Service provider of the year

Winner

Loss Management Group

Loss Management Group (LMG) is absolutely delighted to receive this prestigious award.

Prior to GemRestore, there was no service to insurers that provided any systematic investigation into whether damaged jewellery items could be practically and economically restored. Previously, there was a tacit assumption that the only options were either a cash settlement or similar replacement jewellery to the same value.

The scope and cost of the problem needed a really innovative solution.

LMG gemmological laboratories and workshops were established during 1999 to offer a nationwide, consistent jewellery restoration service. Any solution had to be totally acceptable to claimants and - although it was accepted that the process would inevitably take longer than the replacement route - it soon provided insurers with a huge opportunity to save money.

The results have been excellent. Not only is the service exceptionally popular with claimants, it has also delivered results which halve the insurer's cost of settling the claim. It is little wonder that the uptake of the service is increasing by 40% per year.

An allied and complementary service is the repair - under the same close scrutiny and control - of prestige watch brands. The previous practice had always been to replace any defective watch. GemRestore has clearly shown that in most instances, it is not only possible but also far more cost effective to reinstate and restore such watches.

To the genuine claimant whose cherished item has suffered damage, GemRestore is the ultimate service. Lost or chipped gemstones can be expertly matched and replaced and the original setting can be precisely mirrored. The identical manufacture of a missing earring to match the one that remains is a frequently requested task.

Highly commended

Auto Indemnity

Gaining this highly prized commendation recognises the integral part that Auto Indemnity is now playing in driving costs down in the motor insurance market.

Auto Indemnity has been working for some years now to create a new model for managing motor accident claims. We have established an ethical, open and transparent business relationship that enables the cost of a claim to be contained to the benefit of both insurers and policyholders.

As part of our overall strategy, we have developed a service called Matrix that focuses on intervention and speed of delivery. Matrix provides insurers with a clear view of Auto Indemnity's claim management service and its ability to contain costs as a way of enabling profitability and greater policyholder satisfaction.

In our view, the old ways of running claims management services have actually pushed costs up. If commission is paid for referrals, the money has to be recouped from somewhere. The cost ultimately affects the premiums paid by policyholders. And they, in turn, blame the insurer.

Auto Indemnity's new approach is to be totally transparent at every stage of the claims process. We don't like commissions, so we try to avoid them.

This helps to contain costs to the benefit of both the insurer and the insured.

The financial implications of taking an open, honest and ethical approach to claims management are huge. The industry average for provision of, for example, a replacement vehicle is 18 to 22 days. Auto Indemnity, however, averages just 13 days. In monetary terms, these saved days remove £110-£200 from the cost of an average claim. A commendable performance indeed.

Highly commended

CONNECTmi

Specialist provider of claims support services CONNECTmi, has developed a unique psychological service, Psychological Telephone Assessment Service (PTAS), tailored to the insurance industry, leading to special commendation in this award category. The management team are delighted with this recognition, Paul Dunlop, managing director said: "This is testimony to the dedicated work of our PTAS support staff who have developed a service that has proved a revolutionary solution to a difficult area for the insurance industry."

Having recognised the increased incidence of psychological claims, CONNECTmi developed PTAS for insurance claimants. PTAS provides a fast and proactive response to psychological conditions, even where the psychological problem is secondary to a physical illness.

CONNECTmi's approach is about early intervention, and it believes that addressing a claimants needs at the earliest opportunity is the key to success. No other service provider is focusing to this extent on psychological claims, despite the fact that the numbers are set to grow substantially.

It is clear from the impact that PTAS has made on insurers and claimants alike, that this service tackles a growing social problem and minimises claims costs.

M Consulting

M Consulting is delighted to receive a high commendation for their first entry into the Insurance Times Awards Service Provider of The Year category.

From the beginning, M Consulting has endeavoured to provide the insurance industry with a one-stop service that would address a plethora of business and marketing needs. Through our business strategy solutions service we supported the creation of new capacity in the market, in the form of PRI Insurance and Illium Syndicate 4040. The success of our PRI and Illium programmes has been instrumental in M Consulting's attainment of further integrated assignments. We are currently conducting extensive market research for our new start-up ventures and are working to establish unique brand identities and corporate positioning for them. Marketing and PR plans are now being laid for their launch periods and ongoing operations.

M Consulting's competitive edge comes as a result of our immersion in the insurance industry and a consequent understanding of the issues that affect the sector. This insurance knowledge perfectly complements our marketing skills and expertise. Our clients can be assured that we know exactly how to help them achieve their business goals, no matter what the prevailing market conditions may be. M Consulting strives to develop services in line with the changing insurance climate. Thanks to our clients, we have had a very successful year and look forward to serving the needs of the industry with continuing dedication in 2004.

Proximo

Everyone at Proximo is delighted to accept this Highly Commended award.

Proximo has been managing accidents involving taxis since 1995 and we are now the UK's leading supplier of rental taxis and private hire vehicles.

We save our customers the costs that can be incurred from an accident involving a taxi by supplying replacement vehicles plated for any of the 376 licensing areas in Britain.

Proximo was the first taxi accident management specialist to be awarded first tier status with the ABI, and we are extremely proud that Proximo is the only taxi specialist to have passed the ABI audit.

At Proximo we are determined to continue to innovate and we have recently introduced Fileview - a facility that allows our customers to view the progress of their cases via the internet.

Our key objective is to be regarded as a valuable and innovative supplier to the insurance industry; by gaining this commendation we believe we have made real progress towards achieving that goal.