Better Business, Naturally

AmCOMP's IT staff is structured to reflect the processes through which the industry does business, allowing completion of technology projects with a team-oriented business model.

To complement the new backup plan, AmCOMP is about to complete the enterprisewide implementation of imaging and scanning technologies with automated workflow for both incoming and outgoing documents. "The workers' compensation business line is extremely paper-intensive," Popovetsky says. Back-scanning documents helps ensure compliance with regulations, virtualizes backup material and speeds business functions, she continues.

"In 1997 and 1998, when we began using the IBM BRS system, we also implemented the CSC (El Segundo, Calif.) Point System - which we still use - to scan and archive all of our outgoing documents," Popovetsky continues. "This time around we chose the ImageRight (Conyers, Ga.) document management and workflow solution for imaging and scanning of incoming documents, because it is compatible with Microsoft SQL, ImageRight has done extensive work in the insurance industry, and the vendor is willing to work on future development." Implementation is complete in all but one office; the last phase is scheduled for completion in the first quarter of 2005.

Teamwork Breeds Success

When asked how AmCOMP IT staffers stay motivated through intense projects like these, Popovetsky talks about how IT incentives at the carrier are based on Dr. Stephen Covey's win-win philosophy. Covey's book, "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" (Free Press, 1990), outlines the trait of interpersonal leadership, relating that such skills are necessary because achievements are largely dependent on cooperative efforts with others. According to Popovetsky, Covey says that the win-win philosophy is based on the assumption that there is plenty for everyone, and that success follows a cooperative approach more naturally than the confrontation of win-or-lose propositions.

AmCOMP applies this philosophy throughout the company, aligning business partners with technology staff for each project and assigning the same project goals to both ends. "We do performance reviews based on goal completion, not how many times someone has been late to work," Popovetsky explains. "To have committed employees, it is important to organize and negotiate goals, which provides incentive and performance review measures and permeates through the entire corporation, aligning business and IT not just by words, but by actions." In this way, both sides of the organization "win-win" when a project is successfully completed.

Currently, this attitude is being extended to AmCOMP's agents. "We are working on implementation of an agency e-business conductivity system with automated underwriting tools, policy documentation production and instant messaging with our underwriting support staff," Popovetsky relates. "This is more of a communication tool between selected agents and the underwriting support staff than an e-self-service tool for agents." The initiative began in mid-2004 and will be completed in 2005 using the iSolutions Web-based system from CSC.

"We feel it is very important to focus on underwriting, and providing a key tool to our agents will only help them write better business and help in AmCOMP's success," Popovetsky says. "The same goes for our win-win philosophy - this kind of support is a part of the AmCOMP culture, and it leads to a natural selection of the type of people who are excited to work with us."

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Carrier Report

Company Profile

Company: AmCOMP (North Palm Beach, Fla.; $457 million in assets).

Lines of Business: Workers' compensation.

History: AmCOMP was founded in 1982 as the Florida Air Conditioning Contractors Association Self-Insurers Fund (FACCA-SIF). In 1995, FACCA-SIF converted to Pinnacle Assurance Corp., and in 1996 Pinnacle Assurance Corp. was renamed AmCOMP Preferred Insurance Company. In 1997, the company acquired another insurer with business in 21 states, and renamed the organization AmCOMP Assurance.

Recent Initiatives: Retooling of business continuity plan through conversion of infrastructure to thin-client model; deployment of imaging and scanning technology with automated workflow; agency e-business initiative for selected agents.

Executive Profile

Who: Marina Popovetsky, vice president of IT.

Career Path: Popovetsky has been VP of IT for AmCOMP since 1997. From 1996 to 1997, she served as managing director, business outsourcing healthcare operations for Computer Science Corp. (CSC; EL Segundo, Calif.), and from 1989 to 1996 she served as director of IT at MedView Services (Ann Arbor). Popovetsky is currently a member of the South Florida CIO Council, the IT Womens' Advisory Board, the Michigan State MIS Advisory Board for FIU Chapman Graduate School and the board of Enterprise Development Corp., all based in South Florida.

IT Philosophy: To develop and maintain as tight an alignment as possible with business partners within the company, allowing the alignment of IT projects and business goals to permeate the entire organization.

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