One of Utah-based Bennion Taylor Insurance's clients knew he was in trouble even before the red lights started flashing on the police car in his rearview mirror. He had left his proof of insurance card at home. However, just as the officer whipped out his ticket book, he came up with a solution. Using his smartphone, he called his insurance agent who quickly copied, scanned, and sent the card as a photo attachment to his phone. No ticket was issued. Insurance data in real time—made possible thanks to agency management system technology.

While this is only one example of the benefits of technology solutions in the insurance industry, it is clear that customers today are increasingly discerning and want more engaging interactions while doing business. They expect to have online access to their policies, allowing them to edit information, print identification cards, or initiate claims from any location. Agents are starting to feel the pressure of this changing landscape, and are looking for ways to drive efficiencies across their organizations to maximize their profitability. In many cases, technology is the answer.

According to Joyce Sigler, a vice president at Ohio-based Jones & Wenner, the key to success with technology solutions is to carefully choose what works best for each individual agency. Jones & Wenner once had nearly every technology product on the market, but the agency quickly learned that having so many tools could be confusing.