How to effectively manage all passwords for all agency employees continues to be a source of questions. I have written a couple of times over the last ten years about potential solutions.

I think it’s time again to remind everyone of the importance of controlling nefarious access to the wide variety of platforms every agency uses every day.

Managing the plethora of passwords that agency staff has to maintain continues to be challenging. There are several options available to an agency of any size that will help agency management and staff secure and manage password information.

Because I believe (and research confirms) that handwriting notes improves the retention of the information you’re hearing and increases creativity, I am always looking for tools that help support handwriting yet allow me to capture the information digitally. I like a hybrid system.

I last wrote about Livescribe in March 2013. The company has been quiet for the last few years. That changed recently when the company announced the availability of their new Aegir smartpen and the release of their enhanced Livescribe+ apps for mobile (Android and iOS) as well as a desktop app. There is also a new Microsoft Office plug-in that lets users print any document with the Livescribe dot pattern.

The new Aegir pen is smaller in size and can store 1,200 pages of notes before it needs to be connected to the Livescribe+ mobile app and lasts for up to 10 hours. Once synced, the mobile app can digitize handwritten notes as text, PDF, image, or vector.

I’ve been in the insurance industry for a very long time. For most of that time, I’ve understood the importance of the C.L.U.E. report for generating a final and bindable premium for a new homeowner or automobile policy.

I’m embarrassed to say that I didn’t realize until recently that any consumer (not the agent) can order a copy of their C.L.U.E. report directly from LEXIS-NEXIS.

How To Access Your C.L.U.E. Report

The process is simple. The steps are:

My computer is very organized. I maintain a particular folder structure that allows me to find documents and information quickly. The downside of that organization is that often it can take many clicks to get to the specific folder that has the information I’m looking for.

I have found a quick and easy solution – QuickJump.

When I talk about the efficiencies of using agency download in my presentations, I always start by saying, “Stop Whining, Download Works!”

And then I go on to say, “Yes, you can give me examples of where there are problems with a certain line of business with a certain company. However, the tools available are better today than ever to help you maximize download.”

Streamlining communication between your agency and your carrier partners is a key to data quality and increased productivity by eliminating as much manual data entry as possible. I have written about how to use the IVANS Exchange Portal before, but continue to be surprised by how many agency owners do not know this tool is available.