Novium adds ex-nicotine quoting to boost accuracy for advisers

Novium has introduced new functionality to its protection sourcing platform, allowing advisers to include ex-nicotine use questions across all personal protection products.

Six insurers, including Legal & General and Zurich, are already enabled, with indicators visible for the rest of the panel. The enhancement works alongside Novium’s BMI-based quoting process, designed to deliver more accurate pricing and risk assessments early in the protection journey.

Launched in 2024 initially for the Primis network, Novium has since expanded to TMA firms and other directly authorised advisers. The platform aims to modernise protection sourcing with an emphasis on speed, simplicity and user experience. Quotes are tailored in real time without switching screens, and the system supports screen sharing with a customer-friendly interface.

The latest update also allows greater flexibility in how advisers display and order results, giving them more control over the presentation of quotes.

Amy Loxton, product manager at Novium, said: “One of our key objectives, during the design of Novium, was to include functionality that made sourcing as simple as possible to encourage more advisers to discuss protection and ultimately deliver better customer outcomes.

“Protection is an emotive subject, especially when questions are asked about lifestyle choices as well as the expected health questions.”

She added: “By giving advisers access to quotes inclusive of known price, changes like nicotine use can help manage expectations, avoid unexpected price changes and ultimately prevent someone becoming disengaged with the process.”

Loxton noted that the evolution of nicotine consumption, particularly through vaping, has blurred traditional definitions. “All nicotine use has been part of the definition for a long time,” she said.

“The changes in how people consume nicotine, for example vaping, can make the term ‘smoker’ confusing to customers and it is also new to industry advisers. To help with this, we have also changed our terminology to ask about ‘nicotine use’.”