The evolution of sales as a software (SaaS) has dramatically changed the software landscape. Thanks to their easy-to-integrate nature, more businesses use SaaS applications over desktop software to improve operations. A 2019 report found that companies with less than 50 employees had, on average, 47 SaaS apps in use across their organization.
This SaaS revolution takes shape in the insurance industry with insurtech. Based in SaaS, insurtech provides streamlined operations through integrated solutions. While agency owners recognize the benefit, many ask how to incorporate insurtech – do they implore their management system providers or take on the integrations themselves? The answer lies in what it is you as an owner want for your agency.
Essential Insurtech Integration Your AMS Should Include
There are a handful of integrations that your management system provider should offer in 2021. But, before we get to the list, the first element you should evaluate is your management system hosting. To allow for future integrations, you need a cloud-based management system. When your AMS runs off the cloud, you can build on it with little to no infrastructure interruption.
From there, you can add on essential insurtech integrations that provide:
- Digital billing and payment
- Esignature
- Sales and marketing integrations (CRM and marketing automation)
- Comparison quoting
Each of these integrations is one piece of the new digital insurance puzzle. Customers expect more to happen via digital, and they’ll move to a new agency if they don’t see it.
Beyond the Essential Integrations: When to Ask
The above list should be your “make or break” items: if your management system provider doesn’t have these or isn’t willing to include them in your AMS experience, start shopping. If you find other applications useful, think about what you want your processes and data flow to look like before you talk to your provider about integrations.
If you want all your data to live in your management system and integrate into that one hub, talk integration with your provider. If you’re more interested in data sharing but don’t need a central hub, consider how you can work with the insurtech provider to make it easier for their tool to talk with your AMS. Both paths break down data silos and bring more data integration. It all depends on what you and your team prefer.
Looking Towards the Future
As you consider the best path for your agency, also reflect on your relationship with your agency management system provider. Do you feel comfortable coming to them with your requests? Do you feel like your requests are heard? If you’re not answering “yes!” to both, you need to rethink if you’re with the right system and team.
As a true partner to our Partner Platform agencies, we at SIS focus on our agencies and their customers’ needs. Through our regular Regional Learnings, monthly webinars, annual user conference, and always-open lines of communication, we stay connected with the Partner Platform community to continue to add to our list of insurtech Partner Allies, equipping our community for the challenges and opportunities of today and tomorrow.
Hear from our Partner Platform agencies about their experience here. And get connected to find out more about how Partner Platform can serve your agency. Contact us at [email protected] or 800.747.7005, Option 6.
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.