publishers Association, Documation, the Ontario Association for Mathematics Education, the Graphic Communications Association, and the World Futures Society.

Michael has taught at the University of Waterloo, the University of Toronto, and the Banff Publishing Workshops. He has created training plans and materials, and provided training sessions for many enterprise-wide initiatives. He believes that training is not merely transmitting knowledge, but rather a complex transformation in which participants gain grace, skill, and confidence to carry on in the absence of the trainer.

Michael has championed Knowledge Management since its early days and has long provided consultation services in Intellectual Capital, Content Management, and Knowledge Management. He is co-author of "Behold the Paper Trails" published in the Summer 2002 issue of LIMRA's Market Facts Quarterly.

Paul Taylor, Program Manager, Facilitator, Education Department, IBAO

Paul Taylor is currently a program manager and facilitator at IBAO. Paul developed his teaching skills as a music teacher at different private music schools and on a part-time basis, privately, with students of varying ages. After entering the insurance business with the personal, now owned by Desjarden Financial Group, Paul moved into the training and development field within the company. He was primarily responsible for facilitating the ontario licensing material, as well as creating and delivering training materials for new software launches, underwriting guideline changes, product changes, etc. that the company needed to be delivered to their sales and underwriting staff. paul now works with candace leung and lucy arkell in the education department of the IBAO, facilitating some of the on and offsite programs and helping build a curriculum of interesting and informative courses for the Ontario broker community.

Craig Tilford, Craig Tilford, FCIP, Consultant, Insurance Communications Network Inc.

For over 20 years Craig’s career has focused on achieving business objectives through people, process and technology. He has successfully accomplished this by finding ways to enhance sales, profitability, productivity and the ease of doing business. Craig’s background encompasses both insurance and technology. He operated his own brokerage, founded two businesses, was a senior underwriter, and a Change Management Consultant for one of the world’s largest brokerages. From Commercial Manager to Commercial Consultant, from the farm fields to the board rooms, Craig is always finding ways for people, process and technology to benefit the bottom line.

Chris Venn, President, Inventive Networks

After almost a decade with Keal Technology, Chris now leads a team that works to solve the IT challenges of Brokers across Canada. He is experienced in technology planning, system procurement, network security, system availability, optimizing network performance, and remote office connectivity among other relevant topics. Chris has also been a featured speaker and trainer on technology issues at numerous industry events. Inventive Networks is a provider of technology consulting and computer hardware for Insurance Brokers.

Hosts and Moderators

Doug Grant MBA CIP, Consultant, Insurance-Canada.ca

As a keen analyst of computer and networking evolution for more than thirty years, and the opportunity and impact on the insurance industry, frequent industry speaker, columnist, and consultant. Doug is cognizant of the changes that are occurring in the Internet insurance world. As a principal in the Insurance-Canada.ca Web site, he brings a unique perspective to the session. For a more extensive biography.

Patrick Vice, I/T Manager, Frank Cowan Company Ltd.

Patrick has over 20 years experience enabling technology and electronic commerce in the risk management and insurance communities. For a more extensive biography.

Doug and Patrick will be hosts of the seminar and will welcome and set the stage, build the linkages between topics, and then provide conclusions and points to ponder at the end of the session.

(Examples will be used throughout)

Questions? call Doug Grant 416-921-7756 or email at doug.grant@insurance-canada.ca

See a list of our Previous Seminars.

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