System Comparisons

Applied: www.appliedsystems.com

AMS: www.amsworld.com

DORIS: www.dorisinc.com

MI-Assistant: www.mi-assistant.com

SIS: www.sisware.com

EBIX: www.ebix.com

INSTAR: www.instarcorp.com

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Technical Terms and Definitions

Backlog Audits

Client Environment

Document Management

Feature Training

Manually Automated Environment

Monitoring Guidelines

Process Environment

Process Role

Roles

Sales Role

Self-Assessment

Service Environment

Service Role

T-filing

Task Force

Transaction Audits

Workflow Analysis

Workflow Guidelines

Workflow Reviews

Workflow Training

Workload Audits

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Backlog Audits

Measure service provider ability to stay caught up with routine transactions and complies with the workflow priorities

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Business Owners Package (BOP)

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Client Environment

Routine processes are eliminated or significantly reduced. Clients (or vendors) obtain proof of insurance coverage on-line. Changes are requested via the Internet. Process centers are available for routine transactions. The agency role is relationship driven.

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Document Management

Organizing client and carrier documentation including paper, e-mail, electronic attachments, conversations and meetings.

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Feature Training

Training on use of system features (issue a certificate, complete an invoice, do a letter, etc.)

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Manually Automated Environment

No computer or the computer is used primarily for accounting. Paper files are maintained and referred to frequently. Procedures may be in place; however, the procedures support both a manual and an automated environment. There is a lot of redundancy.

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Monitoring Guidelines

Reviewing compliance with agency guidelines and to provide a benchmark where management can measure the impact (productivity gains or loss) workflows and automation has on operations

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Process Environment

Computer features are implemented. Paper files are maintained; however, they only contain items not stored on the computer. Features are implemented, and staff is trained on these features. As the vendor releases new features, they are implemented, and staff is trained on them.

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Process Role

Responsible for ensuring routine transactions are processed in a timely manner. The process role can be a team of people, or they can be assigned to individual servicers. The service and process roles may also overlap and be only one person. Typically, the process titles include assistant or processor. However, to be effective, the process role should be of equal importance to that of the service role. For the purposes of this workbook, we refer to the process role as processors.

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Roles

Structure for servicing clients.

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Sales Role

Responsible for driving revenue. The sales role may also be responsible for the relationship with existing clients, but stays out of the day-to-day service needs of the client. Support for the sales role new business production should come from the production unit, not the service unit. This lets your service resources focus on service and your sales resources focus on new business. Typically, the sales titles include producers and/or account executives.

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Self-Assessment

Questionnaire to assist in determining which environment you are operating in currently.

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Service Environment

Computer features are well implemented. Workflows are in place integrating the features and the workflows. Supporting documentation is maintained, but not in the traditional paper file. Transactional filing or scanning has been implemented. Procedures are in place supporting an automated environment.

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Service Role

Responsible for meeting the day-to-day servicing needs of the client. This is the client's primary contact. The service role is also responsible for managing or overseeing the renewal process to ensure timely follow-up. Typically, the service titles include account managers and/or CSRs. For the purposes of this workbook, we refer to the service role as service providers.

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T-filing

Improves accuracy and eliminates duplication of effort. Files may be quickly accessed and modified on-line to increase productivity and avoid a back log of files awaiting changes. Furthermore, T-filing will free up office space and decrease storage costs generated from archaic manual filing methods.

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Task Force

Chosen staff members from all responsibility types, including service, process and sales. The task forces review, evaluate, develop and change workflows in order to improve agency efficiency, service, and sales.

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Transaction Audits

Benchmark service provider adherence to the guidelines and reliance on the electronic file. Transaction audits also monitor workload distribution.

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Workflow Analysis

Questions to assess how work is currently being processed in the agency or brokerage. This process enables you to easily recognize problem areas, bottlenecks, duplication, overlapping of roles, backlog, etc.

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Workflow Guidelines

Framework to build workflows offering creative solutions to common agency workflow issues.

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Workflow Reviews

Measures the quality of the workflow implementation focusing on E&O control and effective use of automation.

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Workflow Training

Training integrating features training and practical insurance processes.

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Workload Audits

Measure service provider ability to stay caught up with routine transactions and to comply with the workflow priorities.

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Industry Links

Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America

E&O Procedural Audits

Big I Website

Big I  - Virtual University

Big I  - National Website

Office of the Commissioner of Insurance - WI

PIA – WI Website

PIA – National Website

PIIAI – IL Website

Rough Notes Website

Taar Report Website

Insurance News Net

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FAQ’s (Frequently Asked Questions)

     What is an Initial Assessment?

An initial assessment is when Insurance Concepts in Motion spends one day analyzing your agency.  You then receive a 15-20 page detailed recommendation packet that is yours to keep.  How your agency implements these recommendations is up to you.  Either your agency can choose to implement yourselves or hire  Insurance Concepts in Motion to implement these changes with you.

Can my agency system really hold all the information I need to do business, and how can I be sure it’s right?

Today’s agency systems are powerful tools for information storage and retrieval that are designed to serve as the primary source of information in agencies.   As long as you’re still pulling traditional paper files to answer customer inquiries, and not relying on the system, you can never be sure your electronic files are complete and accurate.  But once the paper file isn’t there anymore, everybody in your agency has a vested interest in making certain that all the information is in the system, and is accurate.

I find my companies don’t understand my agency operations; they expect me to use their turnaround documents.

You’ll have to ask your companies for the cooperation.  They need to understand the environment agencies are working in today.  Your companies have to agree to accept system output rather than their own apps and manual turnaround documents.  They may agree to audit your agency from system reports or, at worst, you can pull the necessary documents from the T-files when needed.

What if some of my employees don’t want to use the computer?

As your agency moves in a direction of less paper (full automation), it’s important to stress that automation isn’t just for the service staff- this is for everybody.   Leadership from the top is needed to emphasize “this is the way we do it now.”  We’re not just automating certain tasks; we’re automating the agency process of taking care of the customers.  Today user interfaces are friendlier; they make it easier to access information in systems.  Bring your producers into the automation fold.  Assure them they’re not being asked to do data input but to use the tools automation provides to do their job better. 

What happens when I need to locate the file of a former customer?

Suppose a claim pops up three years after the customer has left your agency.  You don’t have the traditional alpha file, and that customer’s policy documents are spread out through the archived T-files. Here’s how to provide for that situation.  When purging a customer, print out a transaction history for the customer.  This report will allow you to recreate the customer file at a later date, if that should become necessary.

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Vendors

Applied Systems Website

MI-Assistant Software Website

AMS World Website

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