Unigard Embraces ACORD Standards, Empowers Agents

Washington-based Unigard Insurance Company (www.unigard.com) has taken the next step of an ongoing commitment to facilitate greater profits for their partner agents through the efficiencies of open ACORD standards.

Arne Chatterton, vice president of Marketing & Field Operations, after recently securing licensing rights to Transformation Station™ noted, “Our independent agents are our partners in – and our path to – success. We see the wisdom of empowering their integrated management systems rather than encumbering their processes with another proprietary interface regardless of how pretty the company thinks it is.”

While Unigard’s initial pilot programs, scheduled for release summer, 2003, will migrate billing and claims inquiry, Chatterton clearly asserts Unigard has a far-reaching, agent-focused vision for its application of electronic standards. “Web enhancements designed as far back as a year ago were developed on technology platforms that anticipated this license agreement. Although billing and claims inquiry are the first to be released, providing agents access to real time rating and processing of new and renewal business through their management systems is already on the assembly line. Subsequent endeavors will, as always, be prioritized based on our agents’ feedback.”

Unigard is one of the first 29 carriers nationwide to adopt the current technology able to deliver the benefits of the ACORD standards.
“As a mid-size regional carrier with a clarity of focus and a relatively nimble IT structure, Unigard is uniquely positioned to transform the future for our agents,” Chatterton added.