Vertafore announced today that it has acquired QQ Solutions based in Deerfield Beach, FL. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.
QQ Solutions offers a comparative rating platform as well as a web architected SaaS-based agency management system – QQ Catalyst.
All of QQ Solutions’ 65 employees will join Vertafore and Mark Malis – current CEO – will continue to run the company from its current location in Florida.
Effectively managing group benefits is a problem for many agencies. Now there is a new kind of agency management system that is specifically designed for the group insurance vertical and is built entirely on the Salesforce.com platform. The application is listed on the SalesforceAppExchange platform, and is called BenefitsGuide. Highlights include:
It follows logically that brokers who use BenefitsGuide are able to:
Read more about the unique features of BenefitsGuide and how they will impact a broker’s business. Additional information is also available on their blog.
Digital consumers continue to redefine what they consider to be “good customer service.” Increasing the productivity of your staff seems to be an elusive goal. In order for your organization to keep ahead, it’s important to make sure you evaluate how existing technology tools are being used as well as determine what additional tools have become available.
This agency productivity self-test is published each year in my newsletter, The Anderson Agency Report, as a way to help measure how well your organization is using technology resources. Hopefully, it also provides ideas about new tools that you might want to incorporate into your workflow.
The self-test delves fully into your use of technology in the following categories: Management, Administrative, Infrastructure, Sales, Customer Service, and Communications.
Everyone is encouraged to participate. The audit self-test will take you approximately 15 minutes to complete so set aside some quiet time to complete the survey. It’s well worth it.
We’ll provide the results so you can tell how your agency compares to others who took the survey. This year’s survey is only available online by going to http://www.taareport.com. As a little extra incentive, everyone who completes the survey will be entered into a drawing to receive our course, The Personal Lines Ultimate Marketing Program—a $500 value.
We received an e-mail from Dave Schuppler, current President of ANEU (Affiliated Network of Ebix Users) announcing that ANEU ceased operations as a User Group effective December 31, 2010.
As you may know, ANEU has a long history as a non-profit, independent user association representing U.S.-based P&C Ebix agency management system users. The organization can be traced back to 1972 when it was originally founded as ARIAS—the Association of Redshaw Insurance Agency Systems. ANEU has a longstanding reputation of users helping users online and in person through educational seminars, webinars, meetings, and social networking. User group members have been instrumental for nearly 40 years in helping the vendor achieve the level of success it enjoys today. At one time, the user group had approximately 2,000 members and many of the current leaders in the field of insurance technology can trace their roots back to ARIAS and Redshaw. Unfortunately, just one year short of their 40th anniversary, they have been forced to cease operations.
“The number of U.S.-based P&C Ebix agency management system members has affected the ability for ANEU to support current and potential member services,” said Schuppler. “During a conference call in December the ANEU Board of Directors voted to close down ANEU. We have notified our members and Ebix, Inc. of this decision. We will use the first quarter of 2011 to legally dissolve this non-profit association.”
I am pleased to be able to announce the official release of the updated Anderson Report on Agency System Selection. The information available in this special report has taken me years to learn. See the press release below for detailed information. Feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
NASHVILLE, Tenn. (November 30, 2009)—The continuing soft market and recession are putting the squeeze on independent insurance agents and brokers, causing a 2.8% job loss rate for agents and brokers in the past year, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Streamlining is the key, but agencies need to stay up on technology to compete, says Steve Anderson of The Anderson Agency Report.
Anderson recently introduced a special report to aid agencies in that evaluation and selection process. The Anderson Report on Agency System Selection (www.AgencySystemSelection.com) walks agencies through the process, reviewing the specific technology-vendor options available for firms of any size.
“The problem we find from our surveys and client interactions is that the whole technology realm is too complicated and too expensive for many agencies to grapple with during an economic downturn,” says Anderson. “They simply don’t have the resources for a costly team of tech evaluators right now.”
A recent study found that 59% of insurance executives are unhappy with their existing systems, and agencies are looking for ways to improve their technology without breaking the budget, Anderson says.
Choosing an agency management system can be difficult. “The expertise of insurance agencies is selling insurance; computer concepts and terminology can be intimidating to agency owners, managers and users alike,” the report says. “In addition, despite industry consolidation over the years, agents still face a wide range of choices in the technology marketplace.” There are more than 30 options, and each has its particular advantages and disadvantages depending on the carriers represented, number of employees, mix of agency business, and number of locations, to name just a few, Anderson says. For example:
Agencies can walk through a standard process on their own to evaluate different vendor systems and pick the one that’s best for their agency, says Anderson. In general, the firm must determine where it is now and where it wants to go. Then it can begin to evaluate what system would best fit into its current operations—or best replace a system with which it is unhappy. “The purchase of an agency management system is not first and foremost about computers,” says the report. “It’s about the agency, the way it operates now, the way it will operate next year and the years beyond. A detailed system review is an opportunity for an agency to closely examine its business and make decisions about the kind of agency it wants to become.”
Anderson has developed a five-part course on how to go through the agency system selection process. The course—currently free—is e-mailed in five segments. Agents can register to receive the e-mails (one a day for five days) by going to https://steveanderson.com/choosing-the-best-agency-management-system/.
About Anderson: Based in Nashville, Tenn., Steve Anderson (www.SteveAnderson.com) is one of the insurance industry’s top consultants and speakers. He delivers keynote addresses, lectures, seminars and conference programs, in addition to individual agency consultations, helping clients maximize productivity and profits by smart use of technology. He is executive editor of The Anderson Agency Report (TAAR), a monthly newsletter dedicated to providing independent agents with the technology information they need to more effectively manage and grow their agencies. He is also president of The Anderson Network, Inc., which was formed to help agents and brokers maximize productivity and profits using practical technology. A licensed independent agent for more than 30 years, Steve has worked as a manager and producer in two agencies.
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