ICBC rolling out new software, says customer delays likely
Despite caveat, the provincial insurer has seen minimal problems in first few days of soft launch
ICBC says its customers should expect delays as the insurer implements the largest technological upgrade in its history.
The public insurer is in the midst of the soft launch of a computer-system change for the first time in 40 years.
"We have launched one product and a few transactions to test them in a real system," said Nicolas Jimenez, ICBC's vice-president of insurance and driver licensing.
"We are going to do that for two weeks, and then we will evaluate how it has gone. Then, we will flip the switch on the entire program."
Only 'handful' of issues
So far, the new system has handled about 10,000 transaction and Jimenez said there have only been a handful of technical issues.
The $400-million project was initiated to upgrade the old computer system that brokers use to register vehicles and sell auto insurance.
"You can take a training courses, and you can do all the prep you want, but it's always different when you have a customer live in front of you," said Jimenez.
"There will be a period of adjustment as brokers learn the new system, and customers are probably seeing some delays."
Training underway
In the first few days of using the system, brokers have found some complicated registration or renewals have taken longer to complete than normal, mainly based on unfamiliarity with the computer program.
But Chuck Byrne, the executive director of the Insurance Brokers Association of B.C., said the "worst is behind us after the initial shock of the look and the feel of the new system."
"it's got to be one of the most complicated rollouts of its kind in history because of the uncountable number of tie-ins with the databases of the Crown corp, ICBC," he added.
"There is no doubt that with summertime and holidays some brokers have been caught off guard and not as prepared as they could have been. That is being rectified pretty quickly, as we can see how many people are now signing up for the training."
The public insurer expects to the entire new system up and running by Aug. 21.