While the goal of universal adoption of real-time technology foragent-carrier transactions remains elusive, newly-elected ASCnetChair Mike Montgomery believes much can be achieved if both agentsand carriers will exhibit more patience.

Mr. Montgomery, associate development consultant for the LocktonCompanies in Kansas City, Mo., was elected to serve as 2009 chairof The Applied Systems Client Network, the user group for AppliedSystems' agency management technology, at ASCnet's annualconference.

In an interview with National Underwriter, he asserted that theindustry continues to “make inroads” in adopting real-timetechnology that will allow agents to submit customer data once forall carriers (formerly known as SEMCI–single-entry,multiple-company interface).

“Is the adoption as fast as we want it to be? No,” said Mr.Montgomery. “But let's temper this discussion with a littlepatience. Let's monitor [the situation] and see what inroads aremade. We are moving in the right direction. The key is patience onboth sides of the fence.”

He went on to suggest that “a good goal is a three-yearmonitoring period. I am very optimistic that [real-time] will grow.It's a wonderful thing for both sides.”

While some carriers claim their proprietary agent-facing Websites are getting an increasing numbers of hits, agents say that ishappening because they are unable to get all the information theyneed in a single visit to the site, according to Mr. Montgomery.“Agents have to use real-time where it is available,” he noted.“Continued education and re-education are needed.”

Agents are not adopting real-time in greater numbers “because atthis particular time and point, they can't do business with all oftheir carriers through Transformation Station,” he said. “Thechange has to be driven from the top down in agencies. Principalsshould reward staff for using real-time technology.”

(Transformation Station from University Park, Ill.-based AppliedSystems is a technology that provides all players in the insurancedistribution process–agents, carriers and agency vendors–with asingle communication infrastructure.)

At the same time, carriers don't always push the use ofreal-time from their perspective, according to Mr. Montgomery. “Thecarriers talk to each other. If agents are not using real-time, theword gets around,” he explained. Meanwhile, “smaller, regionalcarriers are saying, 'I can't afford real-time.' That also holds upthe process.”

When it comes to real-time, he observed, “Agents are saying,'Show me.' We need to educate them on the benefits of real-time,especially in terms of quicker turnaround. At the end of the day,agents will get more business. If you're enabled, you're in theballgame.”

Mr. Montgomery acknowledged that some percentage of agents willstill insist they “love” insurers' proprietary Web sites. “But inorder to have a true one-touch environment, real-time has to beenabled,” he stressed.

Asked what message he would have for insurers in relation toreal-time, he stated: “You're going to make more money and get morebusiness. I can't say how soon. Have patience–this is not anovernight thing.”

He added that “insurance companies need to have all the factsabout real-time. At times, we don't do a good job of giving themthe facts. We need to give them the studies and the data–providethe proof.”

Mr. Montgomery was also asked about a vision put forth severalyears ago for cooperative efforts to promote real-time involvingboth ASCnet and the AMS Users' Group, a venture that has notmaterialized.

“They changed their model of real-time, so that affected thejoint effort to bring real-time to the forefront,” he said inreference to AMSUG. “They kind of quit pushing it. We're going tocarry the torch going forward. The message is not the same fromboth groups.”

At Lockton, Mr. Montgomery is responsible for training more than2,000 associates on the proper use of Applied Systems. He designs,reviews and updates the brokerage's training curriculum to ensureemployees are updated on current software.

His ASCnet volunteer service began at the local level, where heserved as president of the Midwest Applied Systems Users Network.On the national level, he served as ASCnet's Region 7 director.