Some broker BMS providers offering connectivity to CSIO’s eSlips solution

In a sign of cooperation within Canada’s competitive P&C industry, some broker management system (BMS) providers are using APIs supplied by the Centre for Study of Insurance Operations (CSIO) to make eDelivery available to Canadian brokers using a variety of BMS platforms.

CSIO president and CEO Catherine Smola said CSIO shared the application programming interface (API) documentation for its My Proof of Insurance eDelivery solution with BMS vendors in the fall of 2017, hosting a webinar for BMS providers to attend and addressing any questions they may have had. “We applaud Power Broker (in partnership with MASTERCOM Consulting Ltd.), Logiciels Deltek, and Applied Systems on moving so quickly to endorse this solution for their broker customers,” she told Canadian Underwriter Monday.

Smola added that the CSIO solution works as a standalone for brokers, enabling them to send policy documents and eSlips to customers without integration. “Where integration is available, brokers can use the solution as part of their workflow within the BMS at the click of a button, improving both efficiency and overall ease of use.”

Applied Systems announced Monday that it will integrate CSIO’s My Proof of Insurance with Applied Epic and Applied TAM in future product solutions. The BMS vendor cited its support for the industry initiative, as well as specific requests from brokers, as among the reasons for its decision.

“Given that CSIO had introduced this solution, we wanted to provide our brokerages the optionality should they choose to use the My Proof of Insurance as well,” Applied Systems spokesperson Courtney Rains told Canadian Underwriter in an interview. “We see ourselves as well as a facilitator within the ecosystem of the Canadian insurance marketplace. And so, given our partnership with CSIO and the request from some brokerages, we wanted to make sure we would provide optionality.”

As part of the partnership, brokers will be able to send digital policy documents (including personal, commercial and auto liability cards (eSlips)) to consumers via My Proof of Insurance.

Applied Systems has a solution called Applied CSR 24, an online portal solution that accommodates eSlips. It also allows for the ability to initiate claims, view claims history, and make online bill payments, so “it’s a more fulsome solution that brokerages can provide their customers,” Rains said. In addition, CSR 24 is not “insurer dependent,” in that doesn’t require individual sign-ups from carriers and brokers.