By
Sharon Cunningham, Business Management Group
1. Marketing and Prospecting
- Enter all prospects into the system.
- Run prospects reports to monitor on-going activity and results.
- Update marketing information on prospects and clients on the appropriate screens.
- Run reports to identify cross-selling/ upgrading opportunities or target specialty or niche customers in the book of business.
- Use mass mailing capabilities to market cross-selling or upgrading opportunities or to target specialty or niche customers.
- Use system reports to monitor the progress of marketing campaigns.
2. Applications and Proposals
- Produce all new business applications directly from the system.
- Generate renewal applications from the updated system information.
- Pull information directly from the system database to produce the proposal.
- Use a standard proposal format and content for all proposals.
3. Submission Production and Tracking
- Produce multiple carrier submissions through the system, rather than by making individual copies.
- Track submissions to carriers automatically through the system.
- Monitor submission hit ratios through a system report.
4. Policy Detail
- Record policy detail as early as possible in the workflow.
- Keep full, updated and accurate detail in the system.
- Use the system as the primary source of policy information.
- Management conducts audits on policy detail.
- Consistently document all client contacts in the history section of the client file.
5. Electronic and Transactional Filing for Personal Lines, Commercial Lines and Claims
- The electronic record is the primary source of all information.
- All necessary client information is in the electronic record or points to the storage location.
- Policy detail is maintained and updated regularly.
- Transactional filing records are consistent and accessible.
- Everyone in the agency knows how to access the electronic records.
6. Diary/Suspense
- Set and enforce standards for following up on transactions.
- Create suspense through computer system.
- Suspend for an adequate number of days.
- Management monitors suspense.
7. Transaction Processing
- Provide adequate training so that users can make full use of the system.
- Users know the steps to take to process each type of transaction.
- Telephones are outfitted with headphones.
- Process as many transactions as possible while the customer is on the phone.
- Any transaction not completed on the phone is noted electronically, and completed as soon as possible that same day.
8. Integrated Rating, Desktop Faxing, Electronic Signatures, Download
- Change workflow as a result of these capabilities.
- Process transactions without producing paper using these features.
- Streamline processing using these features.
9. Emails, Letters, Spreadsheets, Forms
- Attach these documents to the customer file.
- Create template documents and store on shared drives.
10. Documentation
- Create and use standards for documenting phone calls, mail, and correspondence.
- Document information in one place in the system.
- Everyone knows where documentation is kept and accesses it.
11. Claims
- Use a complete policy database.
- Produce loss reports from the system.
- Track, document, diary, and manage activity on the system.
- Use system generated claims management reports.
12. Other Lines
- Detail Employee Benefits and Life/Health in the system.
- Enter bond detail in the system.
- Create and use bond form templates wherever possible.
- Create and use applications for specialty lines wherever possible.
13. Carrier Download
- Set up download with all carriers that offer download.
- If possible, invoice automatically as part of the download (Direct Bill only).
- Conduct audits of accuracy of download, occasionally.
- Trust the information that has been downloaded and audited.
14. Management Reporting Capabilities
- Decide on necessary information on reports.
- Adjust to reporting capabilities of the system.
- Develop canned reports if the system doesn’t have what is required.
- Customize reports when absolutely necessary.
- Provide access to needed reporting capabilities to managers.
- Train managers to run their own reports where applicable.
15. Intranet
- Contains procedures and workflow manuals.
- Contains Company manuals (if electronic).
- Use to record new and changed procedures.
- Use to document workflow.
- Aid in discussion among task force members.
- Use as a vehicle for storing some personnel information.
- Allow for the generation of an internal agency newsletter.
- Provide rolodex information and underwriting requirements for companies.