Accenture announces the availability of Accenture Duck CreekPolicy Administration release 5.1, the latest version of its policyadministration and rating software platform and a key component ofits software suite for property & casualty insurers.

The new release provides functionality aimed at helping insurersimprove account management and underwriting efficiencies, combinedwith features designed to reduce implementation time andcost.

“Insurance companies are looking for advanced technologies thatenable them to respond quickly to shifting market demands,” saidMichael A. Jackowski, global managing director, Accenture Softwarefor P&C Insurance. “This release includes a number ofapplication performance enhancements such as improved rating andunderwriting rules processing, particularly for high volumescenarios common to top tier insurers.”

New capabilities of the software are intended to help users:

• Easily manage account data for large commercial riskquoting and policy processing. New enhancements providekey support for consolidating and maintaining customer informationacross multiple lines of business, helping to ensure data qualityand consistency.
• Quickly access information with an updated userinterface highlighted by a new toolbar. An improved,customizable toolbar enables the user to add, manage and completetheir tasks at any stage in the policy administration and ratingprocess, thereby facilitating an optimized workflow.
• Get products to market faster. Updated producttemplates assist users with regulatory standards compliance up to90 days ahead of the content effective date, encouragingfirst-mover status. The templates include high quality country-wideInsurance Services Office (ISO) and National Council onCompensation Insurance (NCCI) bureau content.
• Streamline the testing process. Accenture DuckCreek Test Automation Center (TAC) gives users the ability todesign reliable automated test scripts for Accenture Duck CreekPolicy and Billing installations without the need to learn computerscripting language. TAC also allows test engineers and testers torefine testing focus, resulting in significant savings in time andcosts over projects that employ manual testing.

To accelerate Accenture Duck Creek's global adoption,pre-configured templates for commercial property owner's productsare now available for the UK market. These templates, based onPolaris standards and supporting iMarket connectivity, help toenable rapid implementation of commercial property owner's line ofbusiness with lower cost and lower risk.

To enable insurers to benefit from additional state-of-the-arttechnologies while reducing implementation time and costs,third-party solutions pre-integrated with Accenture Duck Creek Policy Administration are available as anoption. The pre-integrated solutions provide insurers with:

• Accurate and complete location data. PitneyBowes Software's Address Verification and Geo-Coding providesunderwriters with the data they need to make informed decisionswith respect to risk location and loss exposure.
• Increased insight into complex risks.Advisen's Market Insight presents a comprehensive view of themarketplace by providing risk exposure, market segment data, aswell as broker and carrier information, aiding in enabling moreinformed decision making.
• Seamless access to enterprise-wide documents.OnBase, Hyland Software's enterprise content management (ECM)solution, provides insurers with a near-effortless way to managepolicy documents. The latest release of Accenture Duck Creek PolicyAdministration enables users to access information associated to apolicy, including standard policy attachments, ad hoc files orrelated documents or data, at any stage in the policyadministration process.