Sunshine State Insurance Rolls Out Internet Services to Agents with CSC’s BPO Operations
Client: Sunshine State Insurance Co.
Challenge: Rapidly transfer 81,000 homeowners policies to a startup company and grow the business through independent agents
Solution: CSC's BPO operations, which deliver full back-office services to policyholders and Internet-based services to agents
Results: The company diversified geographically by giving agents an easy-to-use Web-based system for closing new business. With CSC's support, it provided uninterrupted service to its policyholders despite a record four hurricanes in 2004.
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In 2000, a startup company seized an opportunity to enter the Florida homeowners market. The new company selected CSC’s Business Process Outsourcing services to provide comprehensive back-office services to policyholders and Internet-based services to agents.
Rapid Transition of Policies
Faced with the opportunity to take over two large blocks of policies, a group of five employees with QualSure Insurance (which merged with Sunshine State Insurance in 2005) assumed 81,000 policies within 45 days of approval from the Florida insurance department. The policies were administered by employees in CSC’s service centers in Florida and South Carolina.
"CSC's operations are staffed by insurance professionals who know the business," said Jim Brown, director of Legal and Governmental Affairs for Sunshine State Insurance, based in Ponte Vedra Beach. "In addition to providing the resources we needed, CSC’s staff demonstrated a great degree of knowledge about the Florida market, which really added a lot of value."
Weathering Four Florida Hurricanes
CSC’s support didn’t end with setting up the new business, however. In 2004, Florida was hit by an unprecedented four hurricanes and one tropical storm, causing $17.5 billion in insured losses in virtually every region of the state. CSC’s outsourcing operations in Sarasota had to close under a mandatory evacuation of the area.
"CSC was able to quickly transfer our call center from Sarasota to Columbia, South Carolina, so that immediately upon being able to report claims, our insureds were able to reach knowledgeable staff who were able to call up the policies, verify coverage and transfer that first notice of loss to our claim management people," Brown said. "I can’t say enough about the cooperation and teamwork provided to us along with some great facilities that made it possible for us to be one of the best companies in Florida in terms of responding to our insureds’ needs in what was a very trying time."
Internet Capabilities for Producers
A key reason for the company's success is Agency Link, CSC’s premier solution for extending systems to independent agents. Agency Link enables agents to log on to a secure Web site to check the status of a policy, submit a new application, obtain an automated underwriting decision, submit a first notice of loss, add endorsements and perform other online tasks.
"Agency Link has allowed us to achieve even greater process efficiencies and lower our costs, but it also is making it easier for agents to do business with us," Brown said. "CSC’s BPO staff deserves a lot of credit. They were on the firing line, answering questions for our agents, helping our agents deal with our company’s underwriting rules and pricing. Because of their input, I believe we have one of the best deployments of Agency Link, judging by the acceptance of the software by our agents."