Slabbed

The current plan is to transfer the system of record from the CSC maintained legacy system to the newly-developed NFIP IT Systems with the March 2009 data cycle that takes place in April 2009. However, we are continuing to conduct testing on the system to assure ourselves that it will be able to match the capability of the legacy system. The legacy system will continue to be available until such time as the appropriate FEMA offices sign off on the new system.

That kind of religion. What some would describe as a come-to-Jesus, not the FEMA’s-gone-Baptist kind.  Nonetheless, the Bulletin issued February 17, 2009 by the acting Federal Insurance Administrator did bring to mind turn your radio on – or, in the case of FEMA, turn your “slabberator” on.  Trust me on the lyrics, the song I found on YouTube was not the listen into the gloryland chorus version of turn your radio on (and some things are just better left alone).

The WYO Clearinghouse sent out a little taste of joy awaitin’ in a June 2008 memorandum about plans for the EZclaim adjuster console of the NextGen system – way too long ago for most to recognize it was a customized version of the slabberator.

Usually, such a come-to-Jesus experience means old friends are left behind; however, with FEMA, when the might hosts of heaven sing, everyone can have a glory share.

The National Flood Insurance Program Information Technologies (NFIP IT) Services Interconnection Security Agreement (ISA) describes a connection in sufficient detail to serve as a sound basis for approving a system-to-system connection. The ISA protection for the connected systems is meant to equal or exceed their individual protection. The signing of an ISA by FEMA and an NFIP Write Your Own (WYO) Company or an NFIP Vendor is a prerequisite to operating connection required to perform the Transaction Record Reporting Process (TRRP) or utilizing NFIP IT (NextGen) a la carte or core applications.

Some of FEMA’s friends appear to have had their radio turned on for some time.  Allstate, for example, has also developed a NextGen system. In one sense, everyone will as the term has a general use similar to mainframe – another brother Darrell, one might say.

The “next generation” is actually very much the here and now and built with what is  known as MDA (model driven architecture).

When you look at the illustration of what is taking place at Allstate, for example, what you’re seeing is MDA driving the change.  Those sitting at consoles are located in “Express Offices” and accessible to customer and others by phone.

The “change” appears to be a call center with a dressed up name and increased functionality.  In reality, these individuals might be working from home as it is function, not place, that is important and that functionality can be build with a Platform Independent Model (PIM), Platform Specific Model, and Code.

A more detailed description can be found on the smartest-people-in-the-world website that I discovered and strongly recommend.  One of those very smart people, developed a presentation with this graphic description of MDA:

Mind boggling? It may be easier to get a handle on all of this by looking  at the new Xactware products mentioned in this story from the National Underwriter.

The cost to rebuild a damaged home went up approximately 3.95 percent nationwide last year even as real estate prices were declining, according to a study by a technology firm.

Orem, Utah-based Xactware said in Phoenix, the hardest hit metropolitan region, where average home values fell 32.9 percent in 2008, the rebuilding cost went up 5.38 percent.

Its findings, said Xactware, point to the need to keep updating insurance coverage based on construction costs…The study found that average “retail” labor rates for insurance repair work increased 5.43 percent in 2008 compared with 7.68 percent in 2007.

Overall, Xactware said, labor costs have continued to rise over the past several years despite the downward trend in the economy.  More information is available at www.xactware.com.

If you’re interested in technology, the Xactware website is a candy store.

360Value is one of a set of powerful tools and processes that can be used for complete underwriting, claims, and policyholder collaboration.

Policyholder Data Validation provides property insurance carriers with more accurate valuations, appropriate underwriting revenue, and accurate claims.

When you enter an address into 360Value, in many cases, the ISO PushPin database can pre-fill sufficient information needed to make a basic replacement cost estimate. This includes the year built and total living area, but in many cases, ISO PushPin can provide other property characteristics as well…

The Xactimate estimating system is used by 15 of the top 20 insurance carriers in North America. More than 80% of all restoration contractors who use a computer to estimate use Xactimate, and more than 70% of independent adjusters are Xactimate users.

If none of this has turned your radio on,  the virtual insurance company may do the trick.

From product development to payouts, CSC offers a full range of services designed specifically for virtual insurers, which include startup companies, established companies entering new or niche markets, and financial institutions entering the insurance market for the first time.

The virtual insurance company model provides significant advantages over other enterprise models:

• Owners and managers focus on strategies and activities that optimize the growth of value of the enterprise.
• Capital is invested where it provides the greatest ROI.
• Fixed expenses are converted into variable expenses.
• Companies gain access to world-class expertise, scale and scope of virtual partners in the extended value chain.

With FEMA getting religion and turning its slabberator on, some eternal morning we shall meet them over on the hallelujah shore and later tell our grandchildren about the old time religion when coverage, not companies, were illusory.

Until then, keep your radio on in case rebuilding costs keep going up.