APT AND COMMERCIAL LINES­PART II

"APT accommodates an insurer's special requirements for carrier-specific data...While this ability...is an essential component of the APT offering, it can create data management issues for some vendors."

Last year Delphi contributed a Special Section article that addressed the structured and non-structured characteristics of commercial lines data in transactions and the role that APT could play in those transactions. This year we would like to take a closer look at the structured data component by focusing on its carrier-specific elements.

Delphi considers structured data to encompass everything that is contained in a formatted data stream, such as in an ACORD Form or AL3 data stream, while non-structured data includes all the other information needed to properly underwrite an insurance transaction, such as cover letters, schedules, photographs, and MVRs.

Since the underwriting process of most carriers is dependent upon the availability of carrier-specific data for processing, APT and vendor software must be able to handle this data effectively and efficiently in order to serve the total needs of agencies and carriers.

APT accommodates an insurer's special requirements for carrier-specific data by allowing its Company Module™ users to obtain this data from agencies whose management systems are equipped with APT agency software. While this ability to capture and edit carrier-specific data is an essential component of the APT offering, it can create data management issues for some vendors.

For its part, Delphi believes that these issues (data entry, retention, retrieval, upload) can be addressed through the use of the forms and editing facilities of the APT Stand Alone Module™ (SAM) and the collaborative communication capabilities of cd.connect--Delphi's Lotus Notes/Domino® -based product. cd.connect manages complex processing modules, combines multiple file formats into a single transmission file, documents all workgroup and communication tasks to reduce E&O exposure, and increases processing efficiency.

Through the combined use of these two facilities, Delphi would be able to handle successfully all three types of commercial lines data--standard structured, carrier-specific structured, and non-structured.

Consider the following commercial lines workflow:

* The agency initiates the preparation of a new transaction in Notes.

* When the agency is ready to capture the structured data, APT SAM is invoked and the appropriate form is selected.

* The selected APT SAM form would be initialized with the previously captured structured data (standard and carrier-specific) from agency management systems and Notes, if available.

* Upon completion of the entry of structured data using APT SAM,

* Fully edited standard and carrier-specific data is saved for subsequent upload to the carrier.

* Fully edited standard data is returned to the agency management system.

* Fully edited carrier-specific data is retained in a Notes database for subsequent viewing, as well as a repository of that information for future transactions.

* The agency then proceeds with gathering and processing the other non-structured information.

* Finally, all qualified structured and non-structured data retained in Delphi, Notes, and APT systems is uploaded to the carrier.

* Subsequent discussion between agent and carrier is handled via a communications link established through Notes.

Delphi believes that SEMCI is a business concept that can be addressed in a variety of ways. One solution has been presented here. Delphi's cd.connect combined with APT can provide carriers and agents with a comprehensive SEMCI solution for personal and commercial lines.*