When we think back on how things have changed since the beginning of our careers --even if those beginnings only date back a couple of years--most of us would probably agree that the biggest changes have come in the technology we use in our day-to-day operations.
You don't have to be one of our original subscribers to feel dizzy at the pace of change. The social media boom, marked by the proliferation of LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook to interact with clients, is only a few years old, and is evolving into new technologies even as I write this. A recent AA&B survey conducted at our website indicates that our readers can't live without Internet access, e-mail capability, smart phones and other high-tech tools--and who knows what new gizmos in the future.
This month we take a look at the continuing evolution of agency technology--from the booming world of Marketing 2.0, to the strides being made in interactivity through the real time initiative. We also have included the results of our recent agency automation survey of more than 500 AA&B readers. The results indicate that 88 percent of the respondents have an agency management system (wow, what are the rest of you using?), and that you're using it for policy views, endorsements, billing, claims status and more.
After years of finger-pointing and bad feelings between agents and carriers about the use of proprietary systems and the lack of standardization when it comes to downloads and data sharing, the success of real time transactions has changed everything. Carolyn Durland of ACORD takes a look at how real time is changing the relationship between insurers and agencies by putting the customer first. (Our reader automation survey indicates that almost 60 percent of you are using real-time transactions for inquiries or comparative rating, in both personal and commercial lines.)
Although this progress may not seem like a big deal to our younger readers, today's process, fueled by Internet capabilities, seems incredible.
And speaking of younger readers--we need them. In fact, our whole industry needs them--not just to take over agencies that are now headed by principals whose average age is 55, but to act as claims adjusters, actuaries, marketing specialists, underwriters and every other job in the insurance industry.
To help bring forward these young voices and encourage young people to participate in our industry, AA&B launches our nexGens Initiative (nGI). Please click to hear from Andy Beauchamp, chairman of the IIABA National Young Agents Committee, for his points of view as a young agent. Starting this month, watch our web page for more input from young people in the insurance industry.
