Automation Training Yields Results

A focused, standard approach shortens learning curves

As use of automation in independent agencies grows, so does the need for comprehensive staff training covering the automation itself as well as workflow changes. But the very thought of designing and delivering automation training across an agency can be somewhat intimidating.

Our agency has gotten a handle on automation education by devising a focused, standardized approach built around a consistent outline. By doing so, we've shortened learning curves, sped up implementation, boosted employee buy-in, and achieved consistency around processes something critically important in an automation-driven work environment.

Each of our training sessions follows the same outline. It provides context, addresses potential objections and offers instruction, all in one. It also forms the basis for future process reviews and audits that look at what effect the training has had, and at how people are actually implementing new processes.

The outline begins by answering a question we've been asking since we could first talk: "Why."

By providing rationale up front, the rest of the training, and ultimately the implementation, runs more smoothly. The "why" section focuses primarily on internal processes and why the procedure or automation is important to us.

We recently conducted office-wide training on electronic filing. We explored issues e-filing would help resolve, such as maintaining multiple files, the need for access to files in multiple locations, problems with having documents in transit, and all of the duplicate handling of paper that goes on. We spelled out the existing workflow and looked at some of the reasons for making a change.

Next, we look at who who is affected by the change and who impacts it. We identify specific positions and their particular issues, so everyone in the agency understands how their actions and transactions have a bearing on others, and vice versa. This reinforces the importance of what we're doing, and the role everyone has in ensuring success. In the case of e-filing, we created the position of communications coordinator, so our "who" training included an overview for the entire staff of everything that individual does.

We devote considerable room in our outline for sharing broad factual information. We identify and share best practice information and statistics to show the topic's fit in today's business world. We get this information from a variety of insurance-related sources, such as our carrier partners, user groups and trade associations, as well as non-industry sources.

In this phase, we also identify pertinent terms. With e-filing, we explained OCR, TIF files, PDFs and more. It's important to make sure everyone understands the terminology, so when we throw a word out in the course of daily business, they know what we're talking about and how it fits in.

We also deal with potential pitfalls. We use a handful of categories to organize these and address them. They generally fall into one of these areas: unachievable goals, lack of communicated expectations, lack of confidence in the system, poorly designed or forced workflows, a "just trying it out first" attitude, and lack of buy-in from all staff.

Recently added to our outline are pros and cons for each workflow or automation process implemented. We try to be very open and honest on them. It's important that staff members recognize these, and more important, know that management does, too. We cover each in our training and discuss how we will overcome a con or whether it is even applicable in our business. Just because something has a con doesn't mean its a bad thing. The staff just needs to be aware of it.

Finally, we provide step-by-step procedures for the automation or workflow. In the case of e-filing, we began with a document hitting the door, or with real-time inquiry, the minute an employee needs info or when a client request comes in. We detail all steps so everybody understands them. And we include documentation of what's behind each step.

Then we hand out the manual, which follows a template format and includes a best practices section and full explanations of all areas covered. It includes detailed documents and print screens addressing the issues, and is available on the agency Intranet. In addition, we print the first copy for them. We've found that when we put it in front of them, they hold onto it, refer to it, and look at it often.

As we make it easier to deliver training, and as we provide data and address objections up front, we find that our entire staff all 27 of us, spread over eight locations can get a better grasp of what needs to be done and why. That translates into improved workflows, processes and, in the end, results.

But the training outline also lays the groundwork for continuous monitoring, quality control and, where needed, retraining. We go through a thorough automation review each year, based on the training we offered earlier.

Brian Bartosh ([email protected]) is president of Top O Michigan Insurance Agency, in Alpena, Mich. He is past-president of the Applied Systems Client Network (ASCnet), the user group of Applied Systems.

Reproduced from National Underwriter Edition, September 9, 2004. Copyright 2004 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.