This article was originally published in Windows in Financial Services. For Connie Higginbotham, insurance agency management systems were a challenge. She had worked on some of the biggest systems in the industry, and they left her unimpressed, or downright angry. To top it off, her last agency employer hated to invest in new equipment. "They wouldn’t update the hardware or software, and nothing ever worked right. They weren’t using the systems to their fullest capability." So 10 years ago, when she founded her own agency, Business and Auto Insurance Specialists, in Palatka, Fla., Higginbotham resolved to get the best technology available, and keep it up to date. Today, with the exception of life insurance, her agency writes a bit of everything, including such niches as horse insurance and coverage for special events. True to her earlier promise, the firm makes it a habit to keep its technology fresh. "I could see that if you bought new stuff and used it to fullest capability you could have fewer people and make more money," said Higginbotham. "So I bought new computers and keep them updated to latest capability." She runs a small office but does almost as much business as competitors employing five times as many people. For her agency management system, Higginbotham uses Nexsure from XDimensional. Higginbotham is pleased with Nexsure's performance and ease of use. Skeptical about vendor claims after losing $50,000 on another agency management system, Higginbotham insisted on taking Nexsure for some demanding test drives. "The first thing I did was fill in an application to see how easy it was to put the data in and to get the application out." Data entry on some older systems can be complicated and can require extensive training. Nexsure, on the other hand, mimics the industry-standard ACORD forms. "You fill in the blanks just like you were handwriting the application, so a new agent can just read the screen and type." To maximize efficiency, Business and Auto Insurance Specialists uses all the capabilities in its computer system. "We use transactional filing—we keep everything in a daily file, we scan any paper forms into the system, and we attach everything needed for the file, so when someone calls we don’t have to pull a paper file. Everything should be in the computer." Nexsure was designed on a Web services architecture. The system is based completely on the Microsoft technology platform and takes full advantage of the XML data format. "By working together with Microsoft, we can offer agents a true Web-based service," said Bob Juracka, president of XDimensional Technologies. Using Nexsure, agents in Palatka can link directly to The Hartford to check on policies with the click of a mouse. "You type in the policy number and the information comes up in half a second," said Higginbotham. "We can do that with several companies." The Hartford, which has invested in XDTI, has introduced a suite of transactions for independent agents who use Nexsure. "Independent agents want the flexibility to choose how they want to work, so we continue to introduce ways to make it easy for them to do business directly from their agency management system. It’s part of The Hartford's commitment to help agents deliver the highest quality of service to their customers," said Lisa Cox, senior vice president of e-business technology solutions at The Hartford. The Hartford is also working to make it easy for agents using the Nexsure agency management system to get a more accurate real-time quote for personal lines auto insurance by connecting directly with The Hartford using its real-time rating service. It is one of the first insurers to have this new technology available with Nexsure. It can accept an ACORD XML personal auto quote request, perform the rating, and return the results. For Higginbotham, the results are clear. "We are able to write more business, and write it faster and easier. Nexsure makes it so much simpler, and the accounting is easy." Her favorite feature is Nexsure’s Reverse procedure that helps agents correct mistakes. "With Nexsure's Reverse, it backs you out the way you put the data in. Instead of three hours, you can back it out and correct it in five minutes," she said. "It's so easy-why didn’t somebody think about this 20 years ago when they first started developing agency management systems?" To learn more about Microsoft technology in the financial enterprise sign up for your free subscription to Windows in Financial Services (for qualified subscribers in North America).
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