Data Dictionaries - an overview

 

At the heart of ProductWriterÒ are the data dictionaries.  Dictionaries exist for Private UK Motor, Private Irish Motor, UK Household and Commercial business and other lines of business are also under consideration.  Each gives exact meanings to all the terms that may appear in a product specification and enforces data validation rules. The dictionaries have been developed through a thorough process of consultation involving a wide cross section of interested parties in the insurance market. Where appropriate they embody insurance industry standards. The data dictionaries address all phases of the business cycle:

 

§         Quotations

§         New Business

§         Mid-term amendments

§         Renewals

§         Cancellations.

 

Structure

The dictionaries comprise properties which specify the individual data items required for the class of business.  Related properties are grouped together into Objects which are organised into a tree structure.  Full details of every object and property are available in the ProductWriter On-line Help facility - see Figures 1 and 2. 

 


Figure 1. Part of the Object tree structure for Private Motor business

 

 



Figure 2 - Typical Help panel, this one showing details for the Vehicle Modification Code

 

 


Many properties make use of industry standard code lists.  The majority of personal lines code lists are maintained by InStep whereas most commercial lines code lists are managed by Polaris.  For ease and convenience all requests by licensees for code list changes should be made in the first instance to the Polaris Service Desk.  Other companies can make requests direct to InStep.

 

Maintenance

Polaris maintain the data dictionaries and manage the distribution of versions to licensees.  Updates to the dictionaries are controlled and  regularly distributed as follows:

 

§        Private Motor and Household dictionaries:
Code list updates - monthly
Structural changes (additions/amendments) - quarterly
Deletions - annually.

§           Commercial dictionary:
Code list updates - quarterly
Structural changes (additions/amendments) - quarterly
Deletions - annually.

 

Urgent requirements can be handled on an exception basis.

 

Naming Convention

Throughout this web site dictionaries are identified by their abbreviated name and the version number:

 

UK Private  Motor        - PMC

UK Household             - HOU

Irish Private Motor       - IPM

Commercial                - CML

 

Version numbers are integers for structural changes (eg. DD 42.0) and decimals for code list updates (eg. DD 42.1).  For example, a Household dictionary release will therefore be described as HOU 28.2.