Once upon a time, the word batch had a wonderfulmeaning, particularly when you remembered your sweet littlegray-haired grandmother making a batch of chocolate chip cookies.Insurance companies used the word to describe how they wouldprocess their work at the end of the day. Today, batch processingis looked on as being somewhat quaint.

It hasn't gone away, though, which is why Wednesday, Feb.29—Leap Day to many—is being celebrated as Real Time Day for theinsurance industry, sponsored by the Real Time/DownloadCampaign.

Sure, it's not going to supplant Groundhog Day, Presidents Dayor my birthday as key events on the February calendar and the factthat we won't have another Feb. 29 until 2016 may take some of themomentum away. It does seem like a good time to appreciate themovement between insurers and agencies to speed the process ofwriting and issuing insurance policies and the benefits derivedfrom such efficient production.

How fitting is it that learning more about the Real TimeDownload Campaign is being conducted electronically asGetRealTime.org and many insurance carriers and agency managementsystem vendors supporting the campaign will be hosting online videoprogramming or Web seminars to help educate those who have yet tomake the leap.

Most personal lines insurers are already offering real timedownload to their agency partners, but commercial lines insurancealso is moving in that direction as well. Commercial lines agentsonce were leery of the download campaign because of past failures,according toNort Salz, president of Deep Customer Connections.

"Commercial lines are more complicated than personal lines,"said Salz, in an article for the 2011 ACORD LOMA Daily News. "Ittakes more back and forth between the two sides and trust andconfidence between the agents and the carriers. Carriers need tobring a balance of technology tools along with the capacity tobuild and maintain relationships with agents."

Past failures should not be a precursor for the future, though.The technology is better and the workflows have been improved bycarriers. The only thing lacking seems to be a willingness to tryit. So, if you are not currently using an agency management systemor have been scared off in the past, take a little time on ourextra day for the year to learn a little more about ways to improveyour business and make it more efficient and, ultimately, moreprofitable.