Client: City of Calgary Challenge: Centralize risk management data stored across multiple city departments for 10,000 incidents a year Solution: Implement CSC's RISKMASTER for a single database that interfaces with city accounting, HR and inventory systems Results: The city streamlined the process of collecting and distributing risk management data, used that information for a successful risk retention study and has built a digital archive of incidents to monitor and improve loss prevention. Want More Information? Learn more about RISKMASTER software or contact us. Download the full case study (PDF) below. Download the file

Calgary’s municipal government employs more than 13,000 people and maintains a wide range of public facilities including government offices, water treatment plants, fire departments, parks, and the Calgary Zoo. Canada’s sixth-largest city has 4,600 miles of sidewalks and recently bought 250 buses and 32 light rail transit cars to keep pace with the city’s growth.

Each year, the city tracks about 10,000 incidents that can lead to claims against the city, or claims against people who damage city property. For more than a decade, the city stored its risk management data on a variety of mainframe and Microsoft Access databases, which made reporting problematic.

"Calgary is a high-growth area with a huge infrastructure, and it was apparent that we needed to replace our system," recalled Phil Corbeil, city risk and insurance coordinator. "We spent a good bit of time evaluating the software products on the market, and by the time we got the funding, we knew we wanted RISKMASTER."

Improved Analysis of Data
The city implemented CSC’s RISKMASTER in 2001. Almost immediately, heightened concerns about post-September 11 terrorist attacks on public infrastructure resulted in substantial increases in the city’s insurance rates. Since then, RISKMASTER has played a key role in equipping the city with easily searchable risk management reports that help analyze risk exposures.

"We’re now able to pass along good risk management information to various parts of the city in a timely manner," Corbeil said. "For example, we noticed an increasing number of accidents that involved city vehicle versus city vehicle. That kind of accident is 100 percent preventable. We alerted fleet safety, and we’ve seen a decline in this type of accident since then. Awareness is everything."

The new system also proved critical during the city’s last risk retention study, at a time when insurance rates were taking an increasingly larger share of Calgary’s $1.7 billion budget.

"The city commissioned an outside firm to conduct the study, and we had to provide a tremendous amount of data," he said. "If it weren’t for RISKMASTER, we would not have been able to run the report properly. It made the whole process a lot easier."

Eliminating Multiple Databases
With the new system, the city centralized incident reporting for a wide range of city entities, including police, fire, rescue, transportation, energy services, parks and related boards and authorities.

RISKMASTER’s diary feature was a major selling point among the 30 systems the city included in its search for a new system.

The system also streamlined claims processes by eliminating manual handoffs between the Risk Management and Claims Division and various city agencies.

RISKMASTER interfaces with the city’s fleet database, allowing risk managers to identify and pre-fill vehicle information for any city vehicle onto the claim report. The system also interfaces with the city’s human resources database for easy access to employee information and with its PeopleSoft database for payables, money transfers and subrogation.

RISKMASTER enables risk management personnel to electronically order claim checks from the city’s finance department or send bills for claims involving damage to city property.

Transforming the Reporting
All notes and correspondence are searchable and archived online, allowing risk management personnel to access a wide range of data by department, by subject or other fields.

"The RISKMASTER filing system is like a card catalog," said Veronica Carlos, Calgary’s risk management system administrator. "We have created index cards for all sorts of events: parachuting in city parks, rappelling with ropes and even police training on airplanes. You’d be surprised at how much information we have about each activity."