Synchronizing ClaimCenter and ContactManager contacts

To enable ContactManager to send contact updates to ClaimCenter, ClaimCenter implements the ContactManager interface ABClientAPI in the class gw.webservice.cc.cc1000.contact.ContactAPI. ContactManager requires that all Guidewire core applications implement the ABClientAPI interface. Implementing this interface ensures that ContactManager can broadcast contact changes to the core applications by using standard web services, and that the core applications have logic to handle these updates.

ClaimCenter synchronizes contacts as follows:

• If ContactManager sends a contact change, ClaimCenter saves only the contact ID and then uses the contact automatic synchronization mechanism to update all local instances of the contact.

  ClaimCenter can have multiple local instances of any contact, one instance for each claim. ClaimCenter uses its automatic synchronization mechanism to ensure that all instances are synchronized. This behavior is different from the other Guidewire core applications. PolicyCenter and BillingCenter have just one local instance of a linked contact and apply all changes sent from ContactManager to their linked contacts.

• Like the other core applications, ClaimCenter automatically sends updates to ContactManager for linked contacts. In the default configuration, for a non-vendor contact, ClaimCenter calls ContactManager and specifies that the change is to be applied to the ContactManager contact. For a vendor contact, when the ClaimCenter user updates the contact changes, ClaimCenter determines if the user has contact permissions to perform the action. ClaimCenter then calls ContactManager appropriately:
  • If the user has permissions, ClaimCenter makes a call to ContactManager specifying that the vendor contact update is to be applied to the ContactManager contact.
  • If the user does not have permissions, ClaimCenter makes a call to ContactManager specifying that the vendor contact update is to be pending. A pending update has to be reviewed by a ContactManager contact administrator.
  Note: For information on defining this vendor contact behavior in the class ContactSystemApprovalUtil, see Linking in ClaimCenter.

  If the update succeeds, ClaimCenter then updates all local instances of the contact by using the automatic synchronization mechanism. A pending update succeeds if the update is approved in ContactManager and ContactManager notifies ClaimCenter.

• When ContactManager applies a contact change or create that originated from ClaimCenter, ContactManager sends the update to any other Guidewire applications that are integrated with ContactManager. It does not send the update back to ClaimCenter.