Through this campaign supporters will educate key agency system leaders about the benefits of using Real Time and Download. Those targeted for messaging are:

• Agencies not using Real Time
• Agencies already using Real Time to encourage them to increase its use and to provide feedback to their vendors and carriers to help refine workflows
• Agency principals/owners
• Agency service personnel (i.e. CSRs)
• Insurance company leaders to urge them to:



• Implement Real Time, if the company hasn’t already,
• Expand Real Time to more transactions and lines of business, and
• Promote and educate agencies about Real Time.

Definitions:
Real Time—Real Time is the ability to click on a button from a client file in your agency management system or comparative rater for immediate access to carrier information on that client. The transaction may be a quote, billing inquiry, claim inquiry/loss runs, policy view, endorsements or a request for information. This approach provides a single workflow for servicing or quoting.

Download—Download is the movement of customer policy data from an insurer to its partnering agency or brokerage’s agency management system. This download directly to the agency management system normally occurs after a transaction is performed by an agent, such as adding a vehicle or changing a deductible; or by the insurer, such as the creation of an automatic renewal notice.

Download: An Essential Complement to Real Time—Encouraging agents, carriers, and vendors to implement both personal and commercial lines download is an essential part of the Real Time/Download Campaign, because download enables the round trip of data back into the agency management system following a Real Time transaction. Having this downloaded information in the agency management system also is essential to performing many Real Time transactions most effectively.

To adopt and implement Real Time and Download agencies do not have to buy any new, expensive hardware or software. Most features of Real Time and Download are already available through most agency management system, so there likely is no cost to implement the functionality. However, to ensure maximum use and benefit of Real Time agencies should employ the most current version of their agency management system.

• Provides a single, consistent workflow for multiple carriers saving time and money.
• Processes policy transactions from the client’s file, including billing inquiry, quotes, policy views, endorsements and documentation.
• Enables claims management from the client's file, including claims inquiries, first notices of loss and loss runs.
• Automates all logons to carrier Web sites and systems, meaning staff doesn’t have to remember and enter individual IDs and passwords for each carrier.
• Allows all staff to be trained on a single workflow, rather than on multiple carrier Web sites.
• Maintains automatically a client E&O loss control activity record for each Real Time inquiry/transaction in the agency management system.
• Costs nothing because Real Time functions are part of most agency management systems.
• Provides superior customer service through one-click inquiry that provides immediate response to customers.
• Enhances an agency’s professional image and work environment.
• Increases agency revenues by freeing up producer and CSR time for new sales and account-rounding activities.

Through Real Time, customer service is made simpler because the latest policy information is at the fingertips of producers and CSRs. Agency image is enhanced, driving greater customer satisfaction, increased customer retention, and heightened employee satisfaction with their job. Also, training costs are reduced because agencies and brokers do not need to train employees on different carrier workflows.

For carriers implementation of Real Time is critical and beneficial, too. Agents and brokers increasingly are placing business with carriers that provide streamlined processing capabilities—often called “ease of doing business.” Through successful implementation of real-time capabilities, agencies and brokers can make the best use of the processing efficiencies provided by their agency management systems. By offering Real Time and helping with implementation, carriers and their agencies will provide better service to customers and save money because agencies will use Real Time to make inquiries rather than call a service center for customer information—which is a significant business expense for carriers. Also, implementation of Real Time will greatly improve the rating process for new business and free agencies to prospect for more business.

Especially with “policy paper turned off to the agent,” which is how many companies now operate, agencies need policy data to create documents—certificates of insurance, binders, ID cards, summaries of insurance, applications and more. Plus, agencies need up-to-date customer information in their management systems so they can conduct Real Time transactions, cross-market existing customers and generate reports. Without personal and commercial Download from their carriers, agency staff must manually maintain and update customer data.

While some carriers provide policy information access electronically via company Web sites, this limited solution doesn’t work effectively for independent agencies, which on average represent several carriers. For independent agents and brokers to serve clients quickly and efficiently, they must operate under a single, uniform workflow that includes personal and commercial Download. Without Download, agents and brokers are burdened with the time-wasting and expensive task of learning, maintaining and training staff on divergent carrier workflows.

• Inquiry: Billing, Policy, Claim, Loss Run, etc. — No waiting for someone at the carrier to answer the phone, no need to look up carrier Web site IDs and passwords, no need to navigate carrier Web sites!

• Automatic Web Login — No need to look up Web site IDs and passwords; the agency management system automatically logs into carrier’s system!
• Endorsements: Real Time Bridge to Carrier Websites—No need to look up carrier Web site IDs and passwords! No need to re-key data!
• Real Time Rating from Agency Management System — No need to look up carrier Web site IDs and passwords! No need to re-key data!
• Real Time Rating from Comparative Rating Program — No need to look up carrier Web site IDs and passwords! No need to re-key data!
• Real Time Rating Bridge — Data is bridged from the agency management system to a carrier Web site. No need to look up carrier Web site IDs and passwords! No need to re-key data!

• Policy Issue — Once the Real Time rate is chosen, depending on the particular system and carrier, the policy can be issued Real Time from the agency management system or from the carrier Web site or by a batch upload of the application overnight. Again, no need to look up carrier Web site IDs and passwords! No need to re-key data!
• First Notice of Loss — No need to look up carrier Web site IDs and passwords! No need to re-key data! No more faxing loss notices! Often immediately returns a claim number to the agent.
• Notifications/Alert Messages — Carrier-initiated secure electronic messages are automatically retrieved by the agency management system and assigned to the appropriate user without the agency having to access it from the carrier Web site!

To walk agencies and brokers through each of these Real Time transactions, the campaign has developed The Independent Agent’s Real Time Implementation Guide. This helpful guide contains complete step-by-step procedures for accessing and implementing these Real Time functions in your agency management system. The guide also provides procedures for implementing Real Time, including how to get started, tips for successful implementation, and tips for effective ongoing use of Real Time. Click here to download a copy of this handy guide.

The campaign aims to increase usage of Real Time by encouraging agencies and brokerages already using the interface application available in their agency management systems to increase their number of Real Time transactions, and by encouraging agencies and brokerages that aren’t using the technology to implement it through their agency management system. Also, the campaign will encourage carriers to implement Real Time interface applications with their appointed agencies and also will encourage carriers that already using it on a limited basis to expand it to all transaction types with independent agencies and brokerages.

For Agency Non-Users

• Real Time inquiries are being used successfully by thousands of agencies today. Its adoption will lead to time- and cost-saving, improved financial bottom line, enhanced customer service and a more professional agency image and work environment. Start with inquiries and then move to Real Time rating through the agency management system or a comparative rater. If something goes wrong, get help from your automation vendor or carrier. Real Time is the workflow of the future. Tools and resources are available to help your agency and its staff through the journey.

For Agency Real-Time Users

• Boost agency-wide use of Real Time—go for more carriers and more transactions. Show and tell carriers, automation vendors and other agencies how Real Time helps your agency. Get user groups and your state and national agent associations involved.

For Carriers

• Real Time inquiries help agencies and your company save time and money and deliver better customer service. Plus, it saves carriers money because agencies will make fewer calls to service centers for information. Real-time rating can help your company grow with your agencies. It can actually help your company stay in the quoting process.
• The cost to add real-time functionality with added vendors is minimal, and is an important investment in the competitiveness of your company and your distribution force.
• If already using Real Time, add more inquiries and transactions and new lines of business.
• You can influence agency decision-making, so encourage agencies to implement Real Time. Also, offer hands-on training.

Message to Vendors

• Real-time inquiries and transactions should be a core part of your marketing and product demo activities. Tell agents what system or software versions they must have to benefit from Real Time.
• Implement— and if needed fix—new standards and functionality that enable Real Time and Download capabilities agencies want and need. Identify and add information fields that will make Real Time rating an effective tool so agencies don’t have to develop a “work-around.”

• An insightful implementation guide — The Independent Agent’s Real Time Implementation Guide—specifically for independent agencies and brokerages.
• Hyperlinks to resources for agencies, including the AUGIE Workflow Timer, the AUGIE Cost Savings Calculator and the AUGIE Real-Time Time Study Report, and AUGIE’s Commercial Lines Policy Detail Agency Start-Up Guide.”
• A link to www.ACTtech.org, a site that enables agencies to run reports on the specific real-time and download functionality offered by their carriers for their particular system.
• Hyperlinks to information from carriers and major automation vendors concerning their Real Time and Download functionality, automation vendors they work with, implementation and installation information, troubleshooting guides and contact information.
• Information about Real - Time Stakeholder Commitments and links to documents that can help various stakeholder groups and campaign participants, as well as campaign materials, such as logos, ads, stories, speeches, presentations and more.

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