Insurer Supports Expansion with Agent Services, Mobile Technology

Co-operative Insurance Companies, formed in 1915 by farmers in Vermont, had long relied on its own agent sales force but needed to take on independent agents to support an expansion into neighboring New Hampshire.

To stay competitive in these markets, the Middlebury, Vermont-based carrier needed to modernize to provide easy-to-use online services to its agents and to create highly efficient policy and claims services.

A longtime CSC client, Co-operative chose to modernize with CSC’s software for policy administration, claims management, and new business and agent services, which were crucial to the company’s growth plan.

“Our independent agents are very tough. They demand technology. So you not only compete price-wise, but you have to compete on technology,” said Ted Davis, senior vice president of Information Services at Co-operative. “We’ve been able to deliver that, and they’ve been very satisfied with our products.”

Software Upgrades in Small, Easy Pieces

Co-operative has relied on CSC’s policy administration software for more than a decade, and recently began participating in CSC’s continuous delivery releases (CDRs), which give clients immediate updates of new enhancements to the system. Davis said he likes the fact that his team doesn’t have to wait for a large annual release of code enhancements, which can be time-consuming to implement.

“Continuous delivery makes it easier for us to manage the process and improves our speed to market for our own enhanced offerings,” Davis said.

CSC’s Agency Link® software provides a Web portal that interfaces directly with agents’ systems to eliminate dual entry work and allow fast quotes and information ordering of motor vehicle records and claims histories. The streamlined underwriting process allows agents to submit an application and get a response in minutes.

“We’ve used Agency Link since 2006 and it’s a critical part of our business,” Davis said. “We’ve had really great success with our agents using it.”

Going Mobile with RISKMASTER Accelerator

Co-operative has also committed to modernizing its claims processes with CSC’s RISKMASTER® Accelerator software. The end-to-end system handles all aspects of a claim, including first notice of loss, bodily injury evaluation, fraud detection, litigation management and final payment.

“We looked at several different claims management systems and we selected RISKMASTER Accelerator for two reasons. One, it would revolutionize our claims process efficiency and productivity for adjusters. Two, it’s affordable,” Davis said.

The claims system’s 2Work™ for Adjusters app makes a full range of claims processing transactions available on tablets and other mobile devices.

“Our adjusters are going to be able to go out in the field with an iPad, take photos, check email and assignments, and process claims,” Davis said. “It’s really different technology, and we feel it is going to help us settle claims faster.”

A Shared Community and Future

Planning ahead, the company is looking at CSC’s Policy Accelerator™, a new highly configurable, Java-based policy administration software component.

“We’re very excited by this new development,” Davis said. “We see it on our roadmap as a good direction, a good way to consolidate yet more of our systems.”

Davis said he sees value in his company’s long relationship with CSC, and he said his firm regularly benefits from its relationship with other CSC clients.

“CSC does a great job bringing the users’ community together so we can share ideas, share challenges and connect with the people from CSC,” he said.  “That’s a differentiator with CSC. It’s the people. Really, when I look at CSC, I see a partnership we’ve had since 1997, and one we’ve been satisfied with.”

He added, “We like the direction of CSC’s technology program and we expect to be a client for years to come.”