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.

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.

He asserts the industry continues to "make inroads" in adoptingreal-time technology that will allow agents to submit customer dataonce for all carriers (formerly known as SEMCI–single-entry,multiple-company interface).

"Is the adoption as fast as we want it to be? No," saysMontgomery. "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 further suggests "a good goal is athree-year monitoring period. I am very optimistic [real time] willgrow. 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 Montgomery."Agents have to use real time where it is available," he notes."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 says. "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 of realtime from their perspective, contends Montgomery. "The carrierstalk to each other. If agents are not using real time, the wordgets around," he explains. Meanwhile, "smaller, regional carriersare saying, 'I can't afford real time.' That also holds up theprocess."

When it comes to real time, he observes, "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."

Montgomery acknowledges some percentage of agents still willinsist they "love" insurers' proprietary Web sites. "But in orderto have a true one-touch environment, real time has to be enabled,"he stresses.

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

Montgomery also is carrying forward a vision put forth severalyears ago for cooperative efforts to promote real time involvingboth ASCnet and the AMS Users' Group (AMSUG), a venture that hasnot materialized. "It changed its model of real time, so thataffected the joint effort to bring real time to the forefront," hesays in reference to AMSUG. "It kind of quit pushing it. We'regoing to carry the torch going forward. The message is not the samefrom both groups."

At Lockton, 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.TD