Getting the most out of ACORD standards implementations brings you greater efficiency, increased savings, and establishes a foundation for future implementations. Sure, the steps involved sound like directions on a shampoo bottle: lather, rinse, repeat. But the result here is much better than shiny hair–it's business improvement.

ACORD members recognize that communication–whether internally between systems or externally between business partners–is more vital than ever. Increased competition, globalization, diverse product lines, and mergers and acquisitions all increase your data and data communication needs, and that means you need industry standards!

Implementing ACORD standards and reporting those implementations are the keys to success. Just take it one step at a time.

Step 1: Implement: The first step in the standards process is, logically, implementation. Putting standards into action is essential to achieving any of the benefits that standards offer.

Step 2: Report: The next step is to let the industry know about your success, show your leadership, and gain recognition for your efforts. To make this process easier, ACORD created the new version of OARS (Online Adoption Report and Survey). Launched in February, the new OARS system streamlines a once labor-intensive process, making it easier, faster, and more efficient.

Step 3: Repeat the ProcessStandards are like potato chips–you can't stop at one. The more you implement and report implementations, the more efficient and competitive your company will be in today's marketplace.

Over the years, ACORD has evolved its standards reporting facility, leveraging the latest technologies to improve the process. ACORD also has worked to make the data coming from the system more useful and meaningful.

So today, with the guidance of the ACORD Joint Implementation Subcommittee and input from our members, a new vision for implementation reporting emerged–one that is faster, easier, and much more efficient.

This new generation of OARS is available right on our Web site (www.acord.org). Companies can report implementation activities online as well as view implementation information by company, transaction, or business message. The reports now feature live data, so as it's entered into the system, it is immediately incorporated into the results.

OARS also provides you with ACORD Certification information so you can see if your company–as well as your trading partners, solution providers, or competitors–are certified and, if so, for which standards version.

Reporting implementations is easy. Your company assigns one or more “OARS Administrators” with the rights to go into the system and:

o enter implementation information;

o update your corporate information;

o enter your product listings;

o and much more.

For solution providers, OARS ties directly into the ACORD Solution Provider Directory, enhancing those capabilities as well.

By moving to an online reporting system, we're able to give you many new features, making it easier to use and generating more extensive reporting data.

o Live Report Data:The new solution updates the reports on the fly. As soon as the information is saved, the report is updated.

o Simpler Data Entry:Entering data online is far easier using check boxes and data fields. Another new feature allows you to “clone” one of your existing implementation entries and use that as the basis for a new report, saving you retyping and time.

o Multiple Administrators:Your company can designate multiple people to be OARS Administrators. This is especially important for those organizations with multiple lines of business, locations, and geographies.

o Publishing Option:An option on the new OARS system allows you to say whether the data you are providing can be made public or should be reported only to ACORD. So, even if you don't want the world to know, ACORD still wants to know. It's just between us.

o Certification:Once you report your implementation, you easily can submit it for ACORD Certification. And with Certification comes the ability to apply for an ACORD Award.

Many wonder why they should consider reporting implementations.

It's about leadership for a start. You are there, on the forefront, putting standards into action to improve your organization. By reporting that information, you are showing the industry that you are committed not only to standards but to improving communication across the value chain with various business partners.

Reporting your implementations demonstrates to your current and potential business partners that you've worked hard to make data communication easier–but have they done the same? OARS can answer that question and others such as:

o Is your current or potential trading partner ACORD compliant like you are? If so, implementation will be easier and more cost-effective.

o Can you increase your business opportunities by identifying business partners who also are ACORD compliant?

o How do you compare with others? Is your solution provider or even your competitor using certified ACORD messages?

o Are you up-to-date on what's being implemented in other divisions or geographies within your company? Or with other companies?

OARS gives you the ability to see who has implemented what standard, and who can communicate easiest with you through their implementation of ACORD standards. That information can give you the competitive edge and helps you identify new business opportunities.

ACORD is about its members. The new OARS system is yet another way to help our members, and the industry as a whole, improve reporting and utilization of implementation data. This is the year not only to implement the standards but report them through OARS.

If you're an ACORD member and not reporting your implementations, now is the time. Not sure who is registered as your OARS Administrator? Contact ACORD Member Services at memberservices@acord.org and find out! If you're not a member, find out more about ACORD at www.acord.org.

Just keep following those simple steps to success–Implement, Report, and Repeat.

Special Reports /

Implement, Report, Repeat

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