Aflac's Support Services Unit Earns Esteemed Quality Management Certification

COLUMBUS, Ga., June 20, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Aflac, the number one provider of supplemental insurance in the United States, and the number one life insurance company in Japan in terms of policies in force, announced today that the company's Support Services unit has attained the coveted Quality Management System Certification, ISO 9001:2008.  The International Organization for Standards (ISO) is the world's largest developer and publisher of international standards.

Upon completion of a comprehensive review of the Aflac Support Services system in June, SRI Quality System Registrar, an internationally recognized accredited registrar headquartered in Pittsburgh, Pa., determined that Aflac Support Services' strong, ongoing quality management system meets the standards for ISO certification.

A key component of Aflac's business operations, the Support Services unit prints and delivers all policies, checks, invoices, letters, and notices to external customers, internal customers, and accounts.  The unit also distributes field- related sales and product literature, and provides support for product marketing.

"Attaining ISO certification for such a vital function of our business validates our commitment to excellence as a company," Aflac Senior Vice President of Business Services Eric Seldon said.  "It shows that Aflac is working hard to ensure the efficient delivery of benefits, services and information to policyholders and account administrators so they can focus on what matters most to them when an illness or injury occurs."

ISO standards are derived from an international consensus on good quality management practices that require a strong business management process and an equally strong documentation of how the company meets its goals, plus excellent customer service. Aflac Support Services processes will be audited annually to ensure that the company remains within the standards for ISO certification.

"We are pleased that Aflac has demonstrated effective implementation of a management system," A. Joseph Falcsik, SRI's vice president of certification, said. "ISO 9001 certification provides evidence to customers, suppliers, employees and the community of a company's commitment to producing a quality product and providing customer satisfaction."

The ISO 9001:2008 is a process-based certification that recognizes organizations that can link business objectives with operating effectiveness. According to the ISO, companies like Aflac that achieve management system certification have demonstrated the following attributes:

• Effectively implemented documentation and records management systems in accordance with ISO 9001:2008 standards.
• Demonstrated a commitment to providing quality customer service.
• Developed sound business objectives that can be traced back to operations effectiveness.
• Successfully implemented a system to document its effective management system.

ABOUT AFLAC

When a policyholder gets sick or hurt, Aflac pays cash benefits fast. For more than 55 years, Aflac insurance policies have given policyholders the opportunity to focus on recovery, not financial stress. In the United States, Aflac is the number one provider of guaranteed-renewable insurance. In Japan, Aflac is the number one life insurance company in terms of individual policies in force. Aflac individual and group insurance products provide protection to more than 50 million people worldwide. 2012 marked the sixth consecutive year Aflac has been recognized by Ethisphere magazine as a World's Most Ethical Company. 2012 also marked the 14th year FORTUNE magazine recognized Aflac as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work For and the 11th time FORTUNE included Aflac on its list of Most Admired Companies. Aflac Incorporated is a Fortune 500 company listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol AFL. To find out more about Aflac, visit aflac.com or espanol.aflac.com.

ABOUT SRI QUALITY SYSTEM REGISTRAR

SRI Quality System Registrar is an internationally accredited registrar for management systems standards, such as ISO 9001, ISO 27001, ISO 20000-1, and environmental management systems standards such as ISO 14001. SRI also provides public training for auditing, implementing and maintaining these standards.

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Media Contact:
Kip Havel
Aflac
706.243.5543
[email protected]

SOURCE Aflac