The tool, unveiled this week in New Orleans at the IIABA's annual conference, also contains a number of forms and guidelines to help an agency implement a continuous-improvement process. It includes comprehensive property-casualty and benefits workflows.

"The ongoing commitment of ACT and the Council for Best Practices is to support independent agencies with the tools to realize business process and technology efficiencies," said Reg Davis, chairman of the joint ACT/Best Practices work group that produced the guide.

He added that the guide is a "terrific member benefit that is being provided to independent agents online, at no cost."

"Technology and workflows provide the tools for establishing a strong service and sales foundation," he said. "The tool positions the agency's management to achieve the maximum benefits of the use of the agency's technology, to improve client service, and to free up more agency staff resources for sales."

The ACT/Best Practices work group engaged Laura Nettles of Nettles Consulting Network to develop the product with the group's input.

The Best Practices tool identifies distinct agency environments, and then outlines the characteristics of each level and the steps to take to progress to each successive level of agency environment.

"Ultimately, this guide helps the agency achieve workflows that integrate fully with its technology so that the benefits of that technology are fully realized," said Jeff Yates, ACT's executive director. "Business process improvement and workflow implementation are ongoing processes, not one-time events. The workbook is intended to be an agency's guide to continuous improvement."

"Using the tools provided in this Best Practices Guide requires an openness to change. Agencies and brokers must want to fully use the technology they already have in place," added Madelyn Flannagan, IIABA's vice president for education and research. "This workbook simplifies the transition, but still requires the commitment and discipline by everyone in the agency to adhere to the approved workflows and the use of the computer as the primary source of agency information."

The implementation tools provided in the guide help agencies establish goals, implement internal task forces to develop workflows, analyze progress, and monitor staff workload and the implementation of the workflows.

The guide is available at www.independentagent.com by clicking on either the Agents Council for Technology tab or the Council for Best Practices gateway.