Article Type: News Article

Certificates of Insurance (COIs) are critical documents used in many industries to verify that a party has the appropriate insurance coverage in place. One of the most widely used formats for these certificates is the ACORD Form. If you’ve ever wondered what an ACORD Form COI is or why it matters, you’re in the right place.

What Is an ACORD Certificate of Insurance?

An ACORD Certificate of Insurance (COI) is a standardized document used to provide proof of insurance coverage. It summarizes the essential details of a policy—such as coverage types, limits, effective dates, and the insured party—in a one-page form.

The term ACORD stands for the Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development, a nonprofit organization that sets data and form standards for the insurance industry. ACORD forms ensure consistency and reliability when sharing insurance information between insurers, policyholders, and third parties like vendors or clients.

Why Are ACORD COIs Important?

ACORD COIs are often required in business contracts and partnerships to:

•  Verify that vendors, contractors, or suppliers carry adequate insurance.
•  Protect against liability risks.
•  Ensure compliance with legal or contractual obligations.
•  Speed up onboarding or payment approvals.

They don’t provide coverage themselves but serve as a snapshot of active insurance policies.

What’s Included in an ACORD COI?

An ACORD 25 (the most common certificate for liability insurance) typically includes:

•  Insured party name and contact info
•  Producer (agent/broker) contact
•  Insurance company names
•  Policy numbers and types of coverage (e.g., General Liability, Auto, Workers’ Comp)
•  Effective and expiration dates
•  Coverage limits
•  Certificate holder details
•  Description of operations (free-form field for notes or contract references)
•  Authorized signature

Why Does Standardization Matter?

Using the ACORD format ensures consistency across insurers, industries, and platforms. Whether you’re onboarding a new vendor or verifying compliance, the standardized layout helps automate and streamline the review process.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does “ACORD” stand for?

ACORD stands for Association for Cooperative Operations Research and Development. It is the organization that develops standardized insurance forms, including COIs.

Is an ACORD COI a legal contract?

No, a COI is not a contract or policy. It’s a summary of coverage and doesn’t provide any legal rights to the certificate holder. Always refer to the actual policy documents for full details.

How long is a Certificate of Insurance valid?

COIs are valid only for the policy term listed on the form. Once a policy expires or is canceled, the COI is no longer valid unless updated by the insurance provider.

What’s the difference between a COI and an insurance binder?

An insurance binder is a temporary contract of insurance coverage, while a COI is merely proof that coverage exists. A binder offers temporary coverage; a COI does not.

Can I request a COI from a vendor?

Absolutely—and you should. If you’re hiring contractors, subcontractors, or third-party vendors, requesting a COI ensures they have the insurance coverage necessary to protect your business. Automated COI monitoring systems such as CertFocus by Vertikal can be used to instantly validate COIs within seconds of receipt. Hawk-I a component within CertFocus extracts coverage date from COIs and automatically compares it coverage requirements found in vendor contracts.

Learn More About Automated COI Tracking

ACORD Certificates of Insurance are essential tools for verifying insurance coverage quickly and efficiently. By understanding what they include and how they work, you can better manage third-party risk, improve compliance, and streamline business operations.

Want to learn more about automated COI tracking? Check out our blog post on straight-through COI processing.

Ready for a Free Demo?

See how Vertikal can transform your 3rd party risk management strategy.

Contact Vertikal today or email marketing@vertikalrms.com to schedule a live free demo of CertFocus. Discover the difference that instant, intelligent COI evaluation can make for your business.

Vertikal Introduces Instantaneous Reviews of COIs

Experience the Quickest and Most Precise Reviews of Certificates of Insurance (COI) Available in the Market

Validating supplier COIs is widely recognized as an inefficient process. It often feels like it takes an eternity to complete all the necessary steps, starting with requesting a supplier’s COI and concluding with verifying that the insurance meets or exceeds minimum coverage requirements. This waiting game causes headaches for everyone involved.

COI tracking is not only time-consuming but also labor-intensive. The process involves multiple steps, including requesting COIs, extracting coverage data, comparing that data to contractually defined insurance requirements, and determining compliance status.

What Is Straight-Through COI Processing?

Vertikal’s proprietary Hawk-I technology enables rapid and accurate validation of supplier insurance certificates. Hawk-I extracts essential information from ACORD Form Certificates of Insurance (COIs), including dates, coverage types, coverage amounts, and checkboxes. Additionally, Hawk-I interprets the free-form language in the description of operations section of the certificate, extracting pertinent information that is crucial for compliance determination.

By organizing all important data from a COI into a structured format, Hawk-I allows for immediate comparison with coverage requirements, facilitating swift compliance assessments without the need for manual review of the COI document. This straight-through process ensures that the entire COI review is completed within seconds of receipt!

This significant increase in speed greatly improves the previously laborious and inefficient process of collecting and evaluating compliance for Certificates of Insurance.

What Are the Benefits of Straight-Through COI Processing?

Enhances Risk Management

Rapid reviews of Certificates of Insurance allow you to identify potential gaps in coverage promptly, ensuring you stay ahead of potential risks before they become problems.

Enhances Visibility and Informed Decision-Making

The tracking system will provide real-time updates on the insurance status of your supply base. This allows for more informed business decisions, such as whether to engage or refrain from engaging a supplier, or to hold or release payment to a subcontractor, all based on accurate information.

Eliminates False Compliance Statuses Caused by Processing Delays

Diligent suppliers regularly send updated certificates to address deficiencies and advise of coverage renewals. Delays in processing newly received COIs leads to the tracking system displaying outdated compliance statuses, such as showing an entity as compliant when it is actually non-compliant, or vice versa.

Improves Supplier Onboarding

Certificates of Insurance (COIs) must be collected and reviewed for insurance coverage acceptability before finalizing onboarding approval and before commencing any business activities. Faster approval of COIs accelerates the onboarding process, allowing business activities to begin sooner and enhancing the satisfaction of all parties involved.

Improves Supplier Relationships

Instantaneous reviews from straight-through Certificate of Insurance (COI) processing mean that suppliers are immediately informed whether their newly uploaded COI meets the requirements for providing proof of insurance coverage. Suppliers value these immediate COI reviews and compliance determinations, as it allows them to quickly move on to other activities.

Leads to More Effective Agent/Broker Engagement

Producers of Certificates of Insurance (COIs) receive immediate feedback on whether the documents they upload are compliant. If a newly uploaded COI does not meet compliance standards, they are promptly notified, enabling them to make the necessary adjustments to address any deficiencies. As a result, agents and brokers no longer have to wait to determine the compliance status of the COI.

Lowers Processing Costs and Saves Time

The straight-through processing of Certificates of Insurance (COIs) has removed the need for manual evaluations. This approach not only speeds up the review process but also improves the consistency of how reviews are conducted. Vertikal provides its clients with the flexibility to choose how they utilize straight-through processing. Some clients may prefer to use it for all incoming COIs, while others might opt to combine manual reviews with straight-through processing based on the types of vendors or specific requirements.

Eliminates Backlogs Caused by Periods of High Volumes of Incoming COIs

Hawk-I addresses the challenges of document backlogs and delays that occur during periods of high incoming Certificate of Insurance (COI) volume. Each year, there are surges in COI submissions, particularly right after the end of calendar quarters, which coincide with common renewal dates: January 1st, April 1st, July 1st, and October 1st. These spikes in volume can strain resources, leading to backlogs and extended processing times for certificates. This situation can negatively impact supplier relationships and increase the likelihood that the tracking system does not reflect the most current policy information, as documents remain pending for processing.

By utilizing Hawk-I, organizations can effectively manage this issue, as it enables the review of documents and updates to compliance status at speeds significantly faster than manual reviews. With Hawk-I, the backlog of COIs requiring processing is eliminated.

Can Be Used for Evaluating Other Insurance and Non-Insurance Documents

Hawk-I is a tool designed for evaluating both insurance and non-insurance documents. The AI model used in Hawk-I for managing Certificates of Insurance (COIs) can also automatically extract and review a variety of other documents. Any documents from business partners that require information validation are perfect candidates for a streamlined review process with Hawk-I. This will save your organization both time and money.

Conclusion

Navigating the complexities of Certificates of Insurance (COIs) can be challenging. With Hawk-I, straight-through processing becomes a reality. This innovative technology speeds up COI reviews while enhancing accuracy. All participants in the COI process will benefit, leading to improved supplier relations. The long-held goal has been to achieve straight-through processing of COIs, eliminating the need for manual reviews of each document. We are excited to be at the forefront of COI evaluation technology, ensuring our clients have the best COI tracking service and system capabilities available in the marketplace.

Ready for a Free AI Demo?

See how Hawk-I can transform your approach to 3rd party risk management.

Contact Vertikal today or email marketing@vertikalrms.com to schedule a live, free demo of Certfocus and to receive a proposal for the CertFocus system and services. Discover the difference that Hawk-I straight-through COI evaluation can make for your business.

Vertikal Risk Management Solutions (RMS) is pleased to introduce Hawk-I, a new AI tool that integrates seamlessly with our flagship COI tracking application, CertFocus. Now organizations can use automation to overcome the traditional friction points found in the COI tracking process, presenting a revolutionary leap forward in 3rd party risk management.

Why Improve 3rd Party Risk Management?

For decades, companies have struggled with inefficient and manual methods of verifying Certificates of Insurance (COI) from vendors, contractors, and suppliers. These documents are essential for ensuring that 3rd parties meet specific insurance requirements — yet until now, the process of reviewing and tracking COIs have been plagued by slow turnaround times, human error, and inconsistent accuracy.

Every organization that outsources work, hires contractors, or partners with vendors opens itself up to a range of risk exposures — from property damage to workplace accidents and cyber incidents. To manage this risk, businesses require valid, up-to-date evidence of insurance from each 3rd party. But when you’re managing hundreds or thousands of suppliers, the administrative burden becomes enormous!

At its core, 3rd party risk management is about trust — but that trust must be backed by validated information. In today’s complex operating landscape, the risks of relying on outdated or invalid insurance documentation are too great to ignore. Whether it’s a coverage lapse, an expired policy, or an exclusion clause buried in fine print, even small gaps can lead to major liability.

Hawk-I empowers businesses to proactively address these risks. Real-time compliance tracking allows stakeholders to detect and remediate issues before they become legal or financial headaches. Plus, with audit-ready data available instantly, organizations are better prepared for internal reviews, external audits, and regulatory inspections.

What’s Wrong with Traditional COI Processing?

Traditionally, COIs were reviewed manually, relying on staff to read and verify coverage details across various formats. Even with traditional COI software technologies such as Optical Character Recognition (OCR), challenges persisted. OCR technology is limited in its ability to interpret low-quality document scans, detect nuanced policy language in free-form text, or maintain high accuracy in dynamic document formats. These gaps not only slow down the process but also open the door to inaccuracy in determining COI compliance and increased loss exposure.

COI review is one of the most resource-draining tasks in vendor onboarding and on-going vendor management. Every year, millions of COIs are exchanged between businesses and their suppliers. Historically, this has involved:

• • Manual entry and interpretation of policy information found on the COI
• • Dependence on OCR systems that can’t recognize unstructured or low-quality text
• • Multi-day delays for review and approval
• • Lack of integration with internal systems, leading to siloed or outdated records
• • High costs associated with data entry staff, error correction, and compliance follow-up

Hawk-I solves these problems with AI-driven automation that delivers measurable improvements across the board.

Can an AI Assistant Produce Better COI Management?

Effective 3rd party risk management requires more than just collecting certificates of insurance documents — it demands artificially intelligent systems that can evaluate COI compliance in real time, reducing the risk of coverage lapses, and protecting the company from liability. That’s exactly what Vertikal aims to deliver. Enter Hawk-I, a game-changing AI tool designed to automate, streamline, and elevate the entire certificate of insurance compliance workflow.

What Is Hawk-I?

Hawk-I is an AI tool developed by Vertikal Risk Management Services to automate the COI review process within It’s CertFocus application. Trained on extensive real-world insurance data, Hawk-I uses natural language processing (NLP) and machine learning to extract and analyze certificate of insurance information — whether it’s embedded in forms, free-form text, or PDF documents.

How Does Hawk-I Achieve Instant COI Compliance?

By enabling COI processing with AI, Hawk-I replaces the high cost of manual reviews with automatic evaluations. Incoming COIs are scanned, validated, and processed in seconds (not days) with updated compliance status immediately available to all of the participants in the COI process (supplier, supplier agent, certificate holder) immediately after COIs are received.

Workflow for Hawk-I Intelligence:

What Are the Features & Benefits of Hawk-I?

Instantly Extract COI Data

Hawk-I’s proprietary algorithms accurately extract policy information from both structured form fields and unstructured PDF documents. It takes complex policy text description from COI images and captures the necessary data with minimal error — far outperforming manual systems.

Get Rapid Compliance Status

With Hawk-I, what once took days now happens in seconds! The moment a COI is uploaded into CertFocus, Hawk-I reviews and processes it, giving both internal users and external vendors instant feedback on compliance status.

Save on Costs

Manual COI management involves hidden labor costs, errors, and compliance gaps. By automating data entry and reducing human intervention with AI, Hawk-I helps management teams focus on resolving risk—not processing paperwork.

Seamless Integration with CertFocus COI Application

Hawk-I doesn’t just analyze documents on it’s own — it integrates with our COI application, CertFocus effortlessly. Insurance data can flow directly into enterprise tools, ERPs, and contract management platforms, supporting real-time reporting and automated decision-making.

A Better User Experience & Collaboration

From compliance officers to procurement teams to vendors themselves, everyone benefits from Hawk-I’s responsiveness and transparency. Suppliers can get immediate confirmation of whether their documents meet requirements, improving relationships and reducing bottlenecks.

Handles Other Required Documents

Hawk-I’s AI engine is versatile. While initially trained for COIs, it can be adapted to interpret other business documents, image-based data, and compliance records—making it a valuable asset across departments and industries.

Please check back for more AI related news and updates from Vertikal.

Does CertFocus Integrate with Hawk-I?

The introduction of Hawk-I builds upon the strength of Vertikal’s CertFocus application, which has been trusted by enterprises for over two decades to manage COIs and enforce risk management policies. CertFocus is widely regarded as a leader in the insurance technology space, helping organizations streamline compliance, protect their assets, and ensure accountability across their supply chain.

By integrating Hawk-I into CertFocus, Vertikal RMS delivers the most intelligent and efficient COI management solution on the market today. This innovation further underscores Vertikal’s role as a forward-thinking partner for risk leaders in industries ranging from construction and logistics to finance, healthcare, and energy.

The future of COI management is here — and it’s powered by artificial intelligence. With Hawk-I, companies can finally eliminate the friction, inefficiency, and blind spots that have long plagued insurance compliance processes.

Ready for a Free AI Demo?

See how Hawk-I AI can transform your 3rd party risk management strategy.

Contact Vertikal today or email marketing@vertikalrms.com to schedule a live free demo of Hawk-I. Discover the difference that instant, intelligent COI evaluation can make for your business.