Why COI Processing Is the Easiest P&C Back Office Task to Fully Delegate

Certificates of insurance are the most standardized back office task in a P&C agency. The request comes in, the certificate gets issued from a template, and the document goes back to the client or third party. For all of these reasons, COI processing is typically the easiest back office task to delegate.

Why COI volume is a problem for most agencies

Certificate requests are high-frequency and interruptive. In a commercial book, a single account can generate dozens of COI requests per year. In a 500-account commercial book, this can mean 20 to 50 COI requests per week — each requiring logging, policy verification, certificate issuance, and delivery.

Why COI processing is easy to delegate

The standardization that makes COI processing feel repetitive is also what makes it easy to transfer. The workflow is simple and consistent: receive request, verify coverage, issue from template, add required endorsements, send and document. That workflow can be written in a few pages and quality-checked against a clear standard.

Frequently asked questions

Does an outsourced team need a license to issue certificates of insurance?

In most states, certificate issuance is considered a clerical function that does not require a P&C license as long as the certificate reflects existing coverage. However, if the COI request involves adding endorsements, a licensed person must be involved. COVU uses licensed staff for all COI processing.

What is a reasonable turnaround standard for COI requests?

For standard COI requests on active accounts, a two-to-four-hour turnaround during business hours is achievable. Same-day turnaround for all standard requests is the minimum acceptable standard in most commercial markets.

Talk to COVU about removing COI processing from your team’s daily workload

Based on COVU’s operational experience managing service operations across 50+ agencies and $200M+ in premium.