Workflow software: automating forms for regulators, speeding up quotes for clients

South Florida CEO, May, 2005

When Plantation-based Business Risk Technologies unveiled its showcase product, Ins-MGMT, at a conference in Dallas a few years ago, the company was overwhelmed by demand from potential customers.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

"We had more attendees to our booth than any other company," says CEO Steve Repetti.

The company's software gave insurance industry clients a Web-based interface for such basic functions as quoting, policy management, underwriting, accounting, and claims processing. BRT has since expanded to offerings for financial services and technology sectors, with Web-based form automation and work flow management. In some cases, BRT also hosts the client's application and data on its own servers.

The company formed in 1996 as a consulting practice, helping insurance companies prepare for state audits, submit regulatory filings and complete specialized financial projects. The company's services division still does consulting work. In 2000, BRT purchased Repetti's company, California-based commercial software developer Advance Desktop Solutions; Repetti joined BRT as chief technology officer. In 2002, when BRT's founders decided to transition the company into a technology provider, Repetti became CEO.

Back then Repetti says, BRT's average deal would bring in a few hundred thousand dollars. "Now, we're talking about million-dollar deals," he says. Its products even won an A.M. Best eFusion Award in 2004. The company has gone from a $600,000-a-year firm to a $5 million to $6 million company during his time there, Repetti says.

Affirmative Insurance Holdings Inc. in Dallas bought a system from BRT about a year ago and plans to implement it this summer. "We wanted to roll all the business onto one platform," says Katherine Nolan, Affirmative's executive vice president for planning. "We were looking for something that was Web-based and could accommodate our growth."

BRT has about 30 full-time employees at its Plantation site and also has a technology group based in New Jersey.