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ACT
Meeting Addresses Agent, Carrier Technology Issues

More than 100 agency, carrier, vendor, user group and association representatives converged on Quincy, Mass., this month to work on improving how agents and carriers do business together.

More than 4,000 agents were clear in their responses to the 2006 AUGIE (ACORD User Group Information Exchange) survey that their major frustration with automation is "learning and using company proprietary systems" and that the major automation time waster is "duplicate data entry."

Three meetings took place over a the course of two days: AUGIE, ACT and ACT’s State Technology Liaisons. The groups largely consisted of opinion leaders in the field of agency workflow and technology.

Some of the key issues covered in the meetings include:

1. The industry sees real-time inquiries and transactions (accessed through the agency management system or comparative rater) as a major improvement in agent-carrier interfacing that will impact agency efficiency and customer service just as much as personal lines download. Real-time also sets up documentation of transactions much more effectively than when the work is done on the carrier’s Web site, which limits E&O exposure.

The industry is mounting an aggressive campaign to raise agents and carriers’ awareness of real-time’s benefits and to provide them with practical support in revising their workflows to this more efficient model. More and more carriers and vendors, along with associations and user groups, are partnering together to provide agency employees with real-time training. Agencies should look for these training opportunities and enroll their staff. In addition, the industry will be developing a real-time implementation guide to assist agencies, in the same vein as AUGIE’s "Commercial Lines Download Implementation Start-Up Guide."

2. Tech-savvy agents in the meetings urged all agencies to measure where their employees are spending their time. Shortly, AUGIE will unveil a Workflow Timer that agents can use to measure the time and dollars they will save by implementing real-time and download wherever possible. It was also stressed that download remains just as important to agencies today, and commercial lines download for small commercial lines is working very well for many agencies.

3. The industry will be re-introducing ACORD’s "Power of Change" seminar, updated for today’s technology and workflows, in order to assist agencies in transitioning their staffs to these improved workflows. The industry is also working on usage reports that will provide agency managers with reports on which employees are using real-time. The group also stressed that agents need to stick with their implementations of real-time and commercial lines download, even if they encounter some initial problems. Carriers and vendors are anxious to hear about these problems so they can continue to improve the workflows they are offering. Finally, the new AUGIE Real-Time Study shows that agencies are saving considerable time even if only some of their carriers currently offer real-time. Broad agency usage of real-time, wherever it is available, is the best way to convince more carriers to come onboard.

4. ACT’s security issues group will be publishing a report shortly to help agencies protect their customers’ private personal information from identity theft. Agencies should take into account that PCs, portable devices, back ups and other portable media pose a growing and significant security threat because they are taken outside of the agency premises and can be easily lost or stolen. It is very important to encrypt any policy or customer information on these items, because many identity theft laws provide a safe harbor for encrypted information. Even better, agencies should not permit customer private personal information to be put on PCs and portable devices in the first place. Rather, this information should be accessed directly from the agency’s system through a password protected virtual private network.

The report also emphasizes the need for most agencies to tighten up the physical security of their premises to protect against theft of their systems or information. Taking safety measures such as assuring all agency computers and portable devices are password protected; restarting desktops when employees leave their desks and carefully managing passwords to prevent unauthorized parties from gaining access to agency systems or carrier Web sites are all ways of improving security. Most carrier contracts put the responsibility on the agency if an unauthorized party gains access to their Web site using an agency password.

5. ACT participants are very concerned about the lack of presence of most agencies on the Web and on search engines. ACT will be developing best practices information on the most effective uses of agency Web sites, practical guidance on Web site maintenance and tips on how agencies can position themselves on search engines more effectively. ACT also will work on extending additional carrier real-time functionality to agency Web sites to provide better customer access.

6. ACT is also implementing an agent-carrier workflow improvement forum to promote ongoing dialogue about how agents and carriers can reinvent their workflows for the future, thereby eliminating current "pain points." The agenda of such a forum could be huge, so care will be taken to focus on a manageable set of issues at any given time.

7. One of the most exciting events was the first meeting of ACT’s State Technology Liaisons. This group will do much to help ACT and the industry connect much more effectively with individual agencies across the country. The group agreed to take back five priorities to the state agent associations to focus on in the coming year:

· Raise the priority of agency technology and workflow improvement advocacy in the state associations.

· Help ACT improve the effectiveness of its communications to local agents.

· Work to increase real-time and download agency and carrier implementation by key players within the state.

· Seek to broaden state continuing education laws to encompass workflow and technology oriented agency improvement courses

· Get more states onboard actively participating in the state technology liaison network.

For more information, contact Jeff Yates at jeff.yates@iiaba.net. Please also see www.independentagent.com/actfor ACT reports and other information. This article reflects the views of the author and should not be construed as an official statement by ACT.

InVest
InVest Announces New Board Chairman, Members

InVEST, the insurance industry’s premier business-education partnership, announced a new chairman of the board, Patrick C. Moore, CPCU. The program also appointed two new members to its board: Dana Ramundt and John Murray.

Moore is agency principal of Antalek & Moore, an independent agency located in Beacon, N.Y. His firm has twice been named a Big "I" Best Practices Agency, and Moore has been named Outstanding Chairman three times by the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of New York. Moore, who previously sat on the InVEST Board, replaces Rod Evans as chair.

Ramundt is principal of The Dana Company in Des Moines and the current Big "I" SND for Iowa. He has been active for many years with the Iowa state association, serving as its president in 2001-2002, and he has served on the Board of Trustees of Kaplan University since 1990. In 1999, he was instrumental in establishing The Emmett J. Vaughan Institute of Risk Management and Insurance at his alma mater, and it has become a valuable resource for future insurance professionals.

Murray is president and CEO of Rose & Kiernan, in East Greenbush, N.Y. His 26 years of insurance experience include positions with Wausau and Marsh. He has been active with many charitable organizations and currently serves as a director on the New York State Business Council. In 2004 the Albany capital district insurance community named him its Insurance Professional of the Year.

For more information, contact Sandra Skipper, at 703-706-5437; sandra.skipper@iiaba.netor go to www.independentagent.comand click on InVEST.

IIABA News
NYT Features Special Insurance Section

This was a big week for the Big "I" in the media. On Monday, the New York Times published a special section entitled "The Business of Insurance: Building Trust in Challenging Times."
This special section is a result of the Big "I"-New York Times roundtable discussion held this summer in New York City. The roundtable was hosted by the New York Times, moderated by Big "I" CEO Bob Rusbuldt and included insurance company CEOs and Big "I" member independent agents. The special section features quotes by several Big "I" agents and company partners. As part of the partnership, the New York Times ran a free Trusted Choice® ad in the section.

Earlier in the week, Big "I" Vice President of Education and Research Madelyn Flannagan was quoted in Sunday’s Washington Post in an article about renter’s insurance, encouraging consumers to reach out to their independent agent. The article directed consumers to www.trustedchoice.com to find an independent agent.

The Big "I" also attracted the media’s spotlight following the filing of an amicus brief in the Zurich case last Friday. The Big "I" brief was the subject of articles in Insurance Journal, National Underwriter, Business Insurance, BestWire and more.

For more information, contact Emily Crane at emily.crane@iiaba.net.

Big "I" Participates in Natural Disaster Symposium

The Big "I" is deeply concerned about the progress of natural disaster legislation and is working with all industries to find a solution that works for everyone. Brendan Reilly, Big "I" AVP of federal government affairs, recently spoke to a symposium held by the National Association of Realtors. In attendance were more than 100 representatives from a variety of associations, nongovernmental organizations, congressional offices and federal agencies. Reilly explained the Big "I" position on natural disaster legislation and emphasized the need for the insurance industry to band together and reach a consensus. He called for a "national solution to this national problem," telling the audience that "around 70% of the U.S. population lives within 50 miles of the coastline." There are more than $7 trillion in insured properties around the U.S. coastline—and the Big "I" is proactively working to make sure you, and your insureds, are protected.

For more information contact Emily Crane at emily.crane@iiaba.net.

Big "I" Markets^SM
Underwriter Conference Call Scheduled

Interested in the restaurant program offered on Big "I" MarketsSM? Slots are remaining for two of three scheduled conference calls that will take place this week with the underwriter for program. E-mail a Big "I" Markets team member at bigimarkets@iiaba.net to sign up for either the 2 p.m. ET or 4 p.m. ET sessions on Thursday, Sept. 28th. For more information about Big "I" MarketsSM, the online agent market access system featuring no fees, no volume commitments and competitive commissions, log in to www.bigimarkets.com.

IAMagazine
October Issue Tackles Producer Compensation

Fall is just around the corner and so is the October issue of Independent Agent magazine. The issue features a special, comprehensive look at producer compensation with agents, carriers, consultants and researchers all weighing in on the issue. Be on the lookout for your copy of the magazine in the mail in the coming days.