Abstract: A system and method for accessing resources includes first and second data centers located at first and second respective geographic locations. The first center include a first file server and first data storage unit, while the second data center includes a second file server and second data storage unit. In one embodiment, the first data storage unit includes active resources designated for active use, while the second data storage unit includes standby resources designated for standby use in the event that the active resources are not available. A switch fabric and associated intelligent controller communicatively couple the first file server, the first data storage unit, the second file server, and the second data storage unit. The intelligent controller may route information through the switch in multiple different ways deemed appropriate in view of the failure conditions that affect the system.

Abstract: A method and system for designing a neural network classifier and such a neural network for an automated insurance underwriting system and/or its quality assurance is described. While the design method is demonstrated for quality assurance of automated insurance underwriting, it is broadly applicable to diverse decision-making applications in business, commercial, and manufacturing processes. Specifically, multi-class classification problems are solved by decomposing a multi-class classifier into multiple binary-classifiers, which reduces the complexity of the neural network structure, thus reducing the training time and improving the classification performance. Furthermore, the invention also describes a method to incorporate the domain knowledge into the neural network classifier. Both methods work to improve the performance of the classifier.

Abstract: A method and system for fusing a collection of classifiers used for an automated insurance underwriting system and/or its quality assurance is described. Specifically, the outputs of a collection of classifiers are fused. The fusion of the data will typically result in some amount of consensus and some amount of conflict among the classifiers. The consensus will be measured and used to estimate a degree of confidence in the fused decisions. Based on the decision and degree of confidence of the fusion and the decision and degree of confidence of the production decision engine, a comparison module may then be used to identify cases for audit, cases for augmenting the training/test sets for re-tuning production decision engine, cases for review, or may simply trigger a record of its occurrence for tracking purposes. The fusion can compensate for the potential correlation among the classifiers.

Abstract: A method and system for automating the decision-making process used in underwriting of insurance applications is described. While this approach is demonstrated for insurance underwriting, it is broadly applicable to diverse decision-making applications in business, commercial, and manufacturing processes. A structured methodology is used based on a multi-model parallel network of multivariate adaptive regression splines (“MARS”) models to identify the relevant set of variables and their parameters, and build a framework capable of providing automated decisions. The parameters of the MARS-based decision system are estimated from a database consisting of a set of applications with reference decisions against each. Cross-validation and development/hold-out combined with re-sampling techniques are used to build a robust set of models that minimize the error between the automated system's decision and the expert human underwriter.

Abstract: An outlier detector that exploits the existing risk structure of the decision problem in order to discover risk assignments that are globally inconsistent is described. The technique works on a set of candidates for which risk categories have already been assigned. In the case of insurance underwriting, the invention pertains to the premium class assigned to an application. For this set of labeled candidates, the system finds all such pairs of applications belonging to different risk categories, which violate the principle of dominance. The invention matches the risk ordering of the applications with the ordering imposed by dominance and uses any mismatch during the process to identify applications that were potentially assigned incorrect risk categories.

Abstract: A risk classification technique that exploits the existing risk structure of the decision problem in order to produce risk categorizations for new candidates is described. The technique makes use of a set of candidates for which risk categories have already been assigned (in the case of insurance underwriting, for example, this would pertain to the premium class assigned to an application). Using this set of labeled candidates, the technique produces two subsets for each risk category: the Pareto-best subset and the Pareto-worst subset by using Dominance. These two subsets can be seen as representing the least risky and the most risky candidates within a given risk category. If there are a sufficient number of candidates in these two subsets, then the candidates in these two subsets can be seen as samples from the two hypothetical risk surfaces in the feature space that bound the risk category from above and below respectively.

Abstract: A process and system for quality assurance. The process includes developing a high level quality assurance resource estimate and a high level quality assurance time estimate; producing a business analysis outline; and creating an acceptance test plan using an acceptance test plan template with the business analysis outline. The process further includes creating a plurality of test cases to be carried out during a test execution phase of the quality assurance process using the acceptance test plan; refining the high level quality assurance resource estimate and the high level quality assurance time estimate based on the acceptance test plan; executing each of the test cases in an acceptance test to produce a set of test results for each of the test cases; and evaluating the test results against the refined high level quality assurance resource estimate and the refined high level quality assurance time estimate.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for monitoring information delivered through an electronic delivery system. One method for monitoring electronically delivering documents is provided which includes the steps of: creating log files for storing selected data related to selected electronic document preparation events; forwarding the log files to a central database for storage; and providing access to the log files for retrieval and analysis.

Abstract: A system and method are provided for monitoring information delivered through an electronic delivery system. One method for monitoring electronically delivering documents is provided which includes the steps of: creating log files for storing selected data related to selected electronic document preparation events; forwarding the log files to a central database for storage; and providing access to the log files for retrieval and analysis.

Abstract: The invention includes a system and method for secure transmission of information. The system includes a source system for generating, encrypting, and transmitting a data file and a host system for receiving and decrypting the transmitted data file. Both the host system and the source system include delivery confirmation tools for confirming that the sent files correspond to the received files. A corresponding method comprises generating a data file at the source system, encrypting the generated data file, and sending the encrypted data file. A host system receives and decrypts the encrypted data file. The source system generates a list of sent files and the host system generates a list of received files. Comparison tools verify delivery by comparing the list of sent files with the list of received files.

Abstract: A system and method for identifying irregular sales activity. The method includes the steps of extracting data related to a first predetermined criteria from at least one of a predetermined set of files based on a first guideline; generating a first criteria specific report based on the first predetermined criteria; extracting data related to a second predetermined criteria from at least one of the predetermined set of files based on a second guideline; generating a second criteria specific report based on the second predetermined criteria; and generating an intermediate report including information from the criteria specific reports and generating an irregular activity report. The first criteria specific report includes data related to the first predetermined criteria associated with one or more entities of at least one predetermined entity type. The second criteria specific report includes data related to the second predetermined criteria associated with the one or more entities.

Abstract: The invention provides a system and method for processing flat files for use in a relational database. The invention includes inputting a plurality of flat files wherein each of the flat files contains data. A parameters file is accessed to obtain processing parameters contained in the parameters file. The data in the flat files are checked based on the processing parameters. Thereafter, a logical record is assembled by processing the data in the flat files based on the processing parameters. An output file is generated. The output file contains the logical record and a portion of the data.

Abstract: An aspect of the present invention relates to a growth strategy and implementation system and method. In particular, the present invention relates to a system and method for generating a strategic marketing plan for growing and/or retaining customers in an industry, which may be realized by conducting behavior examination for one or more customers based on a recency factor, a frequency factor and a monetary factor; segmenting the one or more customers into a segment set based on a score, wherein the score comprises a value associated with the recency factor, the frequency factor and the monetary factor; assessing a customer need through a qualitative assessment and a quantitative assessment; and generating a strategic marketing plan based at least in part on the steps of conducting, segmenting and assessing.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system, process and method for purchasing securities and selling insurance policies within a business entity having an internal trading system for inputting trades and an internal management system for managing trade information. According to a preferred embodiment of this aspect of the invention, a method is provided which includes: selling an insurance policy; inputting data concerning the sold insurance policy into the internal trading system; selecting a security to purchase; inputting trade data regarding the desired purchase into the internal trading system; allocating the selected security to an insurance policy sold; executing the purchase of the selected security; retrieving data regarding purchases from an external trading information system; updating and correcting errors in the trade data using the retrieved data; and storing the trade data and the insurance policy data to an internal management system.

Abstract: The invention provides a method and system for verifying a data record. An unverified data record is read. A reference data file containing reference data records, the reference data records being associated with verified data records, is provided. The unverified data record is compared with the reference data records to identify a matching reference data record. The matching reference data record is read to identify a matching verified data record. The matching verified data record is outputted.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a system and process for facilitating consistent calculation and attribution of cost savings within an organization. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system and process for guiding a user through a series of determinations related to various cost savings for attributing the cost savings to specific classifications and calculating the cost savings.

Abstract: A process for generating a script for an agent system of a business to use in conducting an interactive interview with a customer. The agent system is linked to a database which includes a questions table, an answers table and a branching table. The agent system retrieves a question from the questions table and a list of alternative answer choices for the retrieved question from the answers table. The agent system communicates the first question and the list of alternative answer choices to the customer. The agent system inputs the customer's selected one of the alternative answers to the branching table of the database. The branching table includes rules for determining the next one of the a questions to communicate to the customer based on the customer's selected answer.

Abstract: The present invention provides a secure electronic information distribution, archiving and retrieval method and system for communication and correspondence purposes using an integrated system of email, email links and secured online web sites. An information bulletin may be maintained in a secure, easy to use searchable archive. A bulletin notification may be used to send information bulletin summaries and links on a regular or predetermined basis, or on an ad hoc basis, to inform and/or alert one or more recipients of receipt of the information bulletin. The information bulletin may be accessed through a direct link, which may be randomly generated to preserve security and authenticity of the information bulletin. The information bulletin may further include links to attachments and other interactive information.

Abstract: A process and system for quality assurance. The process includes developing a high level quality assurance resource estimate and a high level quality assurance time estimate; producing a business analysis outline; and creating an acceptance test plan using an acceptance test plan template with the business analysis outline. The process further includes creating a plurality of test cases to be carried out during a test execution phase of the quality assurance process using the acceptance test plan; refining the high level quality assurance resource estimate and the high level quality assurance time estimate based on the acceptance test plan; executing each of the test cases in an acceptance test to produce a set of test results for each of the test cases; and evaluating the test results against the refined high level quality assurance resource estimate and the refined high level quality assurance time estimate.

Abstract: A system and method for performing an internal search of a website using a portion of an address. A requester transmits an address, such as a universal resource locator (URL) address, comprising a website portion and a webpage portion. If the address, with the webpage portion, does not correspond to a particular webpage in the website, a search of the website is performed based on the webpage portion. Results of the search are displayed to the requester, such as in the form of links to webpages within the website. The requester may activate the appropriate link to access the desired page.