Personal lines carriers and their commercial lines counterpartshave at least one thing in common when dealing with independentagents: It is absolutely critical for carriers to offer technologysolutions that make it easy for agencies to do business.

Over the years, though, most independent agents have found thatthings move faster and easier on the personal lines side. But thathas led to more personal lines business going to the directcarriers—eliminating agents from the equation.

Today, more focus is returning to the business of commerciallines and how carriers and agents can help each other overcomeissues that challenge their business. Carriers have to deal with asoft market that forces them into difficult underwriting decisions,while agents face cost uncertainties that arise from the oftenlaborious task of processing complicated policies.

Below are five viewpoints on the challenges faced on both sidesand ideas for overcoming them.

Agents Want Less ExpensiveSolution

The number one request agents have made when the issue of smallcommercial policies comes up is to find a way to conduct thetransaction in a way that's less expensive for the agents,according to Ralph Blust, EVP for Willis Commercial Network. 

"[Agents] say if there was a way to do less work on the smallerbusiness and yet still provide the level of customer service neededand expected by the client, well, that would be fantastic."

Ease of Business Critical forCarriers

At commercial lines carrier CNA, Belen Tokarski, assistant vicepresident of technology and agency solutions, has learned that notall agents are ready for the newest technology.

"Agents want some level of ease of doing business, so what we dois make sure we have a solution that meets the needs of any agentselling small business policies, regardless of their level oftechnical sophistication," she says.

Technology Is a Catch 22 for MostCarriers  

If there is one point every insurance carrier is trying toaccomplish these days it is to find ways to differentiatethemselves from the competition. Second on the list is to find waysto be more efficient.

"Margins are slimmer in all businesses these days and everyoneis looking for ways to bring more efficiency to the operation yetalso have a differentiator for their brokerage partners," says JonSiglar, vice president, chief sales & field services officerfor Pacific Compensation Insurance Company.

Producers Seek Efficiencies withTechnology 

Brower Insurance puts a premium on technology and hastraditionally spent additional funds on the technology side to helpits staff be more efficient, according to Dan Driskell, a principalfor Brower, a regional agency in southwest Ohio. Why?

"[Producers] are in the business of bringing in new revenue andwe need a great staff behind us to bring in renewals," hesays. "We find making life easier for them keeps everyonehappier and streamlines some of the efficiencies."

Different Strokes for DifferentAgents

When agents rate different factors that affect their business,technology comes midway down the list of issues they deal with.

"I think that's a manifestation that it's different fordifferent agents," says Nort Salz, president of consulting firmDeep Customer Connections. "All of them are thinking about whatcarriers can do to help them sell, but they have differentprocesses for how they sell—some are early adopters and want to goreal time, but others don't."