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Re: Agency Management System

Posted: Thu Mar 10, 2016 10:46 am
by fmi
I believe there are too many agency management systems to choose from. Speaking to several agents or producers I hear more cons than pros about all the systems on the market. Personally, I have used AMS360 and did not think it was that user friendly. I had to create dummy policy numbers in order for me to set up the accounts in the system. Has anyone used SalesForce?

Re: Agency Management System

Posted: Fri Mar 11, 2016 4:26 pm
by mightyquinn
If you bave a small agency and any brains you can set up your own agency management system by taking courses to learn Microsoft Access and Excel......and save a ton of money by doing so. If you do that and use Office online you don't even have the software resident on your computers. Its automatically updated online for a $99 annual payment for 5 computers. Its been my experience that by and large the owners of small agencies are semi-literate when it comes to computers and they are fodder for any management system that comes along because they think it beneath themselves to undertake the tasks. That is mighty expensive thinking because the failure to understand basic software and your actual needs plays right into the hands of the agency management system companies whose basic tact is to get you hooked for the long term. The way to beat their system is to educate yourself and your basic staff so that you grow your own management system as you grow using only those quantitative functions which are truly important instead of those which dazzle you into thinking that they are worth a huge investment.

Buyers beware.

Re: Agency Management System

Posted: Mon Mar 14, 2016 11:35 am
by gforaker
mightyquinn wrote:If you bave a small agency and any brains you can set up your own agency management system by taking courses to learn Microsoft Access and Excel......and save a ton of money by doing so. If you do that and use Office online you don't even have the software resident on your computers. Its automatically updated online for a $99 annual payment for 5 computers. Its been my experience that by and large the owners of small agencies are semi-literate when it comes to computers and they are fodder for any management system that comes along because they think it beneath themselves to undertake the tasks. That is mighty expensive thinking because the failure to understand basic software and your actual needs plays right into the hands of the agency management system companies whose basic tact is to get you hooked for the long term. The way to beat their system is to educate yourself and your basic staff so that you grow your own management system as you grow using only those quantitative functions which are truly important instead of those which dazzle you into thinking that they are worth a huge investment.

Buyers beware.

Oh, my, oh my. You don't even know what a decent Agency Management System can do to see what is missing in your suggestion. A good system is much more than a glorified Rolodex like you suggest. Most systems went beyond that over 20 years ago. Even back then they had Accord Forms and policy download, which your plan could not do.

A decent system will pay for itself in reduced workflow. It is not the time to go cheap as even the most expensive system is cheaper than an extra employee. Most Principals don't want to be IT people because their time is more productive doing other things.

Re: Agency Management System

Posted: Tue Mar 15, 2016 10:37 am
by mightyquinn
You sound like an employee of a company that sells a management system. The problem is that most small agencies like us DO NIOT need the bells and whistles. We need basics. Free Acords are available as are the programs necesssary to turn them into accurate autofill. Cash management / tracking is also available. All one has to do is take some time to do research and many thousands of critical dollars can be saved. All I ever hear from my friends who have small proprietary agencies is that the management software is overbuilt and way too far expensive regardless of the modules that are offered. We want a basic system that does what we need and want -- no more -- that can work with Win 7 which is now the DC3 OS of small agencies. Win 8, Win 10 are buggy busts.....use Win 7.

Re: Agency Management System

Posted: Mon Mar 28, 2016 9:20 am
by davidcanary
Full disclosure, I'm an employee selling an Agency Management System ;)

Tech Canary

Cloud-based, OEM of Salesforce, built in their platform

(do you use Salesforce in addition to your current AMS? might be worthwhile to think about consolidating into one platform..)

Integrated with Office 365, Outlook (auto-sync with contacts, has screen-pop to bring up account information and auto-record [or not, up to you] calls through your VoiP provider with incoming calls)

Built for all lines, P&C or L&H, our clients rave about ease-of-use regarding the automations/workflows/triggers which we train users on how to customize and put in place to streamline CSR efforts, saving time, decreasing bottleneck.

Metrics on Carrier commissions, showing what carriers actually pay versus what their projecting they'll pay; we have saved P&C clients >$50,000 in one year just by using this one dashboard metric. Regarding downloads, we have a continuously updated ACORD database giving you metrics on which are New, updates, cancellations, etc.

If you come to a point where you're reviewing cloud-based Agency Management System options, let us show you what it means to have ability to customize automation from a ny device.

Our goal is to give not only the platform and tools but the knowledge and training for agencies/brokers/MGAs/Carriers to truly streamline operations to increase sales and growth. Don't just take me word for it ;) check us out if you have some time.


Best Regards,

David Spann

Tech Canary
(414) 444-4764

Re: Agency Management System

Posted: Mon Apr 18, 2016 12:58 pm
by Insurance@Marshall
Small Agency rep with two offices, we do tax services and need a software to handle our insurance needs and store the info to be able to run reports (export, searchable) for the tax customers and information we need. Just contacted about asm360 to see if they can customize a page we currently only use file maker and do everything by paper and hand, extremely inefficient and time consuming. Anyone with multiple businesses under one roof have any advice or sales reps who have a product to offer??

Re: Agency Management System

Posted: Wed May 25, 2016 10:06 am
by davidcanary
Hey Insurance@Marshall,

Regarding reports, curious to know what type of metrics are most important/would you require to be shown in a dashboard? I know our system you can instantly customize dashboard layouts, you can choose any field that is shown on your dashboard and that you can drill down into. Let me know if you are still reviewing options, TechCanary, keep us in mind..

David

(414) 444-4764

Re: Agency Management System

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 6:58 am
by pzerarka
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Re: Agency Management System

Posted: Thu Jun 02, 2016 9:46 am
by pageltd
Nothing like standardization in the market. All sorts of options but none of them very good. P{ockets of execs being lined while the industry sits and waits?

Re: Agency Management System

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2016 6:57 am
by aboehner
gc144, did you switch to Hawksoft? We are looking at a change (from AMS360 due to cost and their lack of willingness to negotiate price and/or provide us with addt'l training). I am considering Hawksoft and Nexsure and wanting to get reviews.
gc144 wrote:I have looked at Hawksoft and was ready to switch, but I just haven't pulled the trigger. I am with Applied - TAM Online - and while it is good, it is really overkill for my small agency. I don't need their accounting because I use Quickbooks, which Hawksoft can integrate with, but that doesn't really matter to me either.

Hawksoft is appealing to me because of the cost savings - about $5,000 per year after the first year. The only reason I haven't switched is that I have a couple other projects going on and I didn't want to invest more time in the software switch.

Any insights you can give about their deficiencies would be great to know. The references they gave me were all good (I wouldn't have expected anything else), so it would be nice to hear some of the negatives. Who knows, perhaps your negatives won't affect me.

Re: Agency Management System

Posted: Wed Jun 08, 2016 7:15 am
by aboehner
I'd not switch to AMS360 unless costs are not a concern. If your rate is 'reasonable' now, it won't be after a few years. They bump it every year and any new improvement in technology or features they add they then make a 'new system' and try to coerce you into upgrading for even MORE than their already high rates. That's been my experience. We are looking to transition away from them. Glad to share more if you would like, PM me.
OldIndyAgent wrote:AMS Vertafore is letting experienced staff go... Usually when they do this it means they are trimming the books to sell the company. I heard they let all 12 of the agency management system integration developers go too.

Meanwhile, Applied is hiring like crazy.

Maybe Applied will by Vertafore... Now that would be something, I don't know what, but something....

Re: Agency Management System

Posted: Fri Jun 10, 2016 10:25 am
by OldIndyAgent
I just saw that a brand new AMS, Veruna.com, based on Salesforce, won an ACORD Innovation Challenge in NY this week, beating out TechCanary and Applied.

Might check them out when they go live.

Disclaimer...I am not affiliated with them in any way :D

Re: Agency Management System

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 8:21 am
by davidcanary
If you like Salesforce, check out the AppExchange, search "insurance".

It's funny you say beating out, who are you affiliated with then, OldIndy? :wink:

Really depends on what you need in a system, when, where and how you need it to work.
curious to know what you guys think is a reasonable rate?

Re: Agency Management System

Posted: Fri Jun 17, 2016 10:38 am
by OldIndyAgent
Hartford, Travelers, Safeco, Progressive, etc, you know, the usual culprits :D

My favorite rate...FREEEEEEEE, carrier provided! Doesn't seem to be working to well for me though lol.

Re: Agency Management System

Posted: Wed Sep 21, 2016 5:26 am
by pageltd
Does anyone know of a software program that will take a risk survey or questionnaire and import that data directly into an ACORD form?

IN other words, an interview, for a prospective form where the information is captured, then goes into an ACORD form directly without intervention. Mostly thinking about Commercial LInes, but personal lines is okay too.

Need specific software vendors and a description of the process.