IIABA Agents & Brokers Host Tech Summit
NU Online News Service, Sept. 22, 3:29 p.m. EDT?The Agents & Brokers Roundtable of the Independent Insurance Agents & Brokers of America (IIABA) yesterday held a special "Large Agent & Broker Technology Summit."
The event brought together agency management system vendor presidents, chief executive officers and chief technology officers of eight major carriers, with large agent and broker CEOs and CTOs to address critical technology and workflow issues facing large agents and brokers, said IIABA.
The Summit took place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas prior to the start of IIABA's Convention & InfoXchange. This event marked the first known time that executives and technology officers of both major companies and large agencies have met to specifically address current technology opportunities and looming challenges, the group said.
"Our members who comprise IIABA's Agent & Brokers Roundtable wanted to put a special focus on technology issues this year because efficient processes are so critical to the future profitability of their firms," explained IIABA CEO Robert A. Rusbuldt.
He added that the Summit brought decision-makers "into the same room from both the large agency side and the company side to heighten our mutual understanding of the technology and workflow issues affecting them and to recommend improvements that will make both parties more efficient."
According to IIABA, the Summit gave large agents and brokers and their CTOs the opportunity to meet face-to-face with the CEOs of their agency management system vendors, and then with the CTOs and senior executives of three of their major carriers in a roundtable format.
AMS Services, Applied Systems, Ebix and InStar participated in the vendor portion of the program. CNA, Encompass, Fireman's Fund, The Hartford, Safeco, St. Paul, Travelers and Zurich Small Business hosted carrier roundtables.
During the event, carriers provided their large agents and brokers with an overview of their major technology implementations?both completed and planned?to improve interfaces and workflows, said IIABA.
Carriers discussed both commercial and personal lines, and recommended ways for agents and brokers to benefit fully from the carrier interfaces, workflows and technologies.
Agents and brokers, in turn, provided carriers with specific feedback and recommendations regarding which aspects of each carrier's interfaces and workflows are working well for them and which are in need of improvement, the group noted.
Among the topics agents and brokers raised with vendors during the Summit were downloads; consistency of downloads based on AL3 ACORD standards; real-time interfaces; electronic transmission of property and vehicle schedules; more efficient handling of passwords with carriers; incorporating ACORD standards for directors and officers and professional liability business; client contact and other sales tools; attaching electronic documents; and 24/7 capabilities with clients.
Founded in 1896, IIABA is the nation's oldest and largest national association of independent insurance agents and brokers, representing a network of more than 300,000 agents, brokers and their employees nationally.
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