The ACE Rankings are based on an online survey of seniortechnology and operational executives at either five or 10(Standard or Gold Rankings) clients that have direct experiencewith the vendor product and organization. Novarica validates theidentities and responses of all participants while preserving theiranonymity. The Novarica ACE Ranking Survey asks for the referenceto rank his or her experience with the vendor and solution on aseven-point scale ranging from “Completely Agree” to “CompletelyDisagree” in relation to various positive statements about customerexperience, for example, “Staff is highly responsive.” Thesestatements are grouped into Novarica's four SOFT areas (Staff,Organization, Functionality, and Technology) as well as anadditional area for Overall Customer Satisfaction, which isdouble-weighted in the average. When evaluating potentialsolutions, Novarica recommends insurers consult references as earlyin the process as possible, rather than in a final due-diligencephase. The most important criteria for most insurers are how thesystem performs in production and how the vendor delivers support.The best sources of answers to both questions are the vendor'sother clients. Insurers should insist on speaking to clientreferences as early as possible and should leverage formal andinformal networks to communicate with trusted peers early in theevaluation process to avoid later surprises. The Novarica ACERanking is intended to provide an objective measurement ofsatisfaction levels across a wide range of areas and is intended tobe used to guide insurers' own further digging when evaluatingpotential solution providers. More information about the NovaricaACE Rankings is available online at http://www.novarica.com/acerankings_faq.shtml.

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