The Product: eWizard
The Company: Group Insurance Systems
Web site: www.gisbenefits.com

Group Insurance Systems (GIS) has introduced eWizard into the market, a new tool to assist a carriers sales force. eWizard is a complete client management software system that compiles and organizes information necessary to assess a sales pipeline, analyze sales efforts, and refine sales strategy.

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee worked with the Chattanooga, Tenn.-based GIS in the development of eWizard, according to Janet Adams, director of administration and process improvement for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee. We developed eWizard to give salespeople more time to do what they do bestsell, she says. This software uses the Web to provide easy access to and simple navigation of a companys sales data. It makes the sales process user-friendly and saves valuable time for both businesses and their clients.

The link to a carriers customers, Adams says, is the agencies that represent them. We wanted the agencies to have access to our site to get instant quotes themselves, she says. We built a Web-based rating/ quoting engine for our brokers to have access. It has taken off tremendously. Our brokers have been very receptive.

Eighty-five percent of BCBS of Tennessees revenue comes from the small-employer market, Adams says. This tool is ideal for that market, she asserts. The benefit [of the tool] being able to change the [employee] benefits to meet the customers needs is phenomenal. The easier we make itwith the drop-down boxes and the follow-through screens[the more] it will be a benefit to the broker and the client.

eWizard offers a comprehensive account tracking system to prospect, quote, sell, communicate with, report on, and renew both group and individual products.

The software features an online quoting system capable of generating an unlimited number of quote configurations, without the need to reenter client data. The software is integrated with a companys current product and pricing information for accurate quoting.

eWizard also provides a real-time link to a carriers sales database via most computers with Internet access. And after working offline, it synchronizes with information entered in an existing database master.

Additional eWizard features allow a sales staff to:
Utilize powerful online rate calculators.
Access its companys sales information, FAQs, marketing materials, and other resources.
Seamlessly integrate with Microsoft Outlook and use either system for e-mail, calendar, and contact information.
Customize the system to trigger automatically literature fulfillment, follow-up calls, and daily task reminders.

According to eWizard customers, the new software helps to strengthen support relationships, provide outstanding customer service, and improve performance.
My clients expect things to happen quickly. With eWizard, I receive instant, accurate quotes in plenty of time to make the sale, says Kevin Ownby, broker at Ownby Insurance Service, Inc., which does a majority of its business with BCBS Tennessee.
eWizard has changed the way we do business, says Jim Gray, vice president of sales and account management for Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee. The time and money weve saved on sales administration alone have done wonders for our bottom line.

SHOPPINGCART
Product: CertificatesNow
Company: ConfirmNet Corp.
Web Site: www.confirmnet.com

ConfirmNet Corporation, a supplier of online solutions for enterprise risk management, has released the latest version of CertificatesNow, its Web-enabled certificate-issuing service. This release provides carriers flexibility and functionality in issuing certificates of insurance.

CertificatesNow allows agents and brokers to create, deliver, store, and renew insurance certificates and auto ID documentsproviding 24/7 browser access and immediate certificate issuance via e-mail or fax. Additionally, brokers can authorize their insureds to issue their own certificates.

Enhancements to the CertificatesNow service include:
Certificate Reissueallows insurance professionals and end users to implement changes without creating a new certificate. This is done via the ability to edit specific items on a previously issued certificate, such as name and address information, certificate description of operations (DOO), and excess liability limits.
Operations Mergegives users flexibility in sending certificates by optionally merging the first two lines of the master certificate description of operations with the first three lines of the cert holder DOO on a new certificate. It also includes support for data entered in the condo fields and DOO overflow used with the supplement form.
Renewal List Downloadadds description of operations wording and reference line information to downloaded renewal list reports. Additionally, this enhancement ensures the download for named insured users is specific to their transactions.
Transaction Report Performanceimproves report performance to accommodate the retrieval of larger amounts of data.
Agency Billing Reportassists agencies in managing costs by providing billing-activity-by-month and billable-transactions-by-account reports.