TECHNOLOGY
Agents researching agency management systems
should consider regional vendors
By Nancy Doucette
When Dorothy Gale clicked the heels of her ruby slippers together in "The Wizard of Oz" and repeated the phrase, "There's no place like home, there's no place like home," she had discovered that what she was looking for was in her own backyard. Agents who are researching agency management systems may find that's true for them as well. Regional software vendors offer management systems that provide the core functions that agencies use most and, because their user base tends to be less heavily populated, the regional vendors place significant emphasis on training, support, and updates.
One such vendor, Ft. Lauderdale-based QuickQuote, doesn't describe itself as a regional vendor; but up until about five years ago, the company marketed its QuickFile agency management system in Florida only. With the Florida market saturated, QuickQuote President Ira Saunders says he and QuickQuote partner Mark Malis decided to expand their marketing efforts. They began marketing the system in Texas, and then in California. The company now has users in more than 15 states throughout the country. "QuickFile adapts to any type of insurance and any type of user," Saunders notes. "So there's no reason we can't sell this product in every state."
QuickQuote began its operations in 1988 as a comparative rater. The forerunner to the QuickFile system was available during that same period, though under a different name, Saunders explains. When QuickFile author Mark Malis began developing the QuickFile system, he paid special attention to the core functions that agents use, taking into consideration that the more feature-rich systems include functions that many agencies never utilize. Saunders says QuickFile's ease of use gets high praise from agents.
"Open a customer account and you see a tab system," he says. "The tabs are: Search, Client, Policy, Memos, Billing, Images, Letters, and Forms. If you want to review a client's policies, for instance, you click the Policy tab and there they are. The client record can have an unlimited number of policies and they can be of any type. If you click the Billing tab, you can see the open bills or create new ones. Every letter you write for the client is saved so later you can see a trail of the renewal notice, the change of address, etc. All the forms you've ever done for the client are stored--ACORD forms, ID cards, etc."
The QuickFile system can integrate with comparative rating software; it has document scanning and retrieval capabilities; a word processor that has mail merge, e-mail and desktop fax; and can generate a host of reports.
Saunders notes that users can request new features at the QuickFile Web site. "We try to make everybody happy. If the feature is reasonable, why not add it?" All updates are free and are distributed quarterly. Users are informed of updates via e-mail and are then able to go to the QuickFile Web site to download the new features. Users pay a flat annual fee that includes support and updates. No monthly support fees are charged.
One of the most requested new features recently has been company downloads, according to Saunders. He says QuickFile responded to those requests and company downloads was added with the January 2004 update, along with integrated accounting.
The flat annual fee is based on what functions an agency wants from its QuickFile system. Saunders explains that there are four different "flavors" of QuickFile. The QuickFile Gold program includes all ACORD forms, scanning, word processing, reports, and a link to QuickBooks. The QuickFile Platinum program includes everything the Gold program offers plus integrated accounting and download. This month, the Enterprise Gold and Enterprise Platinum programs were introduced. He says these are Internet-based versions of the standard Gold and Platinum products that offer agencies a centralized client database. This approach is different from an ASP (application service provider) because the program resides on the agency computer. The data, however, is kept on a secure, off-site server. This means an agency with multiple locations can access the data.
The software comes to the agency on a CD-ROM with the printed manual. Phone training is included in the price of the system. Videos are included in the installed software, making it possible for users to take a QuickFile course right at their computers. Saunders notes that the videos are arranged in a course outline format making it easy for users to find the topic they're interested in. "If someone wants to know how to process an endorsement in the system, it's a simple matter of clicking the Videos button, then clicking on the Endorsement topic," he continues. A three-minute video provides the information. And if that's not enough information, the user can call either of the QuickFile trainers to take advantage of the unlimited help.
"People who get the software tell me that within 15 minutes they're finding their way around the system. The ease of use is one of the most important things we have going for us," Saunders concludes.
Serving the Midwest
MI-Assistant, based in Eleva, Wisconsin, opened its doors in 1984. That's when Jim Deetz took the advice of his brother, and partner in the family agency, and created a calculator that automated the quoting process for homeowners and personal auto. Jim's son, Scott, put his degree in marketing to work when he joined the business in 1989. Scott says the agency management system was developed in 1988 and really took off in 1998 when its Windows version was introduced.
Users are concentrated in MI-Assistant's home state of Wisconsin, as well as Iowa, Illinois, Indiana, and Minnesota. "We categorize ourselves as a regional vendor and we think there are a lot of competitive advantages for being that," says Deetz. "Because we are regionally focused, we can put more time into each one of those customers to help them be more efficient in using our technology. We work with the agency to figure out which part of our system they want to use." He refers to that process as blueprinting the customer's needs. "We truly focus on the needs of each agency, what they want to accomplish. And then we tell them how that can happen within the workings of MI-Assistant." That results-focused philosophy affects training and support as well, he notes.
While the rating system and management system are separate products, they are tightly integrated for one workflow, Deetz explains. For instance, if the agency begins a transaction in the rating program, all the data gathered in the rating process can easily be transferred over to the management system to set up the policy. He notes that the management system is designed with fewer windows, boxes and screens. "It's a flat design structure where you can easily get to everything," he says. "It requires fewer keystrokes, less keying around." The system's ease of use enables MI-Assistant to spend more time training new users about the procedures they need to have in place in order to be successful with the software, he continues. The software supports transactional filing and working in a paperless environment--workflows that Deetz says help agencies work more efficiently.
He points out that on-site training is available but most training is now done system-to-system. MI-Assistant uses online communication training tools where the user runs a copy of the system at the agency site while MI-Assistant shadows that computer from the Eleva office. Beyond the training is the Resource Group, the MI-Assistant user group, which meets quarterly in each of eight regions. An MI-Assistant trainer attends these meetings, Deetz explains. "By having a trainer attend, we highlight that we as a vendor are a resource for the agencies to help them use the system as effectively as possible," he says. Agents who are researching management systems are welcome at the Resource Group meetings. "Visitors get to hear the positive and the negative feedback from current users of MI-Assistant," he notes. "They get a realistic idea about implementing a new management system. Too often, they have unrealistic expectations as to what's involved in installing a new management system. It doesn't happen overnight."
MI-Assistant is available as an ASP (application service provider--where it's hosted on the Internet) or as a desktop system. The ASP version costs a bit more than the desktop version because of the hosting, security and other services provided, Deetz explains.
The system is available as a full system or in components: Sales, Service, and Back Office. The Service system integrates with QuickBooks or Peachtree for general ledger accounting. Deetz says some agencies are electing not to have integrated accounting because they're primarily direct bill. The Sales and Service systems also include client tracking, ACORD forms, download, transactional filing, scanning, and a full proposal system. The proposal system is part of the Sales system but not the Service system.
This past November, MI-Assistant was acquired by Brookfield, Wisconsin-based Fiserv, Inc., which provides information management systems and services to the financial industry. Deetz notes that Fiserv's philosophy is to leave the companies it acquires alone. "Fiserv isn't interested in acquiring companies where the managers aren't willing to stay on and grow the business," he continues. "So the news here is that MI-Assistant will continue to be run by me as the business unit president along with our existing management team."
Mostly Massachusetts
Back in 1994 when Chris Baker was doing consulting work with agencies from his office in Holbrook, Massachusetts, helping them select and install agency management software, he kept hearing the same comments: The agency management software that was available was too expensive, too complicated, and the training that was provided wasn't in depth enough to get the users up to speed. So Baker took what he'd heard, combined it with his Master's degree in computer science, and created the Special Agent system.
Baker notes that there's nothing inherently regional about the design of the software but, from a training standpoint, most of the Special Agent marketing is done in Massachusetts. "We do have customers in other states," he says, "so if anything special is needed for a particular state-state specific ACORD forms, for example, we can just drop them in."
He says Special Agent handles all lines of business, but focuses more on the personal lines agency and makes the processes related to personal lines transactions as streamlined as possible. "We tend not to use a lot of icons," he points out. "They just need to be explained." So if the user wants to complete an application, for instance, the user clicks on the "Applications" button.
In line with Special Agent's "keep it simple" philosophy, dec pages are presented on the screen so that they resemble a paper dec page as closely as possible. The data on those dec pages is either downloaded or is keyed in directly by the agency. Baker notes that Special Agent downloads with every carrier that writes in Massachusetts--both national and regional carriers. "Several carriers have shut off paper to agents," he observes. "When that happens, agents realize how important download is." Some of the agencies that have recently chosen Special Agent haven't had an agency management system in the past. They're deciding now's the time because their carriers are shutting off the paper, he continues. "These new customers were uncomfortable going to the carrier Web site to get information about their client accounts. They wanted to have their own copy of the information."
Special Agent integrates with Microsoft Word, so while the system doesn't include a proposal generation system as such, Baker points out that Word templates can be created to manage that task.
The system includes integrated accounting for accounts receivable, billing, receipts, producer production statements, and commission statements.
Installation and training are done on site. "There's nothing like being in the agent's office for training," Baker says. "The agency is more comfortable with the software." The initial training takes about three hours. By the time the trainer has completed the session, the agency staff is ready to start processing transactions.
Special Agent works with the carriers that the agency writes with to set up the initial loads--where client policy data residing at the carrier is downloaded into the agency system. All the available policy data is pre-loaded into the agent's database. This is arranged prior to the system being installed at the agency so when the system actually is installed, the training that follows is based on live data. "All the work is done for the agent upfront," notes Baker, "so agency staff can begin using the system immediately.
"Some vendors try to be all things to all people," Baker says. "They have a monster checklist of functions and features. But when an agent sits down to use a system, there are core functions he or she needs to use. If Special Agent can handle 90% of what the agency needs to do, we're happy with that. We don't want a small percentage of exceptions driving the system design. We want the typical transactions to be as easy to do as possible in our system." *
For more information:
MI-Assistant
Contact: Jennifer Brott
E-mail: jenniferbrott@mi-assistant.com
Phone: (715) 287-3225, Ext. 151
Web site: www.mi-assistant.com
QuickFile
E-mail: sales@quickfile.net
Phone: (800) 330-8000
Web site: www.quickfile.net
Special Agent, Inc.
Contact: Chris Baker
E-mail: info@specialagent.com
Phone: (800) 842-0450
Web site: www.specialagent.com