Given the company’s familiarity with the mainframe environment, its first inclination was to find a new mainframe-based rating engine. The company focused its search and evaluation efforts on mainframe solutions, finding only one worth consideration. The proof-of-concept revealed deficiencies, so Auto-Owners abandoned the offering.
However, during the proof-of-concept process, the company ran the test in both mainframe and server environments. It discovered that the response was just as good or better from the latter, broadening the company’s search to include server-based solutions. Accenture Duck Creek’s solution was tested.
While the size of the rate tables, the volume of rate data and the complexity of rating presented challenges, Accenture Duck Creek had Auto-Owners’ rates up-and-running successfully in just two weeks. Auto-Owners was impressed with this early success and decided to move forward with Accenture Duck Creek for a more extensive proof-of-concept, also successful.
Accenture Duck Creek provided one week of training, giving Auto-Owners staff a good base of knowledge to accelerate the development of their own expertise on the system.
In order for its actuarial and programming staff to gain the desired knowledge, proficiency and self-sufficiency, Auto-Owners understood the need to work through the learning curve with the Accenture Duck Creek staff.