Having started this column by quoting no less a dark luminary than T.S. Eliot, I'd like to quote . . . myself. If you read February's "Shop Talk," you may recall the following statement: "Figuring out

In this series, we have discussed many of the things carriers should do when undertaking the vendor selection and software acquisition of core insurance processing systems such as policy, claims, and

Incredibly, it has been almost a year since I started writing this column. It has been a year in which I have worked with numerous carriers, visited with many vendors, attended trade shows, and talked

The "Shop Talk" column is concerned with all things technology-vendor related: how to organize and execute a vendor search, how to negotiate a good deal, and how to implement third-party software. In

The inaugural "ShopTalk" column ("Hell Is Not a Night Club," February 2007) outlined a process that, if diligently adhered to, greatly reduces the risks inherent in acquiring mission-critical, third-p

Language changes constantly, and sometimes for no apparent reason. Have you noticed fewer people have been "calling" you? Instead, they've been "reaching out." But then folks who would have called to

The saying goes: If you have five hours to cut down a tree, spend at least three of them sharpening the ax. I object. Who decided the only choice is an ax? Maybe we would get the job done better with

My objective in writing these columns is not only to point out risks and issues but to provide proven methods and practical knowledge that may help some carriers spend their acquisition dollars more w