Two regional mutuals, an MGA and a broker software developer have earned the Centre for Study of Insurance Operations' (CSIO) eDocs Certification.
This extends the standard that lets brokers identify insurer documents without opening them.
The latest certifications go to Maple Mutual Insurance Company, Yarmouth Mutual Insurance Company, managing general agency APRIL Canada, and SynthMind Technology Inc., which develops the BrokerTool platform.
For Maple Mutual and Yarmouth Mutual, it is the second CSIO certification in about a month. Both were among six insurers that achieved CSIO's Compliance Certification in early September, which recognizes carriers that have removed non-standard "Z-codes" from their data exchanges with brokers and use only CSIO standard codes.
CSIO's eDocs standards give insurer documents, such as policy declarations, renewals and endorsements, consistent codes and descriptions. Brokers can see what a document is from within their broker management system (BMS) instead of opening and relabeling each file. To be certified, organizations must show they correctly apply the full set of 40 updated eDocs codes and descriptions, IB reported in July when Portage Mutual, Red River Mutual and Tradition Mutual were certified.
The latest group covers both ends of that process. Maple, Yarmouth and APRIL Canada send documents, and SynthMind's certification covers software that receives them. CSIO said certification on both sides helps documents move consistently between insurers and broker platforms.
"Every new eDocs certification strengthens the digital connections that brokers rely on every day," said Kathryn Sinclair, president and CEO of CSIO.
CSIO says brokers working with eDocs-certified insurers and vendors save an average of six hours a week on administrative tasks. It offers an online calculator for brokerages to estimate their own savings.
The certifications are part of a steady expansion of CSIO standards beyond the largest carriers. Earlier eDocs certifications included Wawanesa and Gore Mutual. At CSIO's April members' meeting, six organizations received its top Platinum Data Standards Award, including Definity, Northbridge and The Commonwell.
For regional mutuals, which often don't have proprietary broker portals, meeting CSIO standards is one of the more direct ways to reduce friction for the brokers who place their business. Each new certified insurer or vendor removes another source of unlabeled documents from a brokerage's daily workload, but only for brokers whose own BMS and carriers are certified.
CSIO represents more than 85 insurers, 45 vendors and over 43,000 brokers across Canada. Its full list of certified members is published on its website.
