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Independent agents and brokers: Difficult times, difficult choices

Agencies have had to prioritize operations this year, implementing new measures to ensure that technology and recruitment needs are met while driving toward long-term growth.

By Staff Writer | Updated on December 20, 2010

What are some major technology challenges you faced in 2010?

Walker Sydnor: Technology does not stand still. Properly steering stable technological growth is an ongoing challenge in any industry. If you’re slow to adapt, you run the risk of being left behind in the marketplace. However, if you adopt new technology before it is stable and has proven value, you have wasted resources and exposed yourself to the even greater risk of instability. The challenge is to determine the proper balance between innovation and stability.

A specific challenge we faced in 2010 was maintaining communication and connectivity with customers and between our 8 branches, given the need to reduce the costs and environmental impact associated with travel. We’ve implemented technology enabling us to deliver educational seminars over the web to clients, prospects and internal staff. This allows us to maintain our close contact and provide that additional value that helps differentiate us from our competitors. We also have installed inter-office video conferencing throughout our organization to foster communication and teamwork between regionally separated offices.

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