Maryland Primary Agent - June 2020 by Insurance Agents & Brokers Service Group Inc

JUNE 2020 | MARYLAND

WHERE IA&B MEMBER

BOB SMYRL FINDS PASSION FOR HIS WORK

CHOOSING AN AGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Exclusive Member Magazine

IMPROVING AGENCY OPERATIONS

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IN THIS

6 ON THE COVER: Q&A WITH BOB SMYRL IA&B Member Agent Bob Smyrl talks technology, professional training, and his family’s epic road trip.

8 HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST AGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Selection of an agency management system can literally make or break an agency. Steve Anderson shares five steps to increase the likelihood that you pick the very best system for your organization.

14 IMPROVING AGENCY OPERATIONS

Agency profit can seep out via inefficiencies. Hear from Alisa Sutman, a former insurance agency operations and training consultant, on opportunities for improvements.

IN EVERY ISSUE 2 3 4 13 18 19 21 21

Chair of the Board’s Message Don’s Discussion Coverage Corner IA&B Partners Pics & Posts New & Returning Members Training & Education Classified Ads

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HOW TO CHOOSE THE BEST AGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

Twitter.com/IA_and_B About IA&B IA&B is the premier resource and champion for independent insurance agents in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. Periodical postage paid at Mechanicsburg, Pa. and at additional mailing offices. Postmaster: Send address changes to Insurance Agents & Brokers, 5050 Ritter Road, Mechanicsburg, PA 17055. Primary Agent (ISSN 1543-3110), Permit # 638-620, Issue # 2020-6, is published monthly by IA&B Service Group Inc., a subsidiary of IA&B. Copyright 2020. All rights reserved. No material may be reproduced in whole or in part without written consent of the publisher. The information in this publication is general in nature and not intended to serve as legal, accounting, financial, insurance, investment advisory or other professional advice as to any reader’s particular situation. Users are encouraged to consult with competent legal, financial, insurance, investment advisory and/or other professional advisors concerning specific matters before making any decisions. We disclaim any responsibility for any decisions or actions by readers. Statements of fact and opinion in Primary Agent are the responsibility of the authors alone and do not imply an opinion on the part of the officers or the members of IA&B. Participation in IA&B events, activities and/or publications is available on a non-discriminatory basis and does not reflect IA&B endorsement of the products and/or services.

CHAIR OF THE BOARD’S MESSAGE

NEW MARKET ACCESS FOR MEMBERS

BOARD OF DIRECTORS INSURANCE AGENTS & BROKERS 5050 Ritter Road | Mechanicsburg, PA 17055 800-998-9644 | IABforME.com

OFFICERS

Chair of the Board

Craig S. Mader

re we currently in uncharted waters, or what? If your agency is like mine, the phones don’t stop, and the questions keep coming, resulting in coverage reviews and reading deeper into policy language than we have in years. When policyholders demand answers, we have to find them. It’s our time to shine or be mediocre, to find remedies for them or surrender to the fact that we have no answers. I trust all of us have committed to being professionals who solve problems and find answers. The questions give us opportunities to engage in conversations we may not have had before. Uncovering exposures for EPLI, D&O, professional liability, data breach and cyber liability, umbrellas, life insurance! Ingenuity and resourcefulness, the very traits that help us succeed as insurance producers and small-business owners also benefit us, collectively, in finding solutions. IA&B heard your voices in surveys and Member Agent Panels for the need to find solutions and developed Independent Market Solutions (IMS). Fourteen state agents’ associations, including IA&B of PA, MD and DE, have collaborated to find a solutions for their members’ market access needs. The result is IMS – a platform to connect independent insurance agencies and carriers without the need for an appointment. Creating IMS required ingenuity, resourcefulness, and perseverance on the part of the IA&B staff. There was ingenuity in collaboration, negotiating many variables and agreeing on a course of action. Resourcefulness in the marketing of carriers and negotiating terms for their participation, and perseverance in relationship building to bring this opportunity to you, our members. The end result is a unique solution for member agents – access to a broad mix of standard and niche markets with low to no volume commitments and standard commissions. Access to IMS is limited to IA&B members – yet another benefit of your membership that I encourage you to take advantage of. Learn more by visiting IMSaccess.com, or by contacting IA&B VP-Membership Tim Wonder at 800-998-9644, ext. 351. Like you, I’m trusting that we soon return to normalcy, that women and men in responsible positions make decisions that rejuvenate our capitalist economy, and soon! As for IA&B, here are more tools for your tool belt to help you remedy your customers’ needs, solve problems, and find answers!

Crofton, MD

Vice Chair of the Board

Richard M. Rankin, CIC Lancaster, PA

MEMBERS

Sarah M. Brown, CIC, CRM, AFIS Shrewsbury, PA

Emory Stephen Burnett, CIC, ARM Wilmington, DE

N. Lee Dotson, CIC, AAI Wilmington, DE

Andrew Enders, Esq. Harrisburg, PA

Michael P. Ertel Sr.+ Columbia, MD

Len Gieseler, LUTCF Pottstown, PA

G. Greg Gunn, CIC* Lemoyne, PA

Bryan C. Hanes, JD Hagerstown, MD

Lisa A. Leach Goth, CIC New Bethlehem, PA

Shannon Lipniskis Indiana, PA

Elizabeth H. Martin, CIC Millersville, PA

Mark J. Monroe

West Chester, PA

Michael A. Papa, CIC, MBA Hunt Valley, MD

Jason Rodriguez Wilmington, DE

D. Bradley Rosenkilde Jr. Hunt Valley, MD

Tara S. Silfies, CPCU Bethlehem, PA

Robert L. Smyrl Jr., CIC Hatfield, PA

J. Marshall Wolff, CIC, CPCU Easton, PA

Respectfully,

* PA IIABA National Director + MD PIA National Director

Craig Mader Chair of the Board JUNE 2020

Don’s Discussion Claire-ification IA&B Legal & Corporate Affairs Director Don Bankus provided this month’s answer. Are you a member with a question? Contact Don to find the answer at 800-998-9644, ext. 603 or DonB@IABforME.com.

QUESTION: During COVID-19 business-shutdown orders, several customers initiated voluntary termination programs, which included offers of severance pay. Will these payments be included as remunerations/payroll for workers’ compensation purposes when the employers are audited?

ANSWER: While no laws in our three states or at the federal level require an employer to pay severance pay, doing so comes with some considerations, including what effect, if any, they may have on a workers’ compensation premium audit. In each of our three states, this issue is governed by the respective state’s workers’ compensation rate manual (which is subject to change over the course of time). At present – under PCRB rules in Pennsylvania, NCCI rules in Maryland, and DCRB rules in Delaware – “dismissal or severance” payments are expressly excluded from remunerations/payroll and would not be subject to additional premium for audit purposes. Please note, however, that monies paid for time worked and/or for accrued vacation would be considered remunerations for audit purposes.

WHAT RULES APPLY?

THE BOTTOM LINE

Pennsylvania and Delaware: Both the PCRB and DCRB Rate Manuals, at Rule V - Premium Basis, Rule V - B.3.d, provide as follows:

Whatever the underlying circumstances, whether COVID-19-related or not, severance payments are not considered remunerations/payroll for workers’ compensation premium audit purposes. The employer can deduct/exclude the severance payments from the audit, and the employer is not required to pay workers’ compensation premium on severance pay.

Rule V - Premium Basis B. Renumeration - Payroll 3. Exclusions; Remuneration excludes d. D ismissal or severance payments except for time worked or accrued vacation. Maryland: The NCCI Rate Manual, at Rule 2 - Premium Basis and Payroll Allocation, Rule 2 - B-2-e, provides as follows: Rule 2 - Premium and Payroll B. Payroll 2. Excludes: e. Payments for dismissal or severance except for time worked or vacation accrued.

This document is not a legal opinion and should not be relied upon as such. The intent of this document is to provide a general background regarding the topic or topics discussed, not to provide legal advice. Producers and agencies should consult an attorney regarding specific situations and specific questions with respect to the topic or topics covered in this document. Neither the Insurance Agents & Brokers nor any of its employees shall be responsible for any errors or omissions regarding any statements made in this document, nor any errors or omissions regarding any statutes, regulations, court rules, and/or any other government documents cited in this document.

COVERAGE CORNER

WORK COMP, THE CGL, AND WHEN EVERYTHING YOU KNOW IS WRONG By Kevin C. Amrhein, CIC

ere’s the scenario: You insure a roofing contractor. An employee is injured on a jobsite. The employee collects benefits from your insured’s work comp carrier.

agreement in which your insured has promised to “save, defend, indemnify, etc.” the GC for “any and all losses occurring during the course of the project, etc.”

Several days later, the General Contractor who hired your insured receives notice that the injured roofer has retained counsel and intends to sue the GC, alleging that his injury was due to the GC’s failure to provide proper safety protocols on the jobsite.

Surely the sub cannot be responsible for paying any costs related to this employee’s injury, right? Right?! After all, this is workers’ compensation, and employers receive tort protection under the law, right? Right?!

And then it gets weird. Through a process sometimes called Third-Party-Over-Action, the GC forwards the notice from the attorney to your insured. Included in the packet is a copy of the signed subcontractor

Right??!! The purpose of this column is to discuss form language, and I’ve got a healthy dose of it coming your way. First, an important point… …always remember that the enforceability of a contract is subject to JUNE 2020

state law. It’s entirely possible that the scenario I’m describing in this article doesn’t come to fruition due to courtdetermined enforceability issues. It’s also entirely possible that it does, and for this reason, us insurance folks must do everything possible to provide the broadest policies available.

THE UNMODIFIED ISO CGL As agents, we learn early on that the CGL is not designed to compensate for injuries to the named insured’s own employees. The exclusion to clarify this point is exclusion e. – Employer’s Liability which, as you would expect, essentially shifts such liability to a work comp policy. But there’s an exception to this exclusion worth noting:

This exclusion does not apply to liability assumed by the insured under an “insured contract.” Does this exception turn the sub’s CGL into a funding mechanism for the GC’s lawsuit? It certainly seems so, provided the promise made in the subcontractor agreement meets the definition of “insured contract.” So does it?! In this scenario, the answer is most likely determined by part f. of the definition of “insured contract.” Should the CGL be unmodified, part f. is broad and likely will include the subcontractor agreement’s promise to pay the cost of the tort liability of another party (the GC). Even if such costs stem from an injured employee. So there you have it, folks. The named insured’s CGL covering costs associated with an employee’s injury. We did it. End of story, right? Right?! Right??!!

WHEN THE CGL IS MODIFIED Is it possible that the CGL has had the exception to exclusion e. removed? I’ve seen enough CGLs to know that anything is possible. But what I typically see in this case is a modification to part f. of the definition of “insured contract.” Limiting the broadness of part f. (or any part) of the definition of “insured contract” could remove valuable coverage in not only the scenario described in this article but throughout the policy. Modification is often achieved through the use of endorsements. One example is Amendment of Insured Contract – CG 24 26. This common endorsement (or something similar) is designed to bring part f. of the definition of “insured contract” into harmony with anti-indemnity laws in many states. Thus, any possible limiting effect of

this endorsement depends mainly on applicable state law. More concerning is the use of an endorsement such as ISO’s Contractual Liability Limitation – CG 21 39 (or something similar) which eliminates part f. from the definition of “insured contract.” Thus, in the scenario presented, no coverage would be provided for the cost of the GC’s lawsuit.

TAKEAWAYS FOR THE AGENT • Review the CGL carefully for endorsements/modifications to the definition of “insured contract.” • If such exists, review each section of the policy where an exception for coverage is made due to the existence of an “insured contract” and determine if/how the modified definition would affect coverage. Communicate such to your insured. • Contact the carrier and ask about options to broaden. • Explore the commercial umbrella policy for possible variances from the underlying CGL. That’s all for now. Until the next round…cheers! Kevin C Amrhein, CIC, is IA&B‘s education consultant. He works with our CISR and CIC programs, as well as our special topic seminars and live webinars. Catch him at one of our upcoming professional training offerings: IABforME.com/education.

AN HOUR WITH KEVIN Try a 1-hour webinar for only $25. Not sure if webinars are for you? New hour-long webinars with IA&B Education Consultant Kevin Amrhein, CIC are a great way to explore online learning. Coverage Concerns for Serious Storm Events JUNE 11 11 AM-NOON

More Coverage Concerns for Serious Storm Events JUNE 15 2-3 PM

Annoying Personal Auto Problems and Their Solutions JULY 8 2-3 PM

Drones – Insuring Innovators, Enthusiasts, and Idiots JULY 30 2-3 PM

Q&A WITH

BOB SMYRL

ob Smyrl, CIC, is president of Robert L. Smyrl Inc., a fullservice independent agency located in Hatfield, PA. He serves on the IA&B Board of Directors and is active in his community, where he participates on the Abington Citizens And Policy Together Board of Directors and the Hatfield Township Small Business Commission and Fire Commission.

when in the past it came naturally when we sat down and chatted about their family and their highs and lows.

Q. As a career agent, what are the biggest changes – positive and negative – that you’ve seen in the independent agency system since you began?

A. It has given me a greater level of confidence in knowing coverages and their possible pitfalls. While I have read and studied the contracts, the CIC institutes allow me to hear from experts who have studied the contracts and to learn from their real-world examples of what can and cannot happen. I know that I am offering my clients a better level of service because of those CIC classes and updates.

A. The biggest change is technology. When I started, we manually rated everything and communicated with clients either in person, on the phone, or by mail (now known as “snail mail”). Now, it’s great that everything moves more quickly. We can get clients the answers they need instantly. We can email, text, call, chat, and Zoom with folks however they want us to communicate with them. That’s such a positive, but there’s also a negative. We have lost some of the personal connections that we had with company representatives and underwriters and with clients. We still have relationships with our clients, but we have to be careful to cultivate them,

Q. You’ve held your CIC designation since 1990. What value does it bring to you and your customers? And what would you tell other producers who are considering pursuing the designation?

Q. Your agency falls into the typical IA&B member size category with less than 10 employees. What IA&B member resources do you rely upon? A. Education! IA&B is the standard setter in education. I don’t want to take a class just to get CE credits. I expect to learn something new, and I get that with IA&B classes. I also rely heavily on IA&B for advocacy. Claire [Pantaloni, IA&B VP-Advocacy] and her team are a great asset to our agency. When companies update their contract or add addendums, I always run it by IA&B. Often I hear that I am one of the few that question items and that the companies are often happy to make changes.

Bob Smyrl and his wife, Debbie, have three sons – all of whom have been deployed while serving in the military. JUNE 2020

The IA&B staff were also a great help when we were hit with questions about COVID-19. I was ready to start answering questions and offering sound advice on day one. Q. What’s the best part of your job? A. Meeting new people and learning about new businesses. I am fascinated by all the amazingly different ways that folks make a living and contribute to society. I have a passion to understand and learn about businesses and people so I can best help them. That passion keeps me challenged every single day. Q. Your community was one the earliest and hardest hit by COVID-19 in Pennsylvania. What role has your team played during the outbreak? A. Our staff is active in the community, as individual volunteers and board members at day care centers, youth sports organizations, scouting, church, etc., so we were involved in many discussions about how those organizations responded to the situation. We conducted educational programs on how businesses and non-profits can serve, stay relevant, and remain active with their customers and prospects. It has been very difficult for them as they balance staying safe with taking care of the families they serve and their employees. We did everything from making sandwiches for the homeless to assisting local non-profits working through the PPP loan/grant program. We are trying to be good citizens in our community. Q. You recently took an epic road trip to visit several national parks. Where all did you go, and what were your favorite spots? A. My wife Debbie and I met our son in Phoenix at our nephew’s home. While there, we visited Sedona and several other spots in that area. Then we started driving with stops at Grand Canyon, Zion, Bryce Canyon, Capitol Reef, Canyonlands, Grand Staircase, and Arches National Parks. I don’t think I can pick a favorite park, but while camping on the shores

of Lake Meade, we woke up to the most stunning sunrise over the lake. That set the tone for an amazing day. Q. You’re a proud military dad. Tell us about your sons and their service! A. All three of our sons participated in the Army ROTC program in college and when they graduated were commissioned into the Army as 2nd Lieutenants. Our oldest just resigned his commission as a Captain after serving for six and a

half years active duty. Our middle son is currently in the National Guard. He has been serving for six years as he enlisted while still in college. Our youngest is active duty and stationed at Fort Bragg, NC. All three have been deployed while serving. Although I was never in the military myself, this experience with our sons has given us a much greater appreciation for the sacrifice that members of our military and their families make for our country.

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5 STEPS TO CHOOSING THE BEST AGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM By Steve Anderson

Selection of an agency management system can literally make or break an agency. On the following pages, Steve Anderson shares five steps to increase the likelihood that you pick the very best system for your organization.

hinking about updating an existing agency management system or replacing an old system with a modern platform makes most agency owners shutter. Purchasing a new agency management system is expensive and challenging. The expertise of insurance agencies is selling insurance; understanding and comparing the various platforms available can be intimidating to agency owners, managers, and users alike. Despite industry consolidation over the years, agents still face a wide range of choices (I track about 25 different platforms) in the agency management system marketplace. Let me be clear, I do not think there is a “best” agency management system. I do believe there is a “best” system for your organization.

Your job is to do the necessary due diligence to make sure you choose that best system. You are making a minimum five-year, and more likely 10-year decision. You need to make the best decision possible. This article provides you with the proven process I use when working with agencies that will help any size agency pick the very best agency management system for your organization.

These are all changes that will affect the technology needs of the agency and influence the selection of an agency management system. Rapid growth may tax the current system. New offices will either need their own hardware and software or a cloud-based system that allows easy remote access to client information.

STEP 1: STRATEGY Why do you want a system? (Or a new system?) The purchase of an agency management system is not first and foremost about computers. It’s about the agency, the way it operates now, the way it will operate next year and in the years ahead. A detailed agency system review is an opportunity for an agency to closely examine its business and make strategic decisions about the kind of agency it wants to become.

I do not think there is a ‘best’ agency management system…. There is a ‘best’ system for your organization.

Strategy questions you should ask yourself and your staff include: What is your strategic direction? Is the agency growing or stable? Will you expand into new markets and/or geographic territories? Do you expect a change in ownership or management?

— Steve Anderson

JUNE 2020

The agency must consider all these things as it makes decisions about how to manage its technology infrastructure. For agencies on an existing system there are several reasons you might need to make a change to a new system:

The agency must determine the features of any system, current or future, that are most important and the benefits those features will provide the agency. — Steve Anderson

Improved service. A new system may enable the agency to provide better service to its customers. Better performance. A system that seemed incredibly fast when it was new may feel frustratingly slow a few years later when a CSR has a customer on the phone. More information. A modern agency requires a lot of detailed information, and the current system may not be able to track all the information the agency needs.

The team should now have a clear picture of the agency’s needs, the direction in which it is going, and the role of automation tools in achieving that direction.

STEP 3: OPTIONS

Stronger controls. Securing customers’ information is not only a good business practice; state and federal legislation require it. The current system may not have security controls strong enough to meet both legal requirements and customers’ expectations.

Now that you know what your strategy is for the agency and what requirements you have for new system, the next step is to identify potential vendors and their products that would be appropriate for you to review. The best way to do this is to create a request for information, also known as a RFI.

Reduced cost. An old system may be more expensive than a new one.

The RFI serves two major purposes.

Insurance companies. The companies an agency represents may offer improved functionality through specific systems.

• First, it acts as a formal statement of the agency’s expectations and plans for the system and the selection process.

The bottom line? Changing to a new agency management system is a difficult process. You will want to make sure that you are getting the full benefit out of your existing system before you decide you need to change to a new one.

• Second, it provides direction to the vendors as to the requirements their systems must meet. If all the vendors work from the same RFI, the agency should be able to make a fair comparison between various vendors’ initial information.

STEP 2: REQUIREMENTS

Most agencies are familiar with Applied Systems and Vertafore products due to their extensive advertising. However, there are about 35 platforms from about 24 different vendors that should be explored to see if they fit the agency needs.

The first step you should take is to choose a “system selection team,” a small select group that will coordinate the review process and offer their insight on which system best fits the requirements of the organization. For a small organization the team may be a few people. For larger organizations the team should include representatives from different departments and groups. Next, the agency must determine the features of any system, current or future, that are most important and the benefits those features will provide the agency. In other words, the team selected above should determine the system requirements. A system requirement is a characteristic or feature that a system must include to satisfy the agency’s business requirements and be acceptable to most users.

Once you have identified the vendors that are appropriate for your agency, send them the RFI that you created in this step. That will begin the evaluation process.

STEP 4: DEMONSTRATIONS It is very important for the agency to manage the demonstration process carefully. There are two different types of demonstrations that the system selection team will need to sit through. Vendor-controlled Demos: This is the initial demonstration from the vendor. During this demonstration, the team will be able to get a good overview of the platform and the features contained within it. For this demonstration you should allow the vendor to do their standard review of the system.

You owe it to your organization to explore all of the possible platforms, so you have a good idea of what is possible today. — Steve Anderson

the agency. You want to see how each platform handles the workflows that are important to the agency. Make sure every team member uses a checklist to take notes during the demo process for each platform. After a few demonstrations, it will become very confusing which system did what.

STEP 5: THE DECISION You owe it to your organization to explore all of the possible platforms, so you have a good idea of what is possible today. This is especially important if you have been on the same platform for many years.

At this point the selection team will be overwhelmed with information. The key is to gather that information together and put it into an organized fashion (an Excel spreadsheet) so that a final decision can be made.

After this first round of demonstrations, I recommend you narrow your options to the top three or four platforms.

The score developed by the team members during the demonstration process is one component of the vendor evaluation. However, it should not be the only measure. The team should use other subjective criteria for judging the vendors. Here are a few items to consider.

Agency-controlled Demos: This second demonstration process will be controlled very specifically by the agency. This is accomplished by providing the vendor with detailed written scenarios on common functions and workflows performed in

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System functionality. Functionality is the ability of the system to help the agency perform its everyday routine tasks.

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JUNE 2020

THANK YOU PARTNERS PROGRAM Vendor direction. The vendor is not just a seller of software. For the agency, the vendor is a longterm business partner. Therefore, the team needs to determine the vendor’s direction. User group. Reach out to individual members of the vendor’s user group, or attend group meetings. References. Talk one-on-one with other agencies that use the system. Another agency can tell the team about their experiences with specific functions. We have found that once this information is brought together and organized one particular system seems to stand out. That certainly helps make the decision-making process easier. The bottom line: The team should make a recommendation to management on which system they would select and their reasoning for that choice. Generally, the ultimate decision does rest with agency management. By working step-by-step through this process, the agency has a much higher likelihood of picking the very best agency management system for their organization. We can’t emphasize enough the importance of this decision. It literally can make or break an agency. S teve Anderson, president of The Anderson Network, has spent his 35+ year career helping the insurance industry understand, integrate, and leverage current and emergency technologies.

The IA&B Partners Program allows insurance carriers and agency clusters or aggregators to support and connect with independent insurance agents and brokers in Pennsylvania, Maryland, and Delaware. Through their sponsorship, Partner companies allow IA&B to offer the programs and services that help member agencies succeed.

Thanks to these Platinum- and Gold-level Partners for supporting the independent agent network. PLATINUM PARTNERS Acuity Donegal Insurance Group Erie Insurance Farmers Mutual Fire Insurance Company of Marble Insurance Agents & Brokers Service Group Inc. Millers Mutual Group Plymouth Rock Assurance The Main Street America Group

GOLD PARTNERS Chesapeake Employers Insurance Company Chubb EMC Insurance Companies Illinois Casualty Company Keystone Insurers Group Inc. Lackawanna Insurance Group Liberty Mutual Business & Safeco Insurance MMG Insurance Company Mutual Benefit Group Nationwide Insurance Company Openly Insurance Progressive BECOME A 2020 PARTNER TODAY Interested in becoming a partner? Please don’t hesitate to contact us. Jess McWilliams Education Senior Director 800-998-9644, ext. 503 JessicaM@IABforME.com

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

JUNE 2020

IMPROVING AGENCY OPERATIONS An Interview with

Alisa Sutman By ACT News Team

Agency profit can seep out via inefficiencies. From systems to workflow to personnel, there are substantial opportunities for improvements. Alisa Sutman, a former insurance agency operations and training consultant who is also an active member of ACT and other industry organizations, reveals some insights gleaned over her experience in agencies and work groups. Here, Alisa shares with the ACT News Team how to maximize the use of agency management systems and what she finds to be the best workflow enhancements.

TECHNOLOGY UPDATE

ACT News: It seems like agents and CSRs are not using all their agency management systems’ tools and tricks. How can agencies maximize the benefits of these system capabilities? What are a few you’d spotlight? Alisa Sutman: Train a point-person. Lots of agencies I’ve consulted with and worked for had release/update notifications going to the wrong person in the agency. If no one researches and gets trained on new features, they never get adopted. New features may be something like Vertafore mobile, messenger, policy distribution features, etc. They can create a turning point for the agency’s workflows and client experience, but if the agency doesn’t do research and get people trained in order to adopt and implement, nothing changes.

I would say a weak area for agencies is anything to do with Excel and maybe even Word as it integrates with management systems. Being weak at Word means weak proposals or extra manual work. Being weak at Excel means no one will take advantage of any integration with the system (like importing vehicle schedules, driver schedules, equipment schedules, certificate holders, etc.). That means more work and more errors. ACT News: What are the two or three best workflow enhancements you have developed or seen developed in your time in the IA channel? Alisa: Picking just two or three is difficult. I would say data import; document management with options for front-end, on-demand, and

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JUNE 2020

back-end scanning into the system; and download improvements. ACT News: Why have those been so valuable? Alisa: For data import, agency management systems that allow data schedules to be imported and/or exported saves time, creates efficiency, and improves accuracy. Agency management systems that provide document management or integrate with document management have allowed our industry to be paperless, which makes us more efficient and our documents more secure and compliant. And download improvements over the past 25 years are vast and much needed, particularly download for commercial lines and accounting (commission statements). Increased efficiency because of less duplicate entry results in improved accuracy of data and applications. ACT News: And a laundry list of the other great workflow enhancements that come to mind? Alisa: Outlook integration for emails to automatically launch and attach to Activities; a virtual renewal tool that replaces reports and is real-time; alerts for increased premiums in personal lines so agents can be proactive instead of reactive; DB commission statement download; increased commercial lines download; and real-time opportunities. ACT News: We hear a lot about sales tracking software, but what about in-house management efficiencies, producer payments, reports for management/the executive team, key data trends, etc.? Would you say automation is standard for these, and if not, what is the benefit of getting automated?

Alisa: Sales tracking software is probably our industry’s biggest weakness or delay as far as something integrated with the system or contained in the system. Nothing I know of compares to standalone products like Salesforce. And any add-on for data needed for executive teams is too pricy for the majority of agencies. In many agencies, you’ve got no one auditing or policing data entry, so garbage in, garbage out. ACT News: You have deep experience in agency staff training. With all the time and resource challenges, what do you see as the most critical training challenge? Alisa: It’s crucial that agencies prioritize time and money to hire a consultant or dedicate an internal person to get trained up-to-speed – and continue training and networking to be the go-to person. Employees are usually hungry and appreciative of training whether it’s a new feature or just tips and tricks. I find most of the time, management just doesn’t budget appropriately or see the value in the investment. The mission of Agents Council for Technology (ACT) is to bring all independent agent & broker distribution stakeholders together to advance the use of the most effective agency workflow technologies which enhance productivity, sales and marketing, service, and security.

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