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TOKOPEN
REDUCES THE RISK
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Using TokOpen to manage insurance related documents
The
TokOpen is helping one of the UK's leading niche market insurance
brokers to streamline its business processes, improve customer
care, and save space to accommodate additional staff. It will
also enable the firm to be better prepared to meet Financial
Services Authority (FSA) compliance regulations that are expected
to be introduced for the insurance broking sector by the end
of the year.
The
user is Bristol-based Sutton Special Risks, part of the Sutton
Group, who specialise in arranging difficult-to-place liability
insurance for the fire protection, security and cleaning industries
- the only broking house in these sectors that has not limited
type of business written following the "September 11"
terrorist attack.
The TokOpen solution was selected for its user-friendliness,
ease of use and reliability. The company had formerly no experience
of document management systems and moved to the TokOpen system
from a traditional paper filing cabinet environment. A key
requirement was the ability to scan in literally millions
of historical documents going back to 1989 - easily and inexpensively.
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Based in Bristol, Sutton Specialist Risks Ltd - www.ssrib.co.uk
- are GISC registered insurance brokers specialising
in arranging difficult-to-place liability insurance
for the security, fire protection and cleaning industries.
Part of the Sutton Group of companies, Sutton Special
Risks policies are approved for members of the leading
trade associations in the security and fire protection
sector. Schemes are underwritten by a leading insurer.
Policy cover for the cleaning industry is designed especially
for that sector. It covers in all areas of cleaning
contractor work, including high risk and high level
work such as window cleaning and work involving the
use of slings and cradles.
In addition to its specialist portfolio, the company
also offers policy extensions for commercial all risks,
loss of income and professional indemnity. Cover is
arranged for clients ranging from large multinationals,
High Street operators and sole traders.
"Like many companies in the broking business,
we were using the traditional paper filing cabinet system,
lever arches, carousels, etc," says Sutton Special
Risks Systems Specialist Sandy Fogg. "We originally
looked at the prospect of a document management system
over three years ago and looked at prospective solutions.
None really offered what we wanted - which was something
easy and friendly to use, had an attractive look-and-feel,
and would let us store information and documents the
way we wanted to without being pushed into someone else's
idea of how we should store it. Basically, we decided
that the technology we needed just wasn't there yet".
However, as the firm's business continued to grow,
it recruited more staff and increasingly, pressure built
up to save space to accommodate them. "We had millions
of documents in files going back to the late 1980's
in large cupboard filing cabinets and four-shelf carousels
full of lever arch files," says Sandy Fogg.
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| "Our criteria were
pretty much what they had been several years before when we
had first looked for a solution. The user-friendliness and pleasant
look-and-feel of the software we needed were not just cosmetic
niceties. Our staff are all computer literate - but moving from
filing cabinets to full scale document management systems technology
in one go was going to be a bit of a jump. We wanted a system
that people wouldn't be afraid of, that they would like using
because it was easy and helped them work more effectively and
productively".
Several alternative systems were considered. "Most of
them were just directory and search engine based and didn't
seem to provide the functionality, flexibility and friendliness
that we were after," says Sandy Fogg. "Basically,
we wanted to carry on with our existing business model and
just get rid of the paper".
"We also wanted to make sure the solution we selected
would integrate with other existing software we were running.
We knew this was unlikely to be a problem for such standard
software as Microsoft Office products, but we were also running
a bespoke, third party developed prospect database".
Tokairo's TokOpen was finally chosen on the basis of its
functionality, attractive look and feel, general user friendliness
and ability to integrate with our existing software. "Implementation
went smoothly without any surprises and took four days. Now,
all our staff use it - initially twelve when we started last
July; now 23. We just don't use paper any more," says
Sandy Fogg.
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" All our clients' files are on the system,
and this means faster access to clients' documents
- for example when they ring up. Any file is there
at the touch of a button. No more telling them - I'll
ring you back, putting the phone down, and rummaging
through filing cabinets only to discover someone else
has the file. Now, queries can be answered immediately
which means we provide a better service, and staff
can work more productively".
"The system lets any number of users access
any file simultaneously and the audit trail means
we can track who has been at which file and when.
This will become increasingly important when the expected
Financial Services Authority (FSA) compliance regulations
come into force in January 2005. Another major benefit
is the fact that it makes sending an email much easier.
Previously, a lot of the documents that needed to
be sent couldn't be emailed at all. They had to be
posted or faxed. No more of that".
"We got rid of all the filing cabinets and lever
arch carousels and generated enough space to comfortably
accommodate new staff. While this was initially the
perceived main reason for getting a document management
system, the other benefits are equally important and
go to the heart of doing business more effectively.
These days, improving customer care really is important.
Everyone pays lip service to it, but we've actually
done it".
Sutton Specialist Risks historical documents go back
nearly 15 years - to 1989. "Altogether, there
were between three and three and a half million,"
says Sandy Fogg. "We started scanning these in
when the system was first installed last summer and
with two temps. All the paper has now been scanned.
The process was easy and inexpensive. Currently, we've
got over 60 Gigabytes of the material".
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The TokOpen bottom line? "We've got a system that works
the way we want it to. It's made all our jobs easier; lets
us work more productively. Implementation was trouble-free
and the technical support is always available and friendly.
I'd recommend the system to anyone".
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Tokairo Ltd
20 Linford Forum, Rockingham Drive, Linford Wood,
Milton Keynes, MK14 6LY, UK
Tel: +44 (0) 1908 695 569 | Fax:
+44 (0) 1908 696 961 | E-mail:
info@tokairo.com
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© Copyright 2004 Tokairo
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