New & Reviews

IDS REview
By International Risk Management Institute
(Reproduced with permission from Contractual Risk Transfer, an IRMI publication. Copyright 2003 by IRMI, further reproduction prohibited.)

Ebix RCS provides full service customized certificate tracking and outsourcing. (An ASP version is available upon request, where the customer uses Ebix RCS’ online tools to perform all of the tracking and compliance functions independently.) The online viewing capabilities are very user-friendly, and easy to follow. The improvements in the interface since the last time these systems were reviewed are very noticeable and clearly were designed to accommodate the ways a customer uses the system.

Locating a specific indemnitor’s information is fast and easy. A cover page provides a summary on the selected indemnitor, including contact information, the risk profile to which they are assigned, and a variety of optional information such as contract start date, contract expiration date, tax ID number, etc. A summary of current coverage information is presented in a certificate-like format, which is convenient for those accustomed to looking at certificates (and straightforward for those who are not.) Electronic images of certificates are accessible for viewing or printing from several locations within the system, including the coverage page.

If a certificate has deficiencies, a warning to that effect appears in red on the cover page, which is actually a link to a summary of the deficiencies. Clients are asked to categorize deficiencies as either “major” or “minor”, where “minor” deficiencies are those that do not require repeated follow ups in the effort to obtain compliance. (This allows the client to manage its own workload by reducing the number of deficiencies they will need to make individual decisions about, and instead make a blanket decision that certain deficiencies can be waived. If a client considers all deficiencies to be “major” they can indicate such.)

Clients can view a record of all correspondence between Ebix RCS and the indemnitor, including the dates and nature of the correspondence as well as any notes placed in the file by Ebix RCS personnel. A “diary” feature allows clients to place reminders in the system ( for themselves or for Ebix RCS) to take various actions, such as following up with a vendor or subcontractor about a specific issue, obtaining approval to waive certain requirements, etc. Clients can add new indemnitors at any time, and indicate whether they already have a certificate for that indemnitor or whether Ebix RCS should make a request for a certificate. Where time is of the essence, such as when a replacement subcontractor needs access to a site before other work can progress, clients can select a “rush” feature.

Ebix RCS's report generator can produce more than 100 standard reports, and if a client needs a unique report, Ebix RCS will customize a report that meets its specifications. The "referrals" report is where Ebix RCS posts items that require the client's attention, such as inability to obtain compliance with a specific requirement. The client must periodically go through this list and advise Ebix RCS of what, if any, action to take. (Clients generally assign this responsibility to a specific person, but if no action is taken within a reasonable time period, Ebix RCS will prompt the client with a reminder that decisions are needed.) Ebix RCS can also add custom fields for tracking non-insurance related data, such as indemnification agreements, OSHA lost day rates or DOT safety ratings. A.M. Best’s ratings are updated monthly.

Ebix RCS goes to great lengths to adapt its services to insurance industry practices. For example, as non-standard additional insured endorsements began to appear more and more frequently, Ebix RCS compiled an ongoing list of company-specific endorsements that do or do not meet clients’ requirements. Likewise, when insurers began limiting some additional insureds’ coverage to specific locations, Ebix RCS developed a special interface to track compliance by location. (This restriction has been utilized most heavily in the home-building and property management industries.)

Ebix RCS has put a lot of effort into creating a user interface that is easy to navigate. Even if you haven’t used the system for a while, figuring out how to find the information you need should not be difficult. On-site training is available as needed, but most clients do not require extensive training if they have any familiarity with certificates and certificate tracking processes.