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The need for efficient, effective insurance sales and service has never been greater. After several years of increasing rates, and rising consumer expectations, both brokers and insurers must eliminate unnecessary friction points. New technologies continue to emerge which offer promise, and effective implementation. Decision time frames for selection of appropriate methods and systems are shortening.

One perspective on the future would have a workstation for a broker/CSR which enables integrated functions with comprehensive management and tracking of workflow. Developers can deliver these capabilities from within their own managed domain today. The thrust is to functions beyond the broker's shop, to providers of specialized functions, to insurance markets and eventually even to customers.

• Within the broker's office, data and computer applications are increasingly integrated so that staff can work a transaction through a number of processing steps, quickly and seamlessly. Interruptions seem to occur most frequently when informaiton or processing external to the office is required.

• The technology underpinnings of communications, increasingly the Internet in some form, are increasingly robust and continue to offer improved reliability and response times. Related technologies and standards make integration of functions which reside in different offices more practical and dependable.

• Providers of special services of many types, and insurance companies themselves, continue to improve the degree of automation in their services, from risk scoring to underwriting many other services. Increasingly these services can be processed in a single step. Good internal implementations are being architected and developed to allow external systems to invoke the process.

Progress seems frustratingly slow. Yet there are a wide variety of functions at all levels in the Canadian insurance environment which illustrate incremental steps towards the utopian dream. From payment and claim status to risk information, from policy wordings to policy change, from new business underwriting, rating and issue systems to premium financing, examples are everywhere. Tieing it all together is still a challenge.

The CSIO Portal is now technically complete, offering single point of contact for brokers to obtain comparative quotes for selected markets and lines of business. The first half of 2004 will be an important indication of both success and future direction.

Our speakers bring experience and expertise in various elements of the broker-company integration challenge as they:

• Detail requirements for frictionless distribution

• Explore the possibilities offered by new processes and technology, and how these fit with the current environment

• Highlight the new technologies actually being deployed, and

• Present findings of early adopters.

Get ahead of the most important technology curve facing insurers and brokers. Attend "Integrated P&C Insurance Distribution in the Broker Channel" February 17, 2004.

Continuing Education Credits for P&C and Life Insurance
3 credits approved by RIBO, in the Management Category

Topics and Speakers

Here is an overview of the agenda for the day with more detail on topic and speaker information available.

8:00 – 8:30: Registration and Coffee

8:30	Welcome: Doug Grant Insurance-Canada.ca
	"Driving the Broker Technology Decision" Steven Frye, Partner, Cookson Walker Consulting Group Chris Venn, President, Inventive Networks
	"Integrating External Processes into Broker Workflow" Catherine Trimble, Consultant, Applied Systems Canada
	break
	"Web Services: The Next Generation of Commercial Lines Distribution" Kevin Campbell, President, Tec4 Systems Inc.
	"Automating Distribution in the Broker Channel" Glen Piller, President, iter8 Incorporated
	break
	"Are Portals a Step to Tighter Integration?" Terry Neilson, President, Insurance Systems Inc.
	"The CSIO Portal, Status and Direction" Doug Grant, Principal, Insurance-Canada.ca
12:25	Close: Doug Grant

For more details on topics and information about speakers.

The session is designed for insurance professionals
No technical experience is required.

Our Seminar Sponsors:

ci   Canadian Insurance Magazine

Seminar Details:

The session will be facilitated by Doug Grant CIP, Principal, Insurance-Canada.ca, insurance professional with extensive experience using the Internet for insurance business.

This half day session will be held Tuesday February 17, 2004. Registration (with coffee) will start at 8:00. The session will begin promptly at 8:30 and conclude about noon.

Cost for the seminar including handout material, lunch and coffee is $275.00 plus G.S.T. ($294.25). Payment is due in advance.

Three ways to register:

• e-mail to doug.grant@insurance-canada.ca your business card information

• print or cut and paste our registration form

• on-line registration

A confirmation and additional details will be returned by e-mail.

Payment details:

Payment is by cheque, made out to Insurance-Canada.ca, and mailed to Insurance-Canada.ca, Attn: Dave Gibbons, 207 Carlton Road, Markham, ON L3R 3L9. Please send by regular mail (do not courier or ICS). Special arrangements can be made for you to bring payment to the seminar, or for us to invoice you.

Seminar Location

The location is central Toronto in the Conference Centre of the Ontario Bar Association at 20 Toronto Street, Suite 200, Toronto (two short blocks east of Yonge Street near Adelaide - King and Yonge being the closest subway stop).

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

See a list of our Previous Seminars.

[ Announcement Flyer | Speakers and Topics | Online Registration | Registration Form ]