The New Simplified, AI-Powered Certificate of Insurance Screening Tool.
Bunker’s goal from day one has been to simplify the contract insurance process. Insurance requirements are complicated, certificates are complicated, and policy endorsements are definitely complicated. But at the end of the day, it’s a simple question we’re trying to answer:Â Does this contractor have the insurance they need to get to work?
Bunker’s new Certificate Screening Helper empowers your team to answer that question quickly and confidently, whether you’re an insurance pro or new to ACORD forms and insurance terminology. The tool was built to solve the five key challenges in determining compliance:
- Contract insurance requirements are complex
- ACORD forms (Certificates of Insurance) are confusing
- Waivers and exceptions are common – and a huge hassle
- Contract negotiations and onboarding require multiple teams to communicate efficiently
- Contractors have a hard time understanding what they need and where to find it.
Combining Automation & Flexibility
The five challenges above are common to most companies working with independent contractors. However, they can look drastically different from one company to the next. The new Certificate Screening Tool combines automation with flexibility. We do this by standardizing universal fields, like coverages and expiration dates, while providing customizable notes, statuses, and notification options to fit into your existing tools and processes.
How to Simplify Compliance:
CHALLENGE 1:
Insurance Requirements are Complex
It’s not uncommon for contracts to have an entire paragraph of legal jargon that boils down to a single insurance coverage. Bunker simplifies your requirements, focusing on the key information you’re looking for on a certificate of insurance, including coverages, limits, and language. The requirement is displayed directly beside the certificate it needs to match, so you can quickly go through your checklist in one step. Our AI-assisted document storage even records the expiration dates for you, and automatically notifies you and the insured when their renewal is coming up.
As we mentioned before, some insurance requirements don’t fit neatly into a standard template. Use the description field in your requirement builder to remind your team of additional details like Umbrella Liability rules, rare exclusions, or carrier details.
CHALLENGE 2:
ACORD Forms Are Confusing
Those of us who live and breathe insurance may be able to spot the Combined Single Limit on an Auto Policy, or tell you if it applies to hired vehicles as well as owned ones. But you shouldn’t have to be an expert to tackle an ACORD form with confidence.Â
That’s why we’ve created the Bunker Certificate Helper. If you’re unfamiliar with any of the required elements, click ‘Where Do I Find It?’Â You’ll see the ACORD section highlighted, as well as tips for navigating any outliers or nuances.
CHALLENGE 3:
Waivers & Exceptions are Annoyingly Common
Rather than having to make a separate requirement for every variation, we’ve added a custom note field where you can record any nuances that would be helpful for reporting or team communication. You can add things like approved waivers, questions to follow up on, or note when workers’ compensation isn’t statutorily required.
These notes will show up both in the Contractor’s record and in your reporting. The note will remain after expiration. This means you will be able to see any legacy exceptions or nuances when you’re checking their renewal certificate the following year.
If you know about a nuance or waiver ahead of time, you can add these notes before any certificates have been uploaded. You can even add them right from the ‘create contractor’ form. Then, any member of your team can screen the certificate, and they’ll know right away what the ‘acceptance criteria’ should be.
CHALLENGE 4:
Communicating With Multiple Teams
For many contracts, insurance requirements aren’t set in stone. That’s why we’ve added the ‘In Review’ status. You can use the custom notes field to add questions, verification, or missing pieces that are holding up the contracting process.
Your team members can log in, filter your contracts by status, and easily see the items that are in need of review.
You can also set the status to ‘rejected,’ indicating that the certificate(s) that you’ve received don’t meet the requirement. When a new certificate is uploaded, their status will be re-set to new certificate. You can note the missing pieces to make it easy for you or other team members to check updated versions without re-screening for the entire requirement.
CHALLENGE 5:
The Right Certificate of Insurance is Hard to Find
Most importantly, the requirement templates that you use to easily screen Certificates of Insurance can be shared directly with your contractors.
Each requirement has a unique URL that directs them to a co-branded landing page outlining exactly what they need, in the same simple format. They can even purchase the exact required policy, including sublimits, language and details, right from the site in as little as 5 minutes!
Their status will automatically update to quoting and new certificate as they move through the purchase process. When you see that it’s from Bunker you’ll know right away that it’s correct. You’ll also be instantly notified if a Bunker insured cancels or changes their policy later on.
Faster, Cheaper, Easier
As our current members know, this is a shift from the hyper-specialized agent review process we began with. This version allows us to offer a scalable certificate management solution that you can operate on your terms, without agent reviews, waiver questions, and triangulation causing delays.
Most importantly, it allows Bunker’s team of insurance experts to focus on what we do best: providing fast, accurate, and affordable certificates of insurance to meet contract requirements. This year we’re excited to bring even more accessible policies to independent businesses. Stay tuned for updates as we continue automating the process from quote, to certificate, to renewal!
