Disasters, by nature, are unexpected. We hope one never hits, but must be prepared once it does. The recent coronavirus pandemic is evidence of the unexpected becoming real, and businesses across the world are learning how to cope.
When it comes to planning for disasters, the only way to be as ready as you can is to make a plan and gather the right tools along the way. In our current environment, digital insurance tools are an essential piece in agency disaster planning. And it’s not too late to get your agency connected.
Top 5 Digital Insurance Tools for Disaster Contingency Planning
- Integrated texting to alert customers, employees, and partners of critical information regarding safety and operations.
- Client self-service portals to give customers any time access to their policies, claims, and other pertinent information.
- Integrated document storage to save all agency documents in one location for access at home.
- Agency-branded mobile app to provide customers with regular updates and share FAQ answers to calm concerns.
- Cloud-based agency management system, with mobile access, so your team can have uninterrupted access to the hub of your agency operations no matter where they need to relocate to stay safe.
Get more details on the top digital insurance tools your agency needs in our recent post
Top 10 Questions to Ask for Agency Disaster Preparation
Beyond having the best tools for the job, your agency should be prepared by asking these questions.
- Does our team have the infrastructure and knowledge to work virtually?
- Are our employees educated on safe practices for pandemics and other natural disasters?
- Do we have reliable internal communication systems to update staff regularly?
- Do we have communication systems and policies in place to keep customers updated?
- Do we have paperless processes in place to continue processing policies and claims?
Dive deep into how to set your agency up for paperless processing here
- Is our infrastructure secure enough to keep data safe during virtual work?
- Who are our essential personnel? How can we keep them safe while doing their jobs during a disaster?
- Do we have a disaster contingency plan and designated point person for coordinating efforts?
- Is our disaster plan regularly updated?
- How can we collaborate with local and federal governments and aid organizations to contribute to relief efforts?
See our complete disaster preparation eGuide here
Communication and Collaboration During a Disaster
When in the midst of a disaster, communication and calm are key. At SIS, we have systems in our own business to ensure our team and Partner Platform community members safe, informed, and as operational as the situation allows.
With remote access for our team and training documents always available at our PartnerNet site, we’re continually reevaluating our preparations to make sure we’re as ready as possible when the unexpected hits.
Find out more about the Partner Platform team, our processes, and how our system works at https://sispartnerplatform.com.
Sarah Deak has been contributing to the SIS team since 2013, covering topics like agency perpetuation, workflow improvements, data security, and marketing. She has a background in small business, working with organizations to improve their online presence and client engagement. Sarah also writes for the SIS newsletters and website, and counts herself lucky to hear from our many passionate, hard-working clients for our client stories. Her favorite part about working for SIS are the dedicated, service-minded people.