Client: Intergovernmental Risk Management Agency Challenge: Replace an outdated risk management system and improve reporting to 77 member cities Solution: CSC’s RISKMASTER to provide a central system for management of property, auto, workers’ comp and general liability claims Results: Distributed scorecard to highlight members’ loss trends, introduced online submission of claims, provided on-demand analysis and real-time access to claims data, and simplified the IT support environment Want More Information? Learn more about CSC's Risk Management Software or contact us by phone or e-mail. Only CSC will use the information you provide. Download the full case study (PDF) below. Download the file

The Intergovernmental Risk Management Agency (IRMA) began in 1979 as a municipal risk-sharing pool with 14 members. Today, it has 77 members, mostly municipalities in the Chicago suburbs.

The Westchester, Illinois-based IRMA offers one of the most comprehensive multi-line pool coverage programs anywhere for municipalities. IRMA pays out 2,800 claims a year, between $15 and $20 million on auto damage claims, various liability claims and workers’ compensation claims.

Smooth Transition to New Platform
For more than a decade, IRMA used third-party AS/400-based claims management software but that software vendor announced plans to move to a server-based platform and quit supporting IRMA’s AS/400-based system. IRMA looked at other systems on the market and selected CSC’s RISKMASTER. The organization migrated its data to a server using RISKMASTER to manage property coverage, auto physical damage coverage, workers’ comp and various liability coverages.

“It was the only system running on the AS/400 so we were glad to move off of it,” said Laura Vesecky, director of financial services and administration for IRMA. “RISKMASTER made things much easier. I no longer worry about outside AS/400 support. RISKMASTER works extremely well and we can support it in house.”

Enhanced Business Intelligence Capabilities
In 2005, IRMA added RISKMASTER’s Business Intelligence component, which provides interactive Web access to claims and loss reports, database information and other data in a single collaborative environment. RISKMASTER’s visual display gives each member a scorecard on its loss frequency and severity.

“With RISKMASTER Business Intelligence, all members can see how they stack up to other members,” Vesecky said. “They’re all owners of the organization, so they should know how fellow members are performing.”

This member-wide perspective creates a proactive atmosphere. Each member learns to anticipate losses from others’ experience and, thus, better control risks. Knowledge for IRMA truly is power — the power to head off losses.

Web-Based Processing
To allow its members to submit claims electronically, IRMA designed an online claims form that interfaces with RISKMASTER. “We like that a lot because it saves time; our processors don’t have to re-key information,” Vesecky said. “RISKMASTER’s auto-diary feature sends adjusters a record telling them when a new claim is set up, and the adjusters like that feature. Members can log on to RISKMASTER and review their own claims securely. We can limit how much they see, which has been great.”

IRMA committed in 2006 to upgrading to RISKMASTER X, the fully Web browser-based version of the system with an advanced, industry-standard architecture. “What I like about the new version of RISKMASTER is every time there’s an upgrade, you won’t
have to upgrade every single PC.”