ACT Sets Interface, Workflow Agenda

To start, the 37 member organizations of ACT (agent associations, user groups, companies, vendors and industry associations) have adopted a major statement on the need for more effective agent-company interfaces. The statement reflects the increasing agency frustration with the proliferation of proprietary company Web sites.

In short, the benefits of real-time processing and access to information through these sites have become overwhelmed by the sheer inefficiency of having to deal with a multitude of them.

These inefficiencies result from agents having to enter data separately for each company Web site, having to log on separately to each site, having to learn a different workflow for each company, and having to train agency staff on all of these differences.

ACT seeks to pave the way for our industry to get the benefits of real-time processing while transcending the limitations in current proprietary Web sites.

Companies should set the stated objective that they will work toward, offering agents the ability to interface in real time with the company through the agency management system, so that the agent can achieve a consistent workflow while working with multiple companies.

Vendors similarly should set the objective to facilitate these agent-company interfaces through their systems.

In addition to setting the objective, companies should begin to incorporate ACORD XML standards and participate in industry standards-based initiatives to achieve multiple company, real-time interfaces. IVANS' "Transformation Station" is the most prominent example of such a standards-based industry initiative to date, where more than 20 companies and three vendors (representing more than half of the independent agencies in the country) are working on a variety of inquiry, first notice of loss and policy processing functions.

Where company Web sites are used, the ACT statement recommends that companies incorporate available technology so that:

Re-keying of existing data onto the Web site is minimized because the existing data automatically populates the site.

Passwords are handled automatically between the agency system and the company Web site.

Agents can navigate directly from their agency systems to relevant company Web site screens.

Company Web sites are made intuitive to use from start to finish.

The statement also recommends that refinements be made to improve current downloads.

Even though the ACT statement presents a compelling message on the need for improvement, agency needs are likely to fall to the bottom of the pile of proposed technology investments unless company and vendor CEOs hear from agency principals at every opportunityagent advisory councils, conventions and individual discussionsthat moving beyond current interfaces is very important to them.

ACT also recently adopted recommended guidelines for company and vendor password formatting. ACT urges companies and vendors to implement these guidelines so that agency employees can begin to use a common password for several company and vendor systems.

The guidelines, when adopted, will alleviate the current passwords nightmare for agents. At the same time, adoption of the guidelines will enhance security at the agency level, because agents will no longer have to maintain lists of passwords.

(The ACT Password Guidelines as well as the complete Interface Statement are available at www.independentagent.com by clicking on the "Agents Council for Technology" tab.)

ACTs third major initiative is to publish "The Best Practices Guide to Agency Business Processes and Workflows" in conjunction with the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America Council for Best Practices. We commissioned Laura Nettles, the noted expert on this subject from the Nettles Consulting Network in Atlanta, to develop the product, and it is now available on the ACT Web site at no charge as a member benefit. (For more information on this tool, see National Underwriter, Oct. 21, page 24.)

Heres how the product works. The agency takes the self-assessment test to determine its current agency environment in terms of process and workflow. There are four distinct environments typically found among agencies, and the guide sets out the characteristics of each level. It then provides step-by-step guidance to help the agency move to the next higher level.

The guide also contains forms and techniques to use to implement the process in the agency, along with comprehensive sample workflows for both property-casualty and benefits operations.

At the end of the day, the guide helps the agency achieve workflows that integrate fully with the agencys technology so that the benefits of that technology are fully realized. It also helps the agency eliminate duplication in the roles performed by agency producers, customer service representatives and processors, thereby freeing up more time for value-added customer service and sales.

We have unprecedented opportunities to harness new technologies and business processes to improve our individual agency businesses, as well as to work more effectively with our companies. Let us seize these opportunities by becoming activists on technology and business process improvement. We have the potential to help hundreds of thousands of agency employees become more efficient and productive in the work they perform multiple times each day.

Jeff Yates is executive director of the Agents Council for Technology in Alexandria, Va. He may be reached at jeff.yates@iiaba.net.)

Reproduced from National Underwriter Property & Casualty/Risk & Benefits Management Edition, November 25, 2002. Copyright 2002 by The National Underwriter Company in the serial publication. All rights reserved.Copyright in this article as an independent work may be held by the author.