Optimum General passes CSIO eDocs certification

The Centre for Study of Insurance Operations (CSIO) announced Thursday it has certified Optimum General Inc. on its eDocs standard.

eDocs is intended to let insurance brokers download policy documents from insurers’ computer systems to broker management systems, and to store those documents on BMSs without manual intervention.

Montreal-based Optimum General’s offerings include home, auto and commercial insurance. It is the 12th insurer to be certified eDocs.

“When eDocs are used to their full potential, sending, receiving, sorting, scanning and destroying paper is no longer necessary,” CSIO said in a press release.

CSIO certification is free to vendors and carriers paying CSIO membership fees.

Using eDocs “improves efficiency in time and cost management, two key components that will help us and our broker partners provide excellent service to their customers,” stated J. Sebastien Lagarde, Optimum General’s vice president of corporate strategy and business development.

CSIO’s eDocs certification program is free for insurance carriers and vendors paying CSIO membership fees. It is “designed to ensure standards-based solutions are uniformly implemented across the country, significantly improving efficiencies to the broker channel,” CSIO president and CEO Catherine Smola told members attending CSIO’s annual general meeting in April, 2014.

Related: CSIO launches new open online forum for members

eDocs was the first business activity available for certification as part of its CSIO’s standards certification program

In order to be certified, members need to submit a completed application package that includes a self-assessment, including supporting documentation. CSIO then reviews those applications. Those who are successful receive a certification letter. CSIO also adds the names of those certified to its list of certified products and post that information to its Certified Solutions page.

The other insurance carriers with eDocs certification are Northbridge, Intact, RSA, Gore Mutual, Aviva, The Guarantee Company of North America, Peace Hills, Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI, and its Ontario subsidiary, Coachman), Wawanesa Mutual, Unica and Chubb Canada.

The computer technology vendors who have passed eDocs certification are Applied Systems Inc., Quindell plc, Brovada Technologies Inc., Mastercom Consulting Ltd., Keal Technology and Logiciels Deltek Inc.