SEMCI Forum
SEMCI (single-entry, multi-company interface) has guided agency thinking
on interface for more than a decade. Though personal lines download is now
common and works relatively well, commercial lines download doesn't. And overall,
upload hasn't amounted to much. Real-time interface as XML interaction between
carrier and agency systems hasn't taken off either. But hybrid interface,
the linking of management systems and carrier Web sites is going like gang
busters – now for inquiry, and soon for policy submission and with policy
change just around the corner.
- Is it time to go beyond SEMCI, focusing instead on the less utopian and
more opportunistic concept of hybrid interface?
- Does the rapid development and acceptance of real-time inquiry (whether
through Transformation Station, TransactNOW, or some other means) suggest
that business value, not vision, will finally make practical interface a
reality?
- What role will ACORD AL3 and XML standards play in the future? Are they
really needed? What about a broadening of standards that cover passwords,
documents transfer, and all the other interactions that carriers and agents
practice?
- What implications does the emerging pattern of linking agency systems
and carrier Web sites have for agency workflow and best practices?
We welcome your participation in this forum. Please
us with your comments, questions, and your own point-of-view!
