Background

International OGP Facilities Inc. is a Laval-based wholesaler that offers underwriting services to retail brokers throughout the province of Quebec. As a cover holder for Lloyd’s of London, it specializes in placing standard mid-market property and casualty business through two syndicates. Officially launched in July 2005, International OGP has grown steadily as a solid choice for commercial brokers throughout Quebec.

Commercial-Lines Challenge

Starting up in a soft market, International OGP Facilities’ General Manager Frédérick Lawrence knew his firm had to be lean, efficient and highly service-focused. With a limited number of persons, Lawrence looked eagerly for a commercial system that would handle the unique needs of a wholesaler and Lloyd’s of London cover holder.

Solution

When Frédérick Lawrence first found out about Policy Works, he didn’t hesitate to purchase the solution. It was, he says, a stroke of good fortune for his start-up operation.

“I needed software to issue Lloyd’s policies and manage my client base,” he notes. “And, bingo, Policy Works already had its Lloyd’s module up and running. They were accustomed to dealing with the Lloyd’s way of doing business here in Canada. I have used it from day one.”

“There is a reason why I can keep my operation lean and still grow it,” says Lawrence, who adds that his firm is aggressively targeting $3 million in premium volume. “The main reason is that I have Policy Works as a powerful policy management and issuance software, while I have Power Broker for the accounting side.”

Lawrence lists a string of benefits that Policy Works provides to his wholesaling operation. “The first is to be able to work in a paperless environment; we are 90 per cent paperless. The second is providing us with greater speed in which to do our business ¬– the information is there, renewals are done very easily and you don’t have to worry about re-entry. And third it offers IBC industry-standard wordings and endorsements, which the Policy Works’ staff has done a good job of translating into French.”

Right from the start, Lawrence says he was comfortable with the implementation and training process offered by Policy Works. “The staff is great in helping you get comfortable with different features and in answering your questions,” he notes. “I haven’t had that kind of experience with other vendors. We are not all IT experts; we are underwriters selling insurance. So when I call an IT company, I want them to walk me through a few steps and explain the framework. Policy Works Inc. does an excellent job of interacting with their clientele and stressing a user-friendly environment.”

In the meantime, Lawrence says his firm will be concentrating on growing its business in one of the softest insurance markets in recent memory. “We have been choosing and picking our business, growing steadily,” he notes. “The soft market has continued to today, and most are pointing to 2009 for conditions to change. When the market hardens, everyone will be knocking at our door.”

And he knows Policy Works will be there to help open the door and accommodate that steady flow of new business. “After using it, I realized that Policy Works performs much better than many of the in-house software that insurance companies are spending millions of dollars on,” Lawrence concludes. “It is compatible with other systems, flexible and very user-friendly. It really is the right fit for my operation.”

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