Problems Downloading? Everyone At Fault

NU Online News Service, March 28, 2:42 p.m.EST?A report issued today by the Agents Council forTechnology says there is plenty of blame to go around fordownloading errors, but all members of the insurance industry needto work together to come up with solutions.

The ACT Download Work Group, affiliated with the Alexandria,Va.-based Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America,said it issued the report to "encourage carriers, vendors, andagents and brokers to make refinements" in their downloadingprocedures and process.

"Our single overarching recommendation is to increase educationawareness of what data is processed, how it is processed, and howthat affects the agency's data," said Mele Fuller.

Ms. Fuller, chairman of the working group and interfacearchitect for SAFECO added that, "Better documentation andeducation will help everyone better understand downloadissues."

The report was put together after the group was formed inresponse to the 2002 ACORD/AUGIE survey.

In the survey, downloading emerged as a continuing issue formany agents, the group said. Agents said there were wide variationsfrom company to company in download procedures and results. Theyalso said companies do not download data as accurately orthoroughly as the agency's own data entry.

Companies and automation vendors blame each other for theproblems.

Agents share part of the blame, the report said, when they failto follow software vendor or carrier's procedures.

After pulling together all the parties to discuss the issues,the Download Group issued their report with recommendations:

? Carriers should send in download all the data they haveavailable.

? Carriers should follow standard procedures to protect agents'data.

? Carriers and vendors must document and share details on datathey can process, and how they process it.

? Carriers and vendors should take advantage of standards toupdate transaction-activity logs on the agency managementsystems.

? Agents and their management system user groups must takeresponsibility for educating themselves on the process ofdownload.

"This report provides a useful framework of needed refinementsand improvements in downloading," said Jeffrey M. Yates, ACTexecutive director. "However, this report will only serve itspurpose if the industry uses it to make currently downloading moreeffective and extensive, especially in the commercial linesarea."

Copies of the report are available under the "Agents Council ofTechnology" link on the IIABA Web site at www.independentagent.com.