That survey showed one major issue for agents and brokers is downloading, the group said. Agents said there were wide variations from company to company in download procedures and results. They also said companies do not download data as accurately or thoroughly as an agencys own data entry.

Companies and automation vendors blame each other for the problems, the agents responding to the survey said.

The survey said that despite the technology problems, agents share part of the blame when they fail to follow a software vendors or carriers procedures.

After pulling together all the parties to discuss the issues, the ACT Download Group issued their report with a series of recommendations.

Among the recommendations:

Carriers should send all data in ACORD Standard records, and agency management system vendors should be prepared to download this information to ensure all data is provided for downloading.
Carriers should follow standard procedures to protect agents data.
Carriers and vendors must document and share details on data they can process and how they process it.
Carriers and vendors need to incorporate descriptive information along with downloads, informing agencies about why a download occurred.
Agents and their management system user groups must take responsibility for educating themselves on the process of download.

“This report provides a useful framework of needed refinements and improvements in downloading,” said Jeffrey M. Yates, ACT executive director. “However, this report will only serve its purpose if the industry uses it to make current downloading more effective and extensive, especially in the commercial lines area.”

In an interview with National Underwriter, Mr. Yates said the next challenge after issuing the report would be to keep carriers, vendors and agents focused on meeting the goals laid out in the report.

“What we want to do is take the findings from the survey a step further,” beyond just producing a report, and make agents, vendors and carriers aware of what needs to be done through meetings and discussions, said Mr. Yates.

“But it is up to the parties involved to implement the needed changes,” he added.

ACT, he said, plans to do its part by presenting the findings and conclusions at user group meetings and at other industry forums. He added that he hoped technology user groups would “act as a catalyst” with the carriers and technology vendors to work at improving the technology and move a step closer to a truly paperless system.

“Companies want to turn off the paper and have agents rely totally on technology,” said Mr. Yates. “But agents have to have sufficient information for their business” and will never support going paperless until they have confidence in the companys download capabilities.

When asked when he would know if the ACT Download Work Groups work is getting its message across, Mr. Yates said he would know when he meets with agents and brokers and the majority say they download their commercial clients files instead of relying on paper documents.

Copies of the report are available under the “Agents Council of Technology” link on the IIABA Web site at www.independentagent.com.

Reproduced from National Underwriter Edition, May 12, 2003. Copyright 2003 by The National Underwriter Company in the serial publication. All rights reserved. Copyright in this article as an independent work may be held by the author.