Systema Software and ICW Group Successfully Complete Implementation of SIMS Claims

Systema Software, LLC, a leading provider of claims administration software, and ICW Group, a group of property casualty insurers specializing in workers’ compensation, have successfully completed the implementation of SIMS Claims™. ICW Group now has SIMS in production, helping to manage its workers’ compensation claims. The two companies used an innovative, hybrid approach that combined facets of agile and waterfall project management methodologies in order to drive implementation success.

Danny Smith, COO of Systema Software, commented: “This was a very sophisticated project. ICW Group has a complex IT environment, various interfaces and wanted to facilitate significant automation in its claims workflow. Their team members were incredible to work with and committed to the project’s success. Several members, including the project manager and business analyst, were dedicated full time to the project, which drove progress and ensured we met key milestones over the project’s six iterations.”

Amanda Granger, vice president of workers’ compensation claims at ICW Group, added: “For a project of this size and complexity, we were very pleased at how smoothly everything went. On the day we went live, wearing my claims-examiner hat, I thought everything about SIMS felt right and made sense. Our claims examiners arrived that day, logged into the new system, and honestly, no one missed a beat. The transition was that simple and straightforward, which speaks to the success of our partnership, this project and our selection of the right system in SIMS.”

Pam Boutsaboualoy, business implementation manager at ICW Group, noted: “We spent extensive time understanding our objectives, gathering requirements and mapping them to SIMS. We also used an 80/20 rule to limit the scope of our project to the capabilities absolutely necessary to go-live. We leaned heavily on Systema’s expertise, as their team members knew SIMS best and had implemented it many times before for other clients. They helped keep the project on track and ensured that our goals were attainable. We used a very detail-oriented process, but in the end, it was necessary and valuable to ensure the project went so well. Selecting SIMS was the most important piece. We knew the system would fit our needs, not only today, but also as we continued to grow and expand our business.”

According to David Hoppen, ICW Group’s chief operating officer, “during our first week using SIMS, I received an email from a relatively new claims examiner, who essentially thanked me for investing in the new claims system. This examiner came on board at the tail end of the old system and struggled to ramp up. When we switched over to SIMS, he said he found the new system much easier to use. It was confirmation that SIMS would be able to deliver the ease-of-use and efficiency gains we anticipated for our examiners, and we hope to drive even greater benefits in the next phase of our SIMS enhancement project.”

About ICW Group
Based in San Diego, ICW Group Insurance Companies is the largest group of privately held insurance companies domiciled in California. Quoting more than $3 billion annually, ICW Group represents a group of Property, Auto and Workers’ Compensation insurance carriers, including Insurance Company of the West, Explorer Insurance Company and VerTerra.

About Systema Software
Systema Software, LLC, provides flexible, comprehensive solutions and services to the insurance industry. SIMS Claims is an innovative, award-winning claims administration system, which is highly praised by clients and well recognized by industry experts as a leading claims solution. Together, our team of Big 4 consulting and industry veterans, experienced software developers, and project managers deliver an architecturally strong enterprise platform, designed for superior speed, scalability, and performance. With advanced technology and focused customer service, Systema Software has experienced phenomenal growth and success, earning high rankings on the national Inc. 5000 and local Fast 100 lists of fastest-growing private companies. For more information, visit us online at www.systemasoft.com.