Antares, a technology solutions company specializing in custom software development, undertook a 12-month-long project for the development of a custom, cohesive integrated insurance system for the Louisiana Insurance Pest Control Association (LIPCA), an insurance agency that was created and is operated by pest management professionals and their families. Prior to the project, LIPCA operated four different applications to run their business. Antares’ objective was to develop a single software package that allows users to:
Using these various systems, each agent was spending an exorbitant amount of time to complete each task. Many manual jobs and work-arounds were necessary to get the job done. With limited automation and validation, reports produced were also prone to error. Commercially available software packages did not provide staff members with the ability to execute their key business functions efficiently. The challenge was to create a simpler way to create quotes, bind policies and issue forms. The goal was to provide a custom workflow solution allowing:
Antares worked closely with LIPCA leadership to design and implement the Complete Insurance Rating Claims and Accounting (CIRCA) software as a custom solution to consolidate all needs. CIRCA integrates the four primary systems into one package. With CIRCA, LIPCA now has all the functionality needed to add any line of insurance or any carrier. CIRCA also allows internal company administrators to integrate Department of Insurance regulations as required. Included is a record retention and attachment system to aid in handling all document needs and functionality allowing administrators to create or modify forms, which previously required a programmer.
Since the implementation of CIRCA, LIPCA has doubled their business without doubling their staff, and staff members no longer work on weekends. In addition to the core functionality of creating quotes, binding policies and issuing forms, CIRCA also promotes efficiency through these additional key features:
These features provide exactly what staff and administrators at LIPCA need to do their jobs more effectively and efficiently to better serve clients. Antares’ support and maintenance is ongoing for the project and will continue as LIPCA continues to enhance the system. The project was so successful that LIPCA was approached by Berkley Program Specialists about acquiring the CIRCA software package. Antares and LIPCA have been working to finalize various product offerings, which include competitive pricing, implementation packages and other ongoing maintenance and support programs.
A common trait for many companies is dealing with the software they already have in place, even though it’s not the most efficient. On the other hand, many other companies make significant investments into the best software, only to realize it doesn’t offer the specific features needed to help employees do their jobs efficiently and grow their business.