ACORD.org — Common Services Working Groups

Listings Updated for Winter/Spring 2012 Cycle.

ACORD WEB SERVICES PROFILE

	Site: http://teams.acord.org/apps/org/workgroup/jtwsp
	Email: jtwsp@teams.acord.org
	Chair(s): Kevin Kosienski, MassMutal Financial Group
	ACORD Facilitator: Kevin Schipani - kschipani@acord.org
	See Extension
Description: This group’s objective to develop AWSP version 2.0, an updated version based on finalized Web Services Standards developed by W3C and OASIS, was completed in November 2010 when the Joint Technical Subcommittee approved the specification as a Candidate Recommendation. The next steps have been defined as advocacy and pilot implementation support. While there has been relevant activity reported at member companies, a specific pilot implementation has not yet been identified. Potentially, the Plug and Play working group’s Tooling Jamboree which took place at the ACORD/LOMA Insurance Systems Forum in May qualified as a pilot. Additional member projects underway are in the process of being reviewed by the working group. Advocacy targets included the 2010 ACORD Implementation Forum (sessions were presented), Agent’s Council on Technology (ACT), and the UK ACORD Club. Liaison activities have taken place with the Plug and Play working group in the Life program, the South Africa working group, and the NIPR Gateway Mapping Working group (Producer Licensing and Appointments).

BINDER CLAIMS REPORTING

	Site: http://teams.acord.org/apps/org/workgroup/jb-bindingclaim/
	Email: jb-bindingclaim@teams.acord.org
	Chair(s): Sarah Thacker, Lloyd's; Adam Stafford, Lloyd's
	See Proposal
Description: This will establish spreadsheet formats and XML messages for use in reporting claims to insurers relating to risks that have bound on their behalf by Coverholders (e.g. MGA's).

DATA MODEL

	Site: http://teams.acord.org/apps/org/workgroup/cd-datamodel
	Email: cd-datamodel@teams.acord.org
	Chair(s): TBD
	ACORD Facilitator: Shane McCullough - smccullough@acord.org
	See Extension
Description: This working group will take the ACORD® Framework Information Model and optimize it for persistence, creating a more consistent view of data that is stored in a database. The value to the industry is consistency. By coupling this model with current ACORD forms/messaging standards, and the rest of the Framework, ACORD can supply the industry with an end-to-end path of data, from entry into a form to persistence into a database. This cycle the Group will work to validate definition of Data Model 2.0 based on harmonized Information Model 2.0.

INFORMATION MODEL

	Site: http://teams.acord.org/apps/org/workgroup/cd-stdsframe-infomodel
	Email: cd-stdsframe-infomodel@teams.acord.org
	Chair(s): Gwen Smith, Axis Capital; Ken Ekers, Prima Software
	ACORD Facilitator: Mark Orlandi - morlandi@acord.org
	See Extension
Description: This Group will work to create normalization through the Information Model. Their results will promote consistency in development as well as reduce or eliminate redundancy. It will also create traceablity from the business concept to standards implementations as well as provide a more thorough understanding of the impact of change. This cycle, the Group will work to validate the content delivered as part of the ACORD Framework Information Model 2.0. This Group will provide validation and guidance in the final stages of the development of the harmonized model.

JOINT TECHNICAL ARCHITECTURE

	Site: http://teams.acord.org/apps/org/workgroup/jt-arch/
	Email: jt-arch@teams.acord.org
	Chair(s): TBD
	ACORD Facilitator: Kevin Schipani - kschipani@acord.org
	See Extension
Description: To support the requirements associated with the creation of a single unified ACORD Business Standard – AML – and the creation of infrastructure related XML components (e.g. for ACORD® Web Services Profile – AWSP), there is a need to develop a set of AML architecture principles upon which new XML designs can be based which will be in line with approaches being taken within the wider XML user community and will remain stable for several years. The Naming and Design Rules (NDR) have been published as a Candidate Recommendation as of January 2008. This incorporated all NDR content required to support the design of AML and AWSP v1. The specification went into Proof of Concept in April 2008, and that period continued thereafter up to the present activity below: Updates to the NDR Specification to incorporate resolutions of all proof of concept issues. To incorporate all or part of the new outstanding items, depending on the agreement level that can be achieved. Creation of an AML Design Priniciples/Patterns Document.

NIPR GATEWAY MAPPING

	Site: http://teams.acord.org/apps/org/workgroup/jb-nipr
	Email: jb-nipr@teams.acord.org
	Chair(s): Tom Bergin, NIPR
	ACORD Facilitator: Kevin Schipani - kschipani@acord.org
	See Extension
Description: Create ACORD versions of the existing NIPR Gateway transactions that currently exist in the proprietary NIPR format. This working group will be of particular interest to those who have participated in the Producer Working Groups for both the LAH and PCS model. This group will also be of interest to those users or planned users of the NIPR messages. Objectives for this cycle include the following: Use case definition document Message definition and mapping document Maintenance Requests as needed to support new NIPR messages Implementation process definition to determine need for implementation guide and XML sample messages.

PLUG-N-PLAY CONSORTIUM

	Site: http://teams.acord.org/apps/org/workgroup/life-pnp/
	Email: life-pnp@teams.acord.org
	Chair(s): Kinam Kim, MassMutual
	ACORD Facilitator: Mike Bauer - mbauer@acord.org
	See Proposal
Description: Insurance Companies and vendors work together to make vendors solutions and internal systems of Life insurance companies Plug-and Play each other via SOA. Improve ACORD Standards for consistent interpretation and implementation (Remove ambiguity). Vendors deliver ready to plug-and-play SOA Services, compliant with Plug-and-Play Consortium Implementation Standards of ACORD and WS-* standards, out of the box. Insurance companies make their internal systems Service-enable, also compliant with Plug-and-Play Consortium Implementation Standards of ACORD and WS-* standards. Vendors and insurance companies develop and maintain the compliant SOA services at their cost at agreed upon timeframe. Actively promote adoption of the plug-and-playable standards across the industry. Offer Certification that a solution is compliant with the Plug-and-Play Consortium implementation standards. Improve the efficiency of the industry and ultimately benefit consumers at large.

PRODUCT SCHEMA

	Site: http://teams.acord.org/apps/org/workgroup/cd-prodschema/
	Email: cd-prodschema@teams.acord.org
	Chair(s): TBD
	See Extension
Description: This Group is working on creating a simple, consistent, flexible message structure that can help both carriers and vendors express and share product information. To that end, IBM has donated their product structure as an XML schema. In scope: A clear vision describing what the schema is and how it can be used. Clear definitions for every element in the schema, and how those elements related to one another. One or more example XML documents created with the schema. Rationalization of this structure against ACORD's Information Model and the LAH Policy Product structures.

ACORD LOMA Insurance Systems Forum - Save the Date: 15-17 May 2012. Rosen Shingle Creek, Orlando, FL

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