Straight-through processing (STP)

Straight Through Processing (STP) allows agents to submit bound applications, enabling underwriters to bypass manual reviews if the applications meet predefined underwriting rules and conditions. In the Quote Wizard, STP rules are invoked when the agent reaches the Underwriting step. Applications that pass the rules are automatically committed with a Policy Status of Active upon submission. Applications that fail the rules are marked as Submitted and require underwriter review and approval before the agent can proceed with the quoting process. The agent must select Request Review within the Underwriting step, triggering the application for underwriter review.

If applications don't meet the business requirements and STP fails, the reasons for failure are displayed. The agent can't advance the quote until it either passes STP or an underwriter approves the quote through the request review process.

Straight-through processing rules

Note: Rules for STP must be set up by an engineer. Submit a support ticket through Zendesk to set up the rules.

Processing the rules associated with STP takes place in the rule engine (rule_engine.py). To access the rule engine, an engineer will go to rules/{client}/straight_through_processing. These directories contain rules defined in Python and the outcomes of the evaluation of those rules.

Example: The rule below will return True as long as the Number of Mortgagees value is less than 3. If the value is 3 or more, then the rule will return False and the application will fail.

@dynamic_defaults
def rule_number_of_mortgagees(number=”{{bc::Property::Mortgagees::Number Of Mortgagees}}”):
return number < 3

Set up straight-through processing

To set up STP:

1. In the Provider Administrator portal, navigate to Settings > Advanced.
2. In the Search for a Setting box, type straight-through-processing. Press Enter/Return on your keyboard or select Search.
3. In the Setting Value box, replace the URL with the URL provided by the engineers.
   
   Example:
   • dev: arn:aws:lambda:us-east-1:446620020195:function:stp-development-dev
   • prod: arn:aws:lambda:us-east-1:313750358190:function:stp-production-prd
   • stg: arn:aws:lambda:us-east-1:313750358190:function:stp-staging-stg

Straight-through processing emails

When an application is processed using STP, the underwriter and agent can receive an email that notifies them if the application was successfully committed through STP or if the application needs underwriter review.

If the application is successfully committed through STP, the declaration will be attached to the email. If the application needs underwriter review, the application will be attached to the email.

Configure emails

After you replace the URL for straight-through-processing, you can add text to the Setting Value box to configure STP emails for the following scenarios:

• Review Requested
• Review Declined
• Review Approved

You can use the following fields within the Setting Value box to configure STP emails:

• review_requested_email_subject
• review_requested_email_message
• review_declined_email_subject
• review_declined_email_message
• review_approved_email_subject
• review_approved_email_message

To refer to attributes of the respective policy, use {policy.policy_number} notation. This will pull the policy number dynamically when building the message.

To configure the STP email for Review Declined, in the Setting Value box directly after the URL, type the following elements in the format shown in the example below:

• Subject line: review_declined_email_subject
• Body of the email: review_declined_email_message
• Policy number: {policy.policy_number}

Example:

“url”: “arn.aws:lambda:us-east-1:313750358190:function:stp-staging-stg””review_declined_email_subject”: “Policy {policy.policy_number} Declined”,”review_declined_email_message”: “The following policy, {policy.policy_number}, was reviewed by the Underwriter; however, it has been declined. You may view this quote in the BriteCore system for additional details. After review, should you have additional questions or concerns, please call our underwriting support team at <Phone Number>. Thank you.”}

Underwriter emails

There are two methods for adding the email addresses of underwriters who should receive STP notifications.

Method 1

1. In the Provider Administrator portal, navigate to Settings > System Wide > Administrative Alerts > Policies.
2. Navigate to the Emails to be notified upon Straight Through Processing results box and type the recipient email address(es).
3. Select Save.

Method 2

1. In the Provider Administrator portal, navigate to Settings > Advanced.
2. In the Search for a Setting box, type stpresult. Press Enter/Return on your keyboard or select Search.
3. In the the stpresult box, in the Setting Value box, type the recipient email address(es).

Agent emails

There are two methods for sending the STP emails to the agent who submitted the application.

Method 1

1. In the Provider Administrator portal, navigate to Settings > System Wide > Administrative Alerts > Policies.
2. Select the Email Straight Through Processing result to Agent checkbox.
3. Select Save.

Method 2

1. In the Provider Administrator portal, navigate to Settings > Advanced.
2. In the Search for a Setting box, type stpemailagent. Press Enter/Return on your keyboard or select Search.
3. In the stpemailagent box, select True.

Approved by Underwriter review state

BriteCore will apply the Approved by Underwriter review state when a quote is approved by an underwriter during STP if the use-new-state-for-uw-approval advanced setting is enabled.

To enable the use-new-state-for-uw-approval setting:

1. In the Provider Administrator portal, navigate to Settings > Advanced.
2. In the Search for a Setting box, type use-new-state-for-uw-approval. Press Enter/Return on your keyboard or select Search.
3. Select True.

View Review Status

The show-review-state-column advanced setting determines if the Review State column is visible on the Policy Search screen.

Note: This setting doesn’t affect the legacy Policy Search screen.

To enable the show-review-state-column setting:

1. In the Provider Administrator portal, navigate to Settings > Advanced.
2. In the Search for a Setting box, type show-review-state-column. Press Enter/Return on your keyboard or select Search.
3. In the show-review-state-column box, select True.

Filter search by Review Status

The enable-review-state-filter advanced setting allows users to filter results by Review State on the new Policy Search screen.

To enable the enable-review-state-filter setting:

1. In the Provider Administrator portal, navigate to Settings > Advanced.
2. In the Search for a Setting box, type enable-review-state-filter. Press Enter/Return on your keyboard or select Search.
3. In the enable-review-state-filter box, select True.

Setting the filter above to True creates a new filter, Review State, on the Policy Search screen with the options:

• Approved by Underwriter

Note: This option will appear only if the use-new-state-for-uw-approval advanced setting is enabled.

• Pending Agent Changes
• Pending Underwriter Review
• Ready To Apply

Customize Review State labels

The custom-labels-review-state-filter-options setting allows users to customize the labels that appear in the Review State column and are used to filter policies by Review State. The default values are {“PENDING_UNDERWRITER_REVIEW”: “”,”PENDING_AGENT_CHANGES”: “”,”READY_TO_APPLY”: “”} or {“PENDING_UNDERWRITER_REVIEW”: “”,”PENDING_AGENT_CHANGES”: “”,”READY_TO_APPLY”: “”, “APPROVED_BY_UW”: “”}.

To customize the Review State labels:

1. In the Provider Administrator portal, navigate to Settings > Advanced.
2. In the Search for a Setting box, type custom-labels-review-state-filter-options. Press Enter/Return on your keyboard or select Search.
3. In the Setting Value box, type the custom labels you want to add.
   1. If the use-new-state-for-uw-approval advanced setting is enabled, use the following value input:
      {“PENDING_UNDERWRITER_REVIEW”: “Insert Custom Label Here“,”PENDING_AGENT_CHANGES”: “Insert Custom Label Here“,”READY_TO_APPLY”: “Insert Custom Label Here“, “APPROVED_BY_UW”: “Insert Custom Label Here“}

Note: If the use-new-state-for-uw-approval advanced setting is enabled, you must update the value input for the custom-labels-review-state-filter-options advanced setting. If you don’t update the value, the custom labels won’t function.

2. If the use-new-state-for-uw-approval advanced setting isn’t enabled, use the following value input:
   {“PENDING_UNDERWRITER_REVIEW”: “Insert Custom Label Here“,”PENDING_AGENT_CHANGES”: “Insert Custom Label Here“,”READY_TO_APPLY”: “Insert Custom Label Here“}

Conditions

STP – quote approved without review

When a quote passes STP rules and is automatically approved, under Underwriting Review, the following message will appear: This quote passes all the rules for quick processing.

Complete one of the following steps:

1. To continue processing the policy, select Continue to Bind.
2. To stop processing the policy, select Discard Quote.

STP – review required and accepted

When an agent creates a quote that fails one or more STP rules, it will require underwriter review.

1. Select Request Review and the Underwriting step will show the application is pending underwriter review. Under Underwriting Review, the following message will display:
   This quote has been sent to underwriting review for the following reasons:
   <List of reasons the quote is sent to underwriting review>.
2. The underwriter will be notified via email that there is a new application review required.
3. When the underwriter opens the quote the system provides two options: Accept Review or Decline Review.
4. If the underwriter selects Accept Review, the quote is approved. In the quote wizard, the following message will appear: Quote Approved! Congratulations! Underwriting reviewed your quote and approved it for binding.
5. To bind the application and make it Active, select Continue to Bind.

STP – review required and declined

When an agent submits a quote that fails one or more STP rules, it will require underwriter review.

1. Select Request Review and the following screen will show the application is pending underwriter review. Under Underwriting Review, the following message will display:
   This quote has been sent to underwriting review for the following reasons:
   <List of reasons the quote is sent to underwriting review>.
2. The underwriter will be notified via email that there is a new application review required.
3. When the underwriter opens the quote, the system provides two options: Accept Review or Decline Review.
4. If the underwriter selects Decline Review, a dialog box will appear. In the dialog box, the underwriter can write a message regarding the decision to decline the review, and the message will appear on the Notes screen and in the STP email.
5. When an underwriter declines the quote, an email will be sent notifying the agent that the quote was declined. In the quote wizard, the following message will appear: Quote Rejected. We’re sorry, underwriting reviewed your quote and rejected it for binding.

Policy rejected when review declined

The review_should_trigger_policy_state advanced setting causes the policy status to automatically update to Rejected when the underwriter declines the review. If the policy status is returned to Unsubmitted, this setting also resets the review status and requires the underwriter to review the policy again.

To enable the review_should_trigger_policy_state setting:

1. In the Provider Administrator portal, navigate to Settings > Advanced.
2. In the Search for a Setting box, type review_should_trigger_policy_state. Press Enter/Return on your keyboard or select Search.
3. In the review_should_trigger_policy_state box, select True.