Recent Work Groups
This work group is developing and planning to launch in early 2024. We need members from all areas of the industry - agents, carrier staff and technology providers are all welcome! Gathering the thoughts, ideas and needs of all will make this a success.
If you are interested in joining - please email us at act@iiaba.net or complete this brief interest form.
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This work group launched in-person May 2023 at Accelerate, Powered by NetVU in Austin, TX.
Our recurring, virtual meetings for the group to work on resources and tools to help independent agents stay in front of the industry technology issues that the future holds began in July.
Members from all areas of the industry - agents, carrier staff and technology providers are all welcome! Gathering the thoughts, ideas and needs of all will make this a success.
If you are interested in joining - please email us at act@iiaba.net or complete this brief interest form.  Workgroup Overview Narrative - Future Trends.pdf
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This work group created a digital roadmap for independent agents and their carriers to follow to deliver an outstanding customer experience ('CX') at each stage of the customers' journey - one that stands out from what the competing distribution systems are able to offer. This workgroup documented the agent touchpoints which prospects and clients experience across their research, buying, renewal, and advocacy journey. This led to the development of a n online CX Planning website that agencies can use to understand their current CX position, then create a customized plan that provides recommendations with resources.
Click here to access the ACT ' CX Planning website'
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This work group has generated excellent tools around security and privacy for agents and brokers. The group investigates emerging security issues and determines what guidance we need to provide our IA distribution.
Prior projects have included the creation of resources like the 'Agency Security Issues Pocket Guide and supporting Reference Guide to aid agents in setting their security strategy. These guides cover topics such as data encryption, updating security plans, data breaches, and laws, issues with mobile devices, texting, and others. ACT also partnered with the Center for Internet Security, offering free 'Cyber Hygiene' toolkits for agents. The group also created an additional resource to assist agents with understanding and taking action on emerging ADA & Accessibility challenges, including the alarming volume of compliance lawsuits against independent agent websites.
One of the more significant accomplishments of the group was the release of a online version of the 'Agency Cyber Guide 3.0'. This resource addresses security regulations from entities like Gramm-Leach-Bliley, NYDFS, and the NAIC. The Guide provides descriptions and resources for regulations, including a downloadable template to create an Agency Cybersecurity Policy, as well as a matrix of cybersecurity service providers. The current focus of the workgroup is to re-think this cyberguide and offer the plentiful resources in a new format that will provide agencies the information they need to know/do, tools and resources to help when planning that strategy and ways to stay current beyond ACT.
Click here to view the Agency Security Issues Pocket Guide. Click here to view the ADA/Accessibility Resource web pages.
Click here to view the supporting full Summary Reference Guide. Click here to access the ACT/CIS 'Cyber Hygiene' toolkits. |
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Past Work Groups
This ACT work group was created to address the significant need for education and openness around API opportunities in our distribution channel. We are bringing together reps from carriers, vendors, agencies, as well as state associations to develop a level of understanding on this issue. Areas we will work to define:
How does each stakeholder define 'API'?
What will different levels of success look like?
How does each stakeholder work openly with others?
What areas can/should ACT impact?
2022 Strategy UpdateBased on discussions in API work group meetings, our goal is to develop an 'API Partner Security Guide' to provide background for discussion between development partners.Working drafts of 'Data Protection' and 'Security SLA' sections are available:
Background and discussion points are available below:
Work Group Chairs
Duke Williams (EchoSage and SimplyEaserPayments), and TBA
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From the SFI work groups creation of the 2015 Hard Trends Report and the resulting Must Do actions, one primary work group recommendation is to create a new ACT Work Group focusing on the changing nature of (insurance) risk.
This work group reviews the individual topics that will impact risk Machine Learning, Voice Computing, 3D Printing, the Sharing Economy, IoT, Drones, Telematics, Machine Learning, and others and determining for responses needed by ACT and the industry.
The CNoR work creates Risk Advisories; short, focused advisories on each topic, defining the trend, importance, implications, economic impacts, recommended actions, and resources for more information. These 'Risk Advisories' are intended to drive strategic discussions among all industry leaders, resulting in accelerated distribution channel movement forward.
The 'Risk Advisories' are located on the 'Changing Nature of Risk' web page, and the group will continue to populate the web page with new Advisories as they are finalized. In 2018, this group focused on updating key previously-issued Advisories that have seen the greatest continued evolution. In addition, volunteers from the group completed an "Internet of Things Deep Dive", published March 2019.
2019 Strategy Update: The group has confirmed to create the next 'deep dive' on Artificial Intelligence ('AI'), utilizing the same format as IoT - We are working on this now, and targeting completion by end of Q4/19.
If you're interested in joining the discussion, simply send a quick email to ACT@iiaba.net!
Co-Chairs: Steve Anderson (Anderson Consulting), Rick Morgan (WAHVE), and Jerry Fox (Systems by Fox)
Click here to watch a Changing Nature of Risk breakout session from one of our ACT Meetings.
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The need for agencies to be fully prepared for catastrophic storms and other disasters has never been greater. Think of the tropical storms and wildfires our country has dealt with across 2018. Previously, our ACT 'Disaster Preparedness' work group created a great document for agents to use in planning for disasters. Though the older ACT 'Disaster Prep' document has many aspects that are still relevant, much has also emerged in technology advancement, social media, and resources that we can add.
We have re-engaged the Disaster Preparedness work group to review the existing document as well as other ACT & industry resources, determine what format to use to move forward, and complete update. 2020 Strategy Update: As of April 2019, we have completed and released the Disaster Plan Guide. Across 2020, we will work to communicate the Disaster Plan widely and update key areas with the Guide as additional resources are identified. If you would like to review and provide input, please send an email to ACT@iiaba.net. |
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This work group is dedicated to identifying Carrier pain points on Bridging, and real-time comparative rating. A preliminary discussion between key industry representatives determined that there is an opportunity to re-address rating for Small Commercial Lines. This work group will work to 1) facilitate improvement, consistency, and education on existing 'bridging' functionality from management systems to carrier sites and 2) determine direction and advocacy for the desired end-state of consistent Real Time Comparative Rating for Small Commercial Lines. The work group held a kickoff meeting in September 2015, then fielded an industry-wide survey to confirm challenges and further refine its goals.
Our Small Commercial Rating group used this survey data to assign projects and deliverables In August 2016, the work group created a " Carrier Bridging Best Practices" Recommendations document as advocacy to carriers for consistency and agency ease-of-use in Bridging quotes to carriers agent portals. The group will also create a focus group to address existing issues with data and download/rating standards.
2020 Strategy Update: This work group has now; 1) run 2-3 focused comparative rating pilots to gain insights into challenges and benefits of comparative rating for small commercial lines of business. The goal will be to create and share best practice learnings that will benefit all stakeholders, driving increased carrier participation, as well as agency awareness & utilization. Current status:
- We landed on separate pilots with two comparative rating vendors - InsureZone and IBQ who graciously offered to let applicant agencies use their rating platforms free of charge for 90 days. Two other vendors declined to participate.
- Both InsureZone and IBQ have worked to set up 18-25 agencies each, providing training and support.
- Participants have also agreed to consistently use the raters every day, as well as provide feedback via a detailed survey we have created. The comparative rating vendors are also collecting direct feedback during training and support calls and will provide details to us. ACT will likewise share the feedback we capture with these pilot vendors.
- While the 90-day pilots will not fully begin prior to the May 20-21 ACT Meeting in Cincinnati, we shared a status update during the meeting.
- At the conclusion of the pilot, this work group will be engaged to review results and assist in providing summaries/ROI to our distribution channel.
This work group contains very passionate volunteers - If you'd like to join the conversation, please contact ACT@iiaba.net.
Chair: Jim Armitage (Arroyo Insurance Services).
Click here to access the "Carrier Bridging Best Practices" Recommendations document. |
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This work group assesses and guides a wide variety of marketing and communications strategies to advance ACT awareness and impact.
The group is currently creating a comprehensive plan for ACT focused on more effective communication methods, website enhancements, as well as strategies for ACT to employ - taking advantage of available new tools & technologies. ACT seeks to reach and engage a broader audience (the right people within agencies and carriers), increase its educational effectiveness, provide a forum for ongoing discussion of key technology-related industry issues, and create content that motivates agents and carriers to implement.
The work group also has subgroups focusing on user experience improvements to the ACT website, member best practices, getting the most from ACT, as well as brand and communications strategy.
2020 Strategy Update: This group will use feedback from dedicated sessions at ACT Meetings to develop focus areas and objectives. We have no shortage of communications improvement opportunities to help ACT and our industry!
Are you interested in lending your voice to the evolution of a more impactful communications plan that benefits all stakeholders? Email 'ACT@iiaba.net' and we'll make it easy to add you to our roster and meetings!
Chair: Peter van Aartrijk (the Aartrijk Group, Chromium) |
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This work group has updated ACT’s agency-carrier technology agreements guide. We have confidentially reviewed a number of national, super-regional and regional carrier agreements with agencies and are in the final phases of generating a ‘recommendations’ document that addresses a number of technology-based areas that have emerged in recent years which current carrier/agency agreements do not contemplate. The work group is comprised of representatives from carriers, vendors, associations and agencies. The final recommendations document was also reviewed by carrier and industry legal representatives to provide full feedback.
A Formal Document, which will be reviewed and refreshed periodically, was released October 27, 2014. A future focus for this group will be to address the use of ‘click-wrap’ agreements on agent portals.
Chair: Jim Armitage (Arroyo Insurance Services)
Click here to view the Carrier-Agency Technology Agreements Recommendations. Click here to access a 2016 whitepaper on "Privacy & Data Breach Language for Insurance Company Agency Agreements" |
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ACT engaged this work group beginning in September 2015 to address our distribution channel's struggles with adoption by agents and acceptance by carriers. The work group focuses on clear recommendations on workflow and integration to agency systems, advocacy to carriers for acceptance of vendor eSignature solutions that meet UETA and ESIGN requirements, along with their own proprietary systems, education to agents and the industry, and use and updating of existing reference documents.
In June, the group created and delivered a 'Carrier eSignature Advocacy' document - Reaching out to carriers not documented as accepting UETA- and ESIGN-compliant vendor eSignatures from agencies. This document provides significant background and rationale to urge carriers to accept agency eSignatures along with their own proprietary solutions. We are seeing positive responses from carriers.
Across 2017 and early 2018, the group recently completed additional resources for agencies, such as eSignature Benefits Guides for agency reps and customers, Training & Troubleshooting documents, and an eSignature Workflow template.
2020 Strategy Update: While this work group is officially on 'hold' having created significant point-in-time resources, we will proactively look for opportunities to update existing materials, as well as determine any new areas we can assist with.
Co-Chairs: Joyce Sigler (Jones & Wenner Insurance) and Nick Khamarji, Jr. (New England Insurance)
Click here to access the ACT eSignature web page which lists the agency tools listed above, and much more. Click here to access the ACT 'Carrier eSignature Advocacy' web page.
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