Effort provides COUNTRY Financial with disciplined methodology for future software evaluation and selection
April 12, 2011 � Eastern Shore Consulting, a consulting firm specializing in insurance software selection services, today announced it has completed the management and oversight of an extensive project with COUNTRY Financial focused on the evaluation, selection, and procurement of multiple new core processing systems. In addition, Eastern Shore Consulting has provided COUNTRY Financial with a formal and disciplined methodology to be used for future software evaluation and selection efforts.
The core processing systems which were the focus of the project included:
- Property & Casualty policy administration, rating and billing
- Life/Health policy administration
- HR system for leadership resource
- Finance system for account reconciliation
In addition to addressing COUNTRY Financial’s current new system requirements, the Eastern Shore Consulting engagement has provided the insurer with a reusable and proven methodology for future efforts. The process guides the project from RFP through contract negotiations and includes:
- RFP Development
- The Vendor List
- RFP Process
- Bidder’s Conference
- Scripted Demos
- Proof of Concept
- Due Diligence
- Contract negotiations
Al Reiss, Senior Vice President Service Operations with COUNTRY Financial commented, �Working with Eastern Shore Consulting has provided us a new and effective approach to software evaluation and selection. By following the process provided along with Eastern Shore’s guidance, we were able to gather a body of knowledge that represented the needs of our entire organization which enabled us to make informed decisions on the best software and vendors to meet our wide range of requirements. It’s been a great experience and we look forward to continuing to put into practice the methodology that Eastern Shore has provided to us.�
Eastern Shore’s CEO and Founder Bill Garvey, added, �It was a pleasure to work with The COUNTRY Financial team. They were devoted to putting in the time, effort, and due diligence to choose the solutions that would most effectively serve their needs for the foreseeable future. It is especially gratifying to be able to provide them with a step-by-step methodology that they can apply to their future software evaluation and selection efforts.�
About COUNTRY Financial
COUNTRY Financial, a Fortune 1000 company based in Bloomington, Ill., serves about one million households and businesses throughout the United States with a full range of financial products from auto, home and life insurance to retirement planning services, education funding and investment management. More than 2,000 financial representatives in 14 Midwestern and Western states help families build a financially secure future, no matter where they’re starting from. COUNTRY posts some of the best financial strength ratings in the industry with an A+ Superior rating from AM Best and A+ from Weiss Ratings. www.countryfinancial.com
About Eastern Shore Consulting
With over three decades of Claims Operations and IT executive and management experience, Eastern Shore Consulting helps insurers develop and execute effective automation strategies. Eastern Shore specializes in assisting insurers in building the business case for legacy system replacement, selecting the best fit software and technology, and enabling a successful implementation. To learn more about Eastern Shore Consulting’s services, call 902-457-7350 or visit the website at www.easternshoreconsulting.ca.
