Search
 

Automation: How we stopped processing premium payments--Part I

MOVING more and more to direct-bill payments over the past 10 years, our agency had almost eliminated the processing of premium payments. In 2002, however, we acquired another agency and discovered that they had a substantial number of customers who

By Edgar J. Higgins Jr. | Updated on June 30, 2004

MOVING more and more to direct-bill payments over the past 10 years, our agency had almost eliminated the processing of premium payments. In 2002, however, we acquired another agency and discovered that they had a substantial number of customers who remitted direct-bill payments to the agency office. We saw processing these payments as a nonproductive use of our time that provided no value to the customers.

It had been so long since we had addressed this issue that we had to start from the beginning to design a plan to eliminate the processing. Since we had just purchased the agency and knew there was no chance of having the former owner continue in any management role, we were reluctant to make too many quick operational changes. We ultimately broke the process down into three phases, to be executed over two years.

Want to continue reading?
Become a Free
PropertyCasualty360 Digital Reader.

INCLUDED IN A DIGITAL MEMBERSHIP:

  • All PropertyCasualty360.com news coverage, best practices, and in-depth analysis.
  • Educational webcasts, resources from industry leaders, and informative newsletters.
  • Other award-winning websites including BenefitsPRO.com and ThinkAdvisor.com.

Already have an account?

NOT FOR REPRINT

© 2025 ALM Global, LLC, All Rights Reserved. Request academic re-use from www.copyright.com. All other uses, submit a request to [email protected]. For more information visit Asset & Logo Licensing.

Recommended Stories

PropertyCasualty360

Join PropertyCasualty360

Don’t miss crucial news and insights you need to make informed decisions for your P&C insurance business. Join PropertyCasualty360.com now!

  • Unlimited access to PropertyCasualty360.com - your roadmap to thriving in a disrupted environment
  • Access to other award-winning ALM websites including BenefitsPRO.com, ThinkAdvisor.com and Law.com
  • Exclusive discounts on PropertyCasualty360, National Underwriter, Claims and ALM events

Already have an account? Sign In Now
Join PropertyCasualty360

Copyright © 2025 ALM Global, LLC. All Rights Reserved.