Union Mutual of Vermont Selects SurePower Innovation from ISCS

ISCS has announce that U.S-based Union Mutual of Vermont Companies (UMVT)  completed an on-time, on-budget, full-suite implementation of ISCS’s flagship product, SurePower Innovation®, for its Connecticut business owners policies, with other lines of insurance and states to follow. The new system provides UMVT a flexible, fully Web-based platform to deliver market-leading service to its policyholders and increased ease of doing business to independent agents.

John H. Fitzhugh, president and CEO of UMVT, told the joint UMVT and ISCS team at a celebratory breakfast, “Large technology projects too rarely lead to celebrations. Achieving this initial milestone speaks to the exceptional performance of this team and deserves applause.” Fitzhugh was joined by UMVT Board Member James H. Douglas, executive in residence at Middlebury College and Governor of Vermont, 2003-2011, in congratulating the team.

The project included deployment of state-of-the-art software modules for real-time rating and quoting insurance coverage, issuing and managing policies, print and electronic correspondence, billing, and Web access for policy holders and independent agents.  Use of agile project management methodology was a key success factor in meeting an aggressive implementation timeline, according to Leslie Holden-Mikesell, ISCS’s vice president of Professional Services. “The agile approach gets business and IT people working together directly and forming a common team. It’s different from traditional project management, and UMVT’s internal project managers deserve high praise for how quickly and effectively they brought their people onto the agile team,” said Holden-Mikesell.

Gary H. Ouellette, vice president of Operations, Technology and Enterprise Risk, for UMVT, agreed that agile methodology had provided the framework for a productive partnership,  adding  “The daily meetings and regular testing during the project that are integral parts of the agile approach kept us on track toward our goal. I look forward to continuing use of the agile approach as we bring all our lines of business and all our states onto ISCS’s SurePower Innovation suite.”

UMVT intends to extend Sure Power Innovation for new and renewal business owners policies in the other New England states in February, and then begin to bring its personal lines policies on board by early summer.