MPI takes first step toward online expansion

Rubber is finally meeting the road for a massive modernization program at Manitoba Public Insurance, with the first release of Project Nova officially online.

On Wednesday, the Crown corporation auto insurer said its special-risk extension business line — primarily purchased by trucking and commercial customers to insure loads and cargo — is ready to move online.

Currently, trucking and commercial customers are required to provide hard copies of their asset schedules to Autopac brokers.

Under the new system, brokers and MPI staff will be able to provide the service digitally, increasing speed and convenience for customers, according to the corporation.

Over the coming years, MPI will be rolling out multiple phases of Project Nova to move its business and customer services online.

The project is expected to cost close to $290 million, with completion expected in the 2025-26 fiscal year.

Average Autopac customers will not see services such as driver’s licence renewals, vehicle registrations and claims moved online in the near future.

MPI said it must first undertake a discovery process to determine how best to roll out the services, giving consideration to security risks. That process was expected to begin this month.

“This is just the beginning — the first planned phase for Project Nova, which will ultimately improve customer experience and introduce new online service options for Manitobans,” MPI chief executive officer Eric Herbelin said in a release.

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The Insurance Brokers Association of Manitoba applauded the changes.

“We are happy to see that some systems and processes will be streamlined for our commercial clients as part of the Nova project,” said IBAM CEO Grant Wainikka.

The change will eliminate a significant amount of paperwork for the industry and allow for timely changes to insurance coverage, said Manitoba Trucking Association executive director Aaron Dolyniuk.

“The paper-based program is cumbersome. In a digital era, providing lots of detail in a paper format can be challenging,” Dolyniuk said. “This just allows the process to be streamlined, simplified and more timely by giving the brokers access to update the information directly.”

danielle.dasilva@freepress.mb.ca

Danielle Da Silva
Reporter

Danielle Da Silva is a general assignment reporter.

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