Bill Smith passed away last week. He was one of the founders of ACORD in California when he worked as CIO of the Fireman's Fund Insurance Companies. In fact, he was the first volunteer Executive Director overseeing the original staff. The picture of Bill (center) is with with Paul, the Chair of the ACORD Committee in the California Independent Agents & Brokers Association.
Bill called me on a regular basis to get an update. He was amazed at how the original idea for ACORD has gone so global. He was an amazing fellow and has been an inspiration for all of us who knew him.
At the reception following the service, Paul and I met Bob Wheeler. Bob was VP at FFIC and worked for Bill. He later went to Crum & Forster. He is now retired.
My latest book presents the challenges members face when adopting industry standards as well as the opportunities that come as a result. It features my discussions with many people over many years and follows the foundation I set in my first book "The Business Information Revolution".
Industry standards are never adopted in a vacuum. They become part and parcel of all the trials and tribulations managers face in their day to day work. ACORD Standards are always part of a larger software development project that brings along people, priorities and politics. Adopting industry standards isn't simple, but the benefits far outweigh the problems of building and maintaining proprietary alternatives.
I trust that you will appreciate my frankness, identify with some of the challenges and learn from what others have done to pave the way.
Previous Book
This is a PDF version of my book. You have my permission to view, save and print copies for your personal use. Use your browser "Back" button to return to the blog after you visit or print a chapter. If you want a clean copy, it's available at the Amazon bookstore.
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