It is no secret that the Holy Grail in the insurance industry has been to develop technology solutions to realize single-entry, multiple-company interface—better known as SEMCI. While the quest might more often be called “Real Time” today, far too few agency crusaders have managed to reach the Promised Land.
Parker, Smith & Feek Inc., however, credits a focus on communication technology upgrades and realization of the SEMCI concept for earning the firm one of two Honorable Mentions in the inaugural National Underwriter “P&C Agency Technology Achievement Award” program, run in partnership with ACORD.
PS&F’s movement toward a technology focus began around 1999, “as the whole dot-com boom was taking off,” according to the firm’s vice president and chief information officer, Johnmichael Monteith, who was brought into the agency shortly thereafter.
Given its location in Bellevue, Wash., not far from Seattle, the exploding number of high-tech companies was an attractive market, and PS&F “wanted to be the broker of choice” for such new-age pioneers, in addition to meeting the evolving needs of its more traditional client base in the construction industry, he noted.
But to accomplish that, the agency had to get up to speed technologically, and Mr. Monteith said he was brought in to make that happen. Among the first steps he took was to get rid of the firm’s old management software and begin rebuilding.
One of the early goals, he said, was to create an information technology system that would be able to focus on developing and building new applications for clients, carriers and personnel, rather than simply helping to man a helpdesk and write reports.
“We got out of the report-writing business altogether,” he said.
Mr. Monteith noted that while he came into the firm without an insurance background, as he worked for PS&F he learned what brokers were most often looking for from their software. “One of the things I kept hearing about was SEMCI,” he said, adding that goal has served as a driving force ever since.
To meet that challenge, Mr. Monteith said he and his staff worked to create a system that would allow virtually any party in an insurance transaction to log into and work from their system.
For clients, Mr. Monteith noted, the firm offers the DigitaLINK system through which a client can obtain direct access to their information on a 24/7 basis. “This is not just a basic support center” for filing claims, posting documents or requesting certificates, Mr. Monteith noted, as it offers “full interaction” with the client’s documentation stored in PS&F’s files.