CSIO closes door on Portal Project (January 01, 2006)

The Centre for the Study of Insurance Operations (CSIO) recently reported that the CSIO Portal Project – a technology project conceived six years ago to improve the efficiency of workflow between independent brokers and insurers – will be “winding down” immediately.

“The CSIO wishes to thank the brokers from across Canada and the insurance companies who supported the initiative,” the CSIO has announced. “In particular, the CSIO stakeholders appreciate the commitment of the many Ontario brokers who used the Portal. “The CSIO will be working with the current broker customers to ensure an orderly transition.”

Throughout 2005, brokers’ associations expressed optimism that the single-entry, multi-company interface technology would allow brokers “single sign-on” access to participating insurers. It was hoped the portal would give independent brokers the ability to submit all new business to participating insurers and allow guaranteed quoting.

As of Dec. 13, 2005, the Insurance Brokers Association of Ontario (IBAO) Web site reported receiving 255 broker office registrations to the Portal. In late September 2005, the Peel Maryborough Mutual Insurance Company became the 40th property and casualty insurance company to become a Portal member.

However, the CSIO has terminated the portal project. “Technology and standards have evolved such that there are more choices today for brokers to improve the efficiency of workflow between their offices and the insurers,” the CSIO says in its release. “The CSIO board of directors decided that, in view of the proliferation of open-market technological solutions available to brokers and insurers, the requirement for an industry-based solution is significantly less.”

CSIO plans to “continue to develop comprehensive and quality standards to foster the continued evolution and improvement of integrated solutions, thereby improving the efficiency of workflow for independent brokers and insurers.”

CSIO said the emergence and maturation of multiple vendor solutions is due in part to the existence of its XML Personal Line Standards, which facilitate the “many-to-many” connections in the insurance industry’s eBusiness space.

In 2005, CSIO published a sign-on standard that enables uniformity of the sign-on process between broker management systems and insurers’ systems. This “reduces the development and ongoing maintenance of single sign-on programs for vendors and insurers,” CSIO reported. “In 2006, CSIO will be vigorously seeking and measuring industry adoption to maximize the positive impact on brokers’ workflow.”

CSIO also noted it has recently completed an assessment of EDI transmissions between brokers’ systems and insurers’ systems. “This study has resulted in the identification and correction of numerous data-quality issues, which will improve the information content and workflow in brokers’ offices. CSIO will be continuing this program through 2006, including the expansion of the policy sampling into Quebec and Western Canada.”

The CSIO board reported that “insurance companies remain committed to CSIO’s mandate to improve processes for interaction between insurers and brokers.”

The Insurance Brokers Association of Canada (IBAC) expressed its disappointment with the demise of the CSIO Portal Project stating that “it is with great disappointment for IBAC that the portal project will not continue growing to better serve the needs of brokers as well as insurers.”

According to IBAC president Bob Kimball: “The portal was a tool designed to bring insurance brokers to the next technological level [in terms of] efficiency lowering of information costs, and overall operational enhancement of the services they provide to their customers. Technology is something that our industry should embrace, not fear.”

IBAC reiterated its support for CSIO, shortly after CSIO board members voted to pull the plug on the portal.

“We stand behind CSIO and their commitment to continue working on the development of needed technological tools which will best address the market-place challenges facing our industry,” IBAC stated. “As a substantial backer from its inception, IBAC has done its utmost to drive its development through the myriad of obstacles associated with any new product.”