The 2010 Automation Excellence Award recipient among agencies with 25 users or less is Chas. H. Bilz Insurance Agency Inc. in Covington, Ky.

The 2010 Automation Excellence Award recipient among agencies with more than 25 users is McQueary Henry Bowles Troy LLP in Dallas, Texas.

Bilz has conducted its personal lines, commercial lines and life and health business in a paperless environment for several years.

Accounting records, including commission statements, production reports, and vendor invoices, have been electronic for more than three years. For two years, the agency has had electronic personnel records; the agency's 150-page procedures manual is in electronic format on AfW and AMS360.

The agency's technology environment includes three screens (with AMS360, e-mail, and websites or scanned documents on the screens) for service staff. The agency scans mail and forwards it to AMS360 for the appropriate individual. Commercial lines policies, audits and endorsements are electronically attached to AMS360 for review of coverages. The firm uses specialty applications to track group business, along with imaging of policy documents and correspondence.

McQueary Henry Bowles Troy developed several programs to improve productivity and efficiency, while also serving the Sagitta All Users' Chapter Inc. (SAUCI). A new program for account managers provides access to a detailed report of active clients, policies, premiums, revenue and transactions, as well as detail of expirations and aged receivables. It ranks each producer compared with peers for these areas. The agency's automated tools allow account managers to monitor client needs. Another program allows producers to compare production to goals.

McQueary Henry Bowles Troy developed a business analytics program to track a client's health plan, which includes a financial examination and monitoring of the plan. It also developed a paperless document management program, providing remote access to policies, endorsements and other documents.