RSG Web Application Development Progress
By Ken Ancona, RSG Managing Director
In 2008, we formed a subcommittee reporting to the RSG Technology Steering Committee to pursue the funding and development of a Web-based RMIS. We named the project RWeb, with project scope and Return On Investment (ROI) reviewed and approved by Crawford & Company for capital investment.
The current version of Sigma EncoreSM is Web-accessible through our thin-client protocol called Citrix. However, RWeb will be truly Web-based and will launch from your Internet browser with no need for Citrix. It will feature an appealing user interface and the RMIS navigation our users expect from a highly intuitive Web application. RWeb will coexist with the existing version of Sigma EncoreSM to leverage the investment RSG and our clients have made in your RMIS.
If you recall from our previous announcements, the design and technical specifications phase was launched utilizing the expertise of Pathfinder Associates LLC out of Chicago, specialists in effective Web user interfaces, and the talent available from Crawford's Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Development Practice Center. Both resources were at RSG's Partners Conference this past February gathering user-specific details on what RSG clients like about Sigma EncoreSM and how it could be improved as a Web application. That knowledge initiated a five-month effort of defining technical specifications to accommodate the next phase, application build.
With technical specifications completed in July, RSG has begun programming the application using a hybrid resource approach. To support rapid development, we elected to utilize a combination of internal and external development resources. A Request For Proposal (RFP) was issued to leading Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) vendors experienced with Web-based applications in the insurance market space. The vendor chosen has not only proven application development skills, they also provided assurances of delivery date and cost cap.
Development resources are scheduled for the next 12 months, with interim releases within the deployment plan. The RSG Client Advisory Board has had a high-level preview of the design specifications and will be updated at their next meeting. Once an application prototype is made available, RSG will provide to our entire community a preview of what they can look forward to in RSG's next generation of Web RMIS solutions. The winter edition of our In The Know newsletter will announce dates and times of Webinars we will conduct for your benefit. Contact Ken Ancona should you have any questions about RWeb.
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