Marriott Signs With ICS Merrills OnePartner Program
JACKSONVILLE, Fla., Jan. 23 // -- ICS Merrill, the investigative services division of Examination Management Services, Inc. (EMSI), announced today that Marriott, a world-leading lodging company, will implement ICS Merrill's innovative OnePartner vendor management program for investigation services. In addition, ICS Merrill will exclusively handle all of Marriott's fraud abatement and compliance functions.ICS Merrill's OnePartner outsourcing alternative is a scalable, tailored program that streamlines the investigative process by centralizing all service functions across associated vendors, ensuring quality and consistency in investigative outcomes, as well as establishing standards in time service, results delivery and pricing. OnePartner works with a client's existing staff to realign workflows, freeing adjusters and claims employees to focus on higher-level company priorities while also providing detailed management reporting for improved risk assessment.
"OnePartner's capabilities are a great match for Marriott's unique business needs as a self-insured company with risk throughout the world," said David Merrill, president of ICS Merrill. "Our network's more than 3,000 national and international investigators provide reliable, thorough investigations anywhere Marriott needs while adhering to the same strict investigative standards no matter where an investigator is stationed. Combined with that superior level of performance and service are value-added components like compliance and fraud plan programs, which is something that proactive companies like Marriott need."
Robert Steggert, Marriott Claim Services' vice president of casualty claims, further commented, "ICS Merrill's OnePartner program brings together the world-wide investigative expertise, high-level management and control, and commitment to cost efficiencies that we desired. Blending those essential features with their leading fraud plan and compliance programs that help us stay ahead of possible impending legislative mandates and their innovative yet simple-to-use SmartPartner technology that tracks every case, and OnePartner was the clear choice for us."
About ICS Merrill
ICS Merrill is the investigative services division of EMSI, which has a 30-year history as a leading provider of medical information and risk management services to the insurance, legal, clinical and business communities. Employing a large, experienced group of employee investigators, ICS Merrill provides surveillance and activity checks, dependence reporting, medical and sports facility canvassing, total disability reporting, subrogation services, foreign investigative services, death claim services and claim investigations for all lines of insurance. In addition, their OnePartner vendor management program streamlines the investigative process and creates standards in quality, pricing, time service and results delivery across more than 3,000 investigators in their network. Headquartered in Jacksonville, FL, ICS Merrill's more than 450 employees are located throughout the United States and abroad to serve over 1,000 clients in more than 86 countries.
About Marriott
Marriott International has more than 2,900 lodging properties in the United States and 67 other countries and territories. The company is headquartered in Bethesda, MD and had approximately 151,000 employees at 2006 year-end. It is ranked as the lodging industry's most admired company and one of the best places to work for by FORTUNE(R). The company is also a 2006 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ENERGY STAR(R) Partner. In fiscal year 2006, Marriott International reported sales from continuing operations of $12.2 billion. For more information or reservations, please visit our web site at http://www.marriott.com.