2012 ICTA Supplier Nominations

Suppliers Nominated for 2012 ICTAs

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Each year the nominations for an Insurance-Canada.ca Technology Award are a great mix of interesting applications, some of which are small in scope, others large. Some have been developed from the ground up, in-house or by external developers; others were provided as a package or a component thereof. They collectively represent the variety of ways that technology is being deployed today in the Canadian P&C insurance industry. Here are selected nominations – supplier category – from the 2012 submissions.

Suppliers have been divided into two groups below: suppliers using the technology for insurance purposes and suppliers providing technology to insurance practitioners. For 2013 ICTA nominations, technology providers who are named on insurance practitioner nominations as the key technology provider will be automatically recognized with the practitioners, so there is no need to submit separate nominations.

Suppliers Using the Technology

These nominees use technology to help process insurance business.

Allianz Global Assistance – Online Claims Portal *Finalist*
Mondial Assistance Canada offers and services its own travel insurance products through its partners in the online travel and bank credit card sectors, and provides third-party travel assistance and claims administration services to group insurers. To improve customer service and efficiency, it implemented an online claims portal. The portal, a key initiative of a Six Sigma project, was developed internally. For ease of use, it uses a wizard approach with help functions, for claimants to complete a claims form. The system enables the upload of images and documents and once submitted, an automatic notification of claim receipt is issued. Since launch on May 25, 2011, a high proportion of eligible claims have been received through portal, the net promoter score has improved by 11%, member facing cycle time has been reduced and the overall cycle time has been halved. Errors have been reduced. All in all, the system has provided significant benefit.

Crawford & Co. – Healthworks ADVANTAGE
Rolled our in Canada in 2011, Crawford’s Healthworks ADVANTAGE is used in workers’ compensation claims and disability management claims with future plans to leverage its predictive technology for accident benefits and bodily injury claims. ADVANTAGE is an interview-based tool designed to capture the injured person’s, employer’s and medical practitioner’s details using defined data points. The information captured is evaluated against a set of more than 700 peer reviewed studies (continually updated) that are focused on clinical and psycho-social factors, to produce flags on the file and provide recommendations to the adjuster, recommendations which are tied directly to our expert database. This desk adjusting environment allows for a paperless and consistent approach to gathering pertinent claims information in a proactive manner and ensures that subtle claims details do not “slip through the cracks”. It also reduces travel expenses. The system allows Crawford to provide better service to employers and injured persons in times of distress, and to reduce the shelf life and indemnity costs often associated with work injury, accident benefit and bodily injury claims.

Crawford & Co. – Knowledge Management Centre
Crawford & Co. (Canada) Inc has developed an in house on line training system that provides tools for course develop and course-ware which end users access over the web. Slowly this Internet based e-learning platform, named Knowledge Management Centre (KMC), has become the anchor of Crawford Canada’s training department. In addition, Crawford has helped other large insurer customers use this e-learning technology and system for their own courses and staff education. Courses are developed within the Crawford & Co. training department through consultation with stakeholders during needs analysis evaluations (formal and informal). Subject matter experts supply course content which is then turned into e-learning courses by the training department. Courses range in subject matter from basic company orientation to senior level adjusting skills. Crawford’s own training platform contains over 100 courses available to all Crawford staff. Managers have the ability to target specific gaps in performance or knowledge by assigning the appropriate KMC course to their staff members. Training’s greatest challenge lie in 6 areas; reach, penetration, focus, consistency, student engagement and cost. KMC e-learning has provided significant benefit in all six.

Crawford & Co. – Claims Workflow with technology Conversense by Uniban
Conversense is a web-based Suite of claim communication and workflow tools designed to handle all components of the claims process, and to integrate with an existing legacy or new claim system. All communications are tracked, must follow company business rules, and can be reported on in real-time. An adjuster can virtually manage a claim while automatically updating and providing a steady stream of real-time information filtered and formatted for each of the various claim participants, which may include brokers and even claimants/policyholders. Used by Crawford & Co.’s telephone adjusting unit. Many benefits have accrued, including efficiency and quality improvements, increased customer sat., reduced adjuster response time to new messages, improvement in utilization of preferred repair shops and car rental firms, more accurate time recording, more flexible work options (at home), and better data for management reporting purposes.

FirstOnSite
Following a large loss or complex commercial mitigation, billing can be complex. There can be an inordinate number of variables that need to be tracked and incorporated into billing. Additionally, each customer has different needs requiring unique contracts. There may also be a number of properties, tenants, owners and insurers who require separate, detailed and accurate billing. Lack of streamlined tools available for billing large time and material losses prompted the development of the Time and Materials PLUS™ software. The software package is designed specifically for this style of billing and has been successfully used on numerous large loss and catastrophe restoration efforts, including Hurricane Katrina. When presented with a bill for a large loss, customers have three primary questions: (1) How did you gather your data? (2) What did you base your pricing on? (3) How did you get to the final bill? The Time and Materials PLUS™ software suite is engineered to answer all these questions with confidence, accuracy and transparency.

IBC – HCAI
IBC provides the Health Claims for Auto Insurance (HCAI) system to facilitate the secure and accurate transmission of health claims data between Ontario health care businesses and auto insurers on a common electronic platform, ensuring privacy requirements and expectations are satisfied. HCAI helps to improve business processes by tracking the lifecycle of Ontario Claims Forms to benefit patient care. The HCAI system aligns more than 7,700 health care businesses and 129 auto insurers, representing 100% of Ontario’s DWP, resulting in a total user base in excess of 30,000. The HCAI system ensures verification of claims, allows prioritization of handling, facilitates tracking of claims through the entire life cycle, allows integration to insurer claims management systems, provides the ability to trace activity, helps to fight fraud, and reduces costs to insurers.

iClarify by RMS **Winner**
iClarify is an innovative validation and valuation tool that provides brokers and insurers with more residential property intelligence. The service utilizes a unique, proprietary data combination derived from the largest repositories of total loss claims and inspection data nation-wide to generate 14 critical construction data elements. Geo-coded streetscape and satellite imagery allows users to now “see the risk”. In effect, users are provided with an accurate, streamlined approach to improving risk selection while also enhancing credibility and overall customer experience. iClarify is linked at the back-end to RMS’s Web Inspection Evaluation System which points to properties requiring attention. An inspection request can be readily requested. The benefit to the insurer: a more efficient quoting process, enhanced customer experience, property quotes are insured to value and better protection for customers. Quote times dropped from an average of 15 minutes to 1-2 minutes and professional PDF quoting reports can be sent to their customers.

Policy Billing Services
Policy Billing Services (Policy Bill) is a back office service provider delivering solutions to premium finance subsidiaries owned by insurance brokers, broker groups, insurance carriers and other financial institutions. Consistent Process. Brokerage staff use the Policy Bill process to generate payment options for their clients. Whether it is premium finance agreement funded by the brokerage’s subsidiary, 3rd party premium finance, a carrier plan run by Policy Bill or credit card payment from the client, the process remains the same for the brokerage staff. A convenient streamlined payment process is a tremendous aid to completing an insurance sale. Comprehensive Broker Presentation: Premium financing is one more service that can be provided in a total Broker presentation.

Technology Providers

These nominees developed technology which is used by insurance practitioners to process insurance business.

Applied – technology with Brovada for Pembridge
The Integration of Applied’s WARP technology to send real-time authentication transactions in CSIO format with Brovada’s NexExchange technology to feed data from brokers to the Pembridge systems. This enabled Applied Systems brokers to use the Pembridge Broker Connectivity functions, providing faster service times and improved efficiencies for both brokers and Pembridge.

Brovada – Auto New Business for SGI Canada
Responding to brokers’ requests for an end-to-end solution, SGI Canada implemented Brovada’s NexExchange within SGI CANADA’s IT environment to interface with the NexCenter suite installed on the broker’s desktop. The first roll-out was for auto new business in the Maritimes and in Alberta. In a point of sale environment, the broker can submit the transaction, it is processed and the policy returned to the broker. For SGI Canada, the benefits include enabling the brokers to be more timely and efficient, reduced data entry costs (policy and billing data) and reduced paper handling.

Brovada (technology with Applied for Pembridge)
The Integration of Applied’s WARP technology to send real-time authentication transactions in CSIO format with Brovada’s NexExchange technology to feed data from brokers to the Pembridge systems. This enabled Applied Systems brokers to use the Pembridge Broker Connectivity functions, providing faster service times and improved efficiencies for both brokers and Pembridge.

Custom Software Solutions Inc. – technology at Tench Insurance Broker
With the “Remarket View” our staff, when invoicing a renewal policy can find the file, invoice it, check it with all insurers, do the new remarket quote, and do the new application, all in under 2 minutes. As this was laborious previously, we were not doing very many renewal quotes, and as a result our retention was not as good as it is now. Similarly, when endorsing policies, we can immediately see if the change warrants a switch to a new insurer (with one mouse click). This has a huge benefit on customer retention. As well, it eliminates the need to do a new quote for a policy change, as it is done automatically. When customers ask for quotes for possible policy changes, it now takes approximately 50 seconds. This small change, easy to use, has had a significant impact on our brokerage.

IME Workflow – Portal between IME providers and insurers
IME Workflow is a secure, fully customizable, online, cloud based, multi-vendor single solution serving “insurers” for the delivery of Independent Medical Examination (IME) services. The PIPEDA-compliant document transfer system allows adjusters to send IME referrals and supporting documentation online, seamlessly, instantly and securely, thereby streamlining business operations. Adjusters have full document tracking, can view the progress of their files, update status or documentation, and access past referrals. Workflow queues and event triggers streamline operations, improve productivity and customer service, and meet regulatory requirements. Managers can monitor the process by accessing a comprehensive suite of Performance Management Reports to ensure compliance.

iter8 – Broker-Insurer Transactions (technology for Unica, finalist in Insurer category)
Group submission with Bowman & Gibson Insurance Brokers – technology by Keal
Unica used iter8’s communic8 product to provide the interface between Keal Connect and Unica’s systems enabling brokers to perform Inquiry, New Business Upload (auto & property) and Manual Endorsement transactions. The solution was developed and implemented in only sixty days. The solution has reduced workload at Unica while providing better and faster service to brokers who are in turn experiencing dramatic improvements in workload and service times.

iter8 – technology used at La Capitale/Unica
During the consolidation of two operational policy admin systems, a plan was formulated in which over 10 years of historical records and over 2 million transactions would be migrated to the new Policy Administration System in one single rollover. With only 48 hours, translation speed was a priority. Existing services, such as rating and underwriting were to simultaneously continue operating and integrating with the new Policy Administration System. Full auditability was essential, across the entire book in one operation. Retrieval of additional information including claims, EDI keys, Audit and trace data necessitated accessing multiple data sources. tranl8, the data transformation solution from iter8 was used to handle the migration. The project was executed successfully over a three day weekend.

Keal – Technology for Bowman & Gibson Insurance Brokers
Group submission with Unica Insurance, finalist in Insurer category (technology by iter8) ‘Keal Connect’ links Keal’s BMS, sigXP directly to Unica without any middleware or thirdparty software required by the broker by sending CSIO XML data in real-time. Each transaction begins, and ends, in sigXP, with inquiry transactions requiring no engagement with the York portal. The benefits include improved customer service times, dramatically reduced workload (reduced data entry), cost savings and ease of use.

Keal – Customer Satisfaction (NPS)
Keal’s vision is “To be the best BMS vendor in Canada as defined by our clients.” In 2007, Keal embarked on a concentrated journey to improve its service level with clients. As part of this quest, Keal engaged all facets of the company, using technology to drive results. At the heart of this evolution, the mantra became “What gets measured gets done”. Keal turned all of its attention to creating the right technological tools to measure the required results. The “Net Promoter Score” (NPS) was the technology application chosen to understand, measure and improve client satisfaction. Over the last 4 years, the impact and benefit of the NPS technology has been tremendous. At a very high level, it has provided Keal with a customer satisfaction baseline, which in doing the survey multiple times has given Keal a trend line from the baseline. From both of these line measurements, Keal has been responding accordingly, analyzing next steps, and responding in real time via the development of systems/programs. Using the right technology in the right manner has had a direct positive impact on Keal’s Service Level.

PolicyWorks – Commercial Lines Quotes
Group submission with Cooke Insurance Group and SGI Canada SGI CANADA developed a straight-through processing solution for the upload of commercial lines quote submissions and download of the resulting quotations using CSIO XML standards. From within a Policy Works desktop application, a broker is able to send a full submission electronically to SGI without having to email the document or re-enter data into a portal, and SGI avoids rekeying as well. The result has been improved efficiencies and faster turnaround.

Policy Works – Commercial Lines Real-Time Rating
Extending the straight-through, no-touch processing solution, SGI Canada supports three new data exchange functionalities developed by Policy Works in brokers’ offices. Real-Time Rating (of small package commercial lines business) enables brokers using the Policy Works CMS to submit and receive a real-time rate on small business packages such as Energy Pak, Toolbox Pak, Trades Pak, and Value Pak. In-force Policy Download enables brokers to download the current state of any in-force policy directly into their Policy Works desktop system. Portfolio (Book of Business) Download allows brokers using the Policy Works CMS to download all current business, such as new applications and renewals, through a batch process directly into their Policy Works system. The CSIO XML standards and web-services are used.

SmartSimple – Practice Management Application at Centric Health
The SmartSimple Practice Management Application is based on the Universal Tracking Application™ (UTA) which provides the flexibility to track any type of case or project. It improves the process in managing the Case and Service workflow between Insurers and Independent Medical Examiners. It allows all stakeholders to collaborate on Insurance related claim files. The data exchange feature of the system allows our Insurer client to export cases in a secure fashion. SmartSimple provides a centralized point of access that allows for medical practitioners to complete assessments and treatments that can easily be sent to insurance adjusters. This application is configured to meet current or Future Statutory Accident Benefit Schedules (SABS) and is able to create all letters and other correspondence required around the case – including OCF forms. The benefits have been in document handling costs, referral management, improved case management, standard and on-demand reporting, faster case turnaround, better management of data and processes.

Pitney Bowes Software – technology for The Economical Insurance Group
TEIG has deployed a web-enabled business location intelligence platform. The platform is leveraged by underwriters to quickly confirm and map a location, analyze current in-force policies, recognize key exposures (flood, earthquake, hurricane, crime, etc) and evaluate aggregate risk. The platform provides a centralized ‘point of underwriting’ interface including address validation, geocoding, policy and exposure mapping and overall risk aggregation. The work and time to make underwriting decisions has been reduced and underwriting consistency improved. Catastrophe exposures can be readily assessed. Areas of business opportunity can be identified.

TELUS – technology for HUB International
HUB implemented TELUS Secure Contracts, a Software as a Service product, integrated with TAM to enable HUB brokers to communicate paperwork to remote customers, and for those customers to complete, sign, and return the paperwork without having to print/sign/mail it. HUB realized tangible, lasting benefits which included a shorter time to complete business processes (shortening the insurance sales process results in shorter time to revenue/compensation, and lowers the abandoned deal rate); elimination of not-in-good-order documents; increased revenue by reducing administration work and increasing time available to sell; and cost reduction throughout the business process – elimination of data re-entry, reduction in NIGO paperwork, mail/print/fax savings, storage/archiving savings, etc.

Uniban’s Conversense – Claims Workflow at Crawford & Co.
Conversense is a web-based Suite of claim communication and workflow tools designed to handle all components of the claims process, and to integrate with an existing legacy or new claim system. All communications are tracked, must follow company business rules, and can be reported on in real-time. An adjuster can virtually manage a claim while automatically updating and providing a steady stream of real-time information filtered and formatted for each of the various claim participants, which may include brokers and even claimants/policyholders. Used by Crawford & Co.’s telephone adjusting unit. Many benefits have accrued, including efficiency and quality improvements, increased customer sat., reduced adjuster response time to new messages, improvement in utilization of preferred repair shops and car rental firms, more accurate time recording, more flexible work options (at home), and better data for management reporting purposes.

Zycomp and Mastercom – eDocs *Finalist*
Group submission with SGI Canada and Josslin Insurance Brokers
Using the CSIO Standards, Mastercom and Zycomp developed a technology solution that allows the downloading of the Broker Copy of Policy Declaration Pages and Broker Memos as part of their daily EDI download transactions, with no broker intervention. These electronic documents are automatically filed to the brokers’ client files and abeyanced so the brokers know of its existence and/or are able to follow up, if necessary. Compared to prior approaches of either receiving paper copies, or signing into company portals and retrieving digital copies, this automated approach yields considerable processing efficiencies.