CARRIER · DOMESTIC MARKET
Build it, or configure one that already covers the line
Western Surety needed claims handling built around bonds, and building a system of its own was a real option. It chose VCA ClaimsCore instead, configured to its line.
AT A GLANCE
THE CLIENT, NAMED
Western Surety, a Canadian surety carrier
THE SEAT
RUNS ON
FIGURE PUBLISHED
No. The decision is the result
THE OPERATION
A Specialty Line, and a Build on the Table
Western Surety's claims are bond claims.
Surety is property and casualty business, written as a specialty line. A specialty carrier choosing a claims system meets a familiar fork: bend its handling to fit software built for the volume lines, or build a system of its own.
Building looks attractive at the start, because the first version only has to do the things the team already knows it needs.
The Build Plan Nobody Prices
Reporting, financials, correspondence, document handling, access control. Each one is a line item, and each one arrives after the first version ships.
Maintenance lands on the carrier
Every line item then has to be kept working by somebody who is not working claims, for as long as the system runs.
The Real Comparison
How much of the build plan a standard capability set already answers, and how much is left to configure.
WHAT CHANGED
The carrier chose to configure
VCA supports every property and casualty line of business, across personal and commercial lines, casualty, property, and specialty; not workers' compensation or health benefits claims. Carrying the line was settled early. The open question was how much of the build plan VCA ClaimsCore already covered.
THE ARC OF THE STORY
- The ConditionA specialty carrier with bond claims to handle, weighing a claims system of its own against a platform it would configure.
- The ChangeIt chose ClaimsCore over a build, and judged the two on what its own team would otherwise have had to write.
- What It LeftOne sentence in the carrier's own case study that states the comparison, quoted further down this page.
What the platform covers, line by line: Lines of Business →
THE RESULT ON THE RECORD
A Decision, in the Carrier's Own Words
A carrier that took building seriously enough to weigh it chose to configure instead. Its case study gives the reason in one sentence.
All the stuff that VCA does off the shelf is what we would have needed to build in another platform.
THE BUILD PLAN, IN CLAIMSCORE
Already in the Platform
Every item on a claims build plan is claims work, and claims work is where VCA goes deep. Set against the build plan above, here is what ClaimsCore carries as standard for any carrier that runs it.
- The Line's Own ShapeEach loss type gets its own tabs and fields in the carrier's terminology, and a no-code admin console changes fields, rules, workflows and templates.
- ReportingStandard and company-wide reports, custom queries and live dashboards.
- FinancialsUser-defined reserves with full change history, every payment recorded against its reserve, and invoicing with fee schedules and co-insurer splits.
- CorrespondenceWord-based letters and reports that fill from the claim, and email sent from the claim through the carrier's own mail server and logged to it.
- Document HandlingNotes, drag-and-drop and bulk upload, and combined PDF packaging, all timestamped on the claim.
- Access ControlPermissions down to individual statuses and actions, with a record of who did what and when.
HOW THIS STORY IS PUBLISHED
Named, From the Carrier's Own Case Study
Western Surety is named on this page because its own case study is published under its name. The page uses the name for the work that case study covers.
The story carries no figure. It describes the decision instead, in enough detail to set against a build plan of your own.
TAKE THIS STORY WITH YOU
The same story on two pages, ready to forward or print.
Questions a Carrier Asks Before Building
Is VCA the right fit for a carrier replacing its whole core system?
Usually not. Replacing a whole core is a multi-year purchase, and VCA is built for operations that need to be live in weeks beside the policy system they keep. VCA ClaimsCore is the claims layer beside the systems a carrier already runs, so changing how claims are handled does not mean replacing a whole suite.
How long does a carrier deployment of VCA take?
Every VCA implementation starts with discovery, which maps how claims actually move through the operation before anything is configured. A Carrier License deployment is customizable and runs 12 weeks to 6 months, discovery included. A carrier plans on that band, and no carrier deployment goes live in under 12 weeks.
Can a carrier run its claims on VCA ClaimsCore alone?
Yes. VCA ClaimsCore is the claims platform, complete on its own. Add-ons are added to it for specific jobs, and a client running only ClaimsCore is never at a disadvantage.
MORE CASE STUDIES
More Operations on VCA
Adjusting Firm
A horse is not a generic loss
A specialty adjusting firm. Livestock and animal insurance claims, worked for carriers directly.
TPA
From Field Adjusting to a Full-Service TPA
Peninsula Insurance Bureau (PIB). Third-party administration for carriers, syndicates and coverholders in the E&S market.
TPA
The Administrative Time Hiding in Every Claim
Unity Claims. Claims and accident management for fleet and hire-car clients in Australia.
Bring us a claim where the promise was hard to keep
Bring your build plan, and set it item by item against what ClaimsCore already covers.
Request a Demo