Agents Can Win Battle For Standards In “CoolHand Luke,” the sadistic warden kept whining to Paul Newman, whoplayed the rebellious convict, that “what we have here is a failureto communicate.” That complaint echoed in my mind as I coveredsession after session emphasizing the need for insurance standardslast month during ACORD's annual conference in Orlando.

I had not attended the ACORD meeting for a few years, but feltlike I'd never left after hearing the same tired pleas for insurersto abandon their shortsighted proprietary systems and adoptuniversal standards once and for all.

ACORD is the United Nations of insurance, bringing togetherevery segment of the industry (no easy task, since many members arebitter competitors). But like the U.N., ACORD has no authority toimpose its agenda unilaterally. Its staff must rely on thecooperation and good faith of insurers, vendors and agent groups.Too often, that good faith and cooperation has been lacking amongthe industry's superpowers.