| Allstate Insurance Company,
based in Northbrook, Ill., needed a secure image archiving and retrieval
system that would allow its employees to track projects, follow the
development of policy rewrites and retrieve standard forms. Speed,
security and multi-user access were necessary, as Allstate has more
than 14,000 agents in 10,000 locations. The company offers insurance
products that cover automobiles, homes, apartments, businesses, boats,
mobile homes, motor homes and motorcycles. The company also offers
a variety of life insurance products and membership in its motor club.
In each of these product areas, the company has developed different
types of policies that can be tailored to a customer’s coverage
needs.
Allstate required a reliable system that would
allow multiple users in different departments to quickly access
files, letters and forms, without compromising the integrity of
those documents, said Lisa Rizzo, statistical assistant in the company’s
personal lines product management department. Since the paper files
had lasted for 30 years, Allstate wanted a technology that would
ensure even safer storage of these valuable documents for years
to come. In addition, the company wanted a technology that was essentially
plug-and-play, so that users could retrieve documents with minimal
hassle, Rizzo added.
Allstate chose an NSM library, because of its
compact design, large storage capacity and scalability. "From
an operational perspective, the device is very solid,” says
Heinz Berger, senior staff analyst at Allstate. "It’s
easy to operate and it’s ruggedly built,” he adds. This
solid, ruggedized construction, which includes the patented "no-touch”
changer technology, assures data fidelity and security. Compatible
with a wide variety of elite jukebox software, Allstate’s system
employs iXOS Jukeman 2.2 software to quickly and easily retrieve
files.
Allstate chose CD\DVD technology over other media
alternatives because of its large storage capacity, fast access
time and ease of use. In addition, the single-drive CDR 100 XA costs
significantly less than traditional CD towers and allows for quicker,
multi-user access. The system can also be linked to other products
like the NSM by DISC series, which expand the storage capacity and
offer maximum network capability. For a company like Allstate, with
10,000 office locations, moving into such technology down the road
could increase productivity and efficiency. Plus, CD\DVD technology
offers the only PC storage technology that is standardized and interchangeable
across all hardware platforms and networking protocols. So, when
the time is right, a company like Allstate can expand its CD\DVD
network without the headaches of incompatibility.
Currently, test users work in the company’s
personal lines product management department responsible for automobile
and property insurance products. But, once the network of users
expands past the test group, the legal and claims departments will
use the technology to retrieve company literature, marketing materials,
legal documents and claim forms.
Other Insurance companies and agents integrating
document management systems include: NY Life, First American Title
Insurance, Commercial Union Insurance, Transnation, Title, &
Escrow, Inc. and Prudential Services.
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