Paperless Office

[Guest]

Wow, you have said a mouthful here...good information and thanks for sharing. Does it matter what kind of local machine you have? ie. PC or MAC?
Alph-red-o

If you are web-based with a CRM like I am, it makes no difference what machine you use. Well, let me clarify that. SugarCRM is somewhat browser-agnostic. It works well with IE and FireFox (on Mac or PC) but has a few issues with Safari and Opera. I use FireFox on my Mac.

The iPhone syncs fine with Outlook. So does MobileMe since it is web-base as well (although I think there is a free driver you get from Apple to make it all hang together on a PC. I'm a Mac guy so I don't know all the ins-outs of running a PC based agency.

Some agents like to use box.net to store docs on. I use MobileMe for $99 a year. Box costs a bit more, has less space, and does not sync contacts and calendar with desktop or phone.

As for modifying PDF forms (which I do a lot of) PDFPen is a $50 Mac program but I'm sure there are a ton of similar (maybe free) programs that are Windows based. If you want to spend the money, get Acrobat as it runs on both platforms but cost $100+ and is probably over-kill for the average user.

Al
InsuranceSolutions123 Agency

 

[WinoBlues]

Good Information.

I am not a cloud guy, I like my file cabinets, They make feel warm and fuzzy. However, I like the paperless ideas for the prospecting, planning and pending stages. Then I can print just what I need to archive. Maybe it is my baby steps way to go paperless.

On the fax. Can you fax a scanned hard copy to fax a machine or does it have to be attached to an email?

Thanks

I'm about as paperless as can be. Here is how I do it (at the 20,000 foot level!)

1. Client info: Everything goes into my online (i.e. on the web) SugarCRM database (click here for demo) ... names, addresses, and especially notes on conversations... a "daily" log actually. It is important (to me) that the CRM reside on the web so I can hit it anywhere in the world and don't have to worry about my local machine crapping out with a hard-disk crash. It is also crucial that it gets backed-up each hour to another site as well as to my desktop machine. If the internet connection goes down (which is very rare) I can still work on the local copy. (There are lots of back-up options for all CRMs.)

2. Documents: All quotes (life, heath, disability, LTC, etc.) are saved as PDF files. You can put these documents "in" some CRMs "linked" to the client. For technical reasons I don't do that. I use Apple's MobileMe (similar to Microsoft Exchange Server... but easier to use... $99 a year for a ton of disk space. This is also where I backup my CRM database each hour... takes a bit of tech-magic to do this... but not hard... I can help you with it if you want.) The MobileMe server makes it super-easy to share files. It will generate a "link" for you to send to people... like this one which is a flyer about HSABank: http://files.me.com/acanton77/irdw0k.

3. Email: Most CRMs have built in outbound email and when you send one it automatically "links" it to the client so you always have all the notes you've sent to each person. (It sure beats hunting around your "Sent" box on your Outlook or Apple Mail program.)

4. Fax: I don't have a fax machine... not had one for 4 years. I use Receive Fax by Email with Our Internet Faxing Service | MaxEmail and highly recommend it. (There are other services similar... lots of folks like RingCentral.com) I can fax out of my computer by just attaching the PDF or document to an email sent to MaxEmail. The downside is that if you have hardcopy you first have to scan it to a PDF or jpg or some other image file... so you need to have a scanner... an all-in-one printer with a scanner works fine for this. For incoming faxes they give you a phone number that you give to people. They fax you and MaxEmail turns it into a PDF and emails it to you in seconds.

5. For PDF forms: When I get PDF forms to fill out (like pre-screen forms) instead of printing them and filling out by hand, I use a program for the Mac called PDFPen which is similar to a word-processor that lets me modify PDF files. I'm sure there are many similar programs for the PC.

So that's about it. I'm sure there are better ways to organize a paperless office, but this works for me and has for years now. I bet I don't print more than five sheets of paper a week and that is usually something I'm going to bring to someone when I don't want to lug a laptop just to show them one or two pages of a quote or something.

I hope this helps someone. Again, I use the FREE SugarCRM database, but there are tons of others out there. If you don't want to be web-based, I'm sure YIO has all the same features and probably more. Web-based is a "must" for my operation because I have homes in Fair Oaks, California and Palm Beach, FL and I spend a lot of time in airports... where I can use my iPhone to run the agency since it can easily view my Sugar database, my MobileMe forms repository (along with calendar, contacts, etc.)

The only thing I'd like to find is a business card reader (scanner) AND a standalone database for them for the Mac. I don't want to load them into my regular (Mac) AddressBook program. It's not a big deal. They all fit into a shoebox.

HTH.

YMMV.

Al
InsuranceSolutions123 Agency

 

[Guest]

On the fax. Can you fax a scanned hard copy to fax a machine or does it have to be attached to an email?

With MaxEmai, when you have hard copy, you obviously have to scan it. They give you a wide choice of files. I find that scanning to PDF works well on the receiving end. You have the choice to attach the PDF (or whatever) file to an email and send it to the recipient's fax number @maxemailsend.com:

[email protected]

OR you can go to their website and upload the document and fax from there. You also have a way to have cover pages. Here is their FAQ.

I've been using MaxEmail for about five years and have never had a problem. They also throw in a free voice-mail message system. It's lame compared to RingCentral but it works fine for me. I have the ATT "Forward-If-Busy" add-on such that if I'm on the phone (or someone is leaving a msg. on my answering machine) and you call my number it rolls to MaxEmail (my fax number) and you get a recorded announcement... which they convert to a .wav file and send to me via email a minute or so later (which will play on my iPhone.)

Al3
InsuranceSolutions123 Agency

 

[WinoBlues]

Thanks.

I was looking at other web faxes like Efax. This sounds like it will work. Looking to convert my dedicated fax line to my Chatty Cathy's line (pre-teen daughter).

I use the busy call forward also. I have it roll to my cell, if my assistant is on the incoming line I can answer the cell or send it to voice mail. But the free voice mail would be good for out of office days.

Thanks,

With MaxEmai, when you have hard copy, you obviously have to scan it. They give you a wide choice of files. I find that scanning to PDF works well on the receiving end. You have the choice to attach the PDF (or whatever) file to an email and send it to the recipient's fax number @maxemailsend.com:

[email protected]

OR you can go to their website and upload the document and fax from there. You also have a way to have cover pages. Here is their FAQ.

I've been using MaxEmail for about five years and have never had a problem. They also throw in a free voice-mail message system. It's lame compared to RingCentral but it works fine for me. I have the ATT "Forward-If-Busy" add-on such that if I'm on the phone (or someone is leaving a msg. on my answering machine) and you call my number it rolls to MaxEmail (my fax number) and you get a recorded announcement... which they convert to a .wav file and send to me via email a minute or so later (which will play on my iPhone.)

Al3
InsuranceSolutions123 Agency

 

[1manshow]

One note of caution, in Pa( I'd assume other states as well) files must be saved in a format that cannot be altered once scanned. PDF files are unacceptable and could never be used in court if needed. Our course we are primarily a P & C agency with many "state specific" required forms and regular audits.

 

[djs]

So how do you do that? I can alter paper documents all day long.

It always makes me chuckle when scanned paperwork requirements are about 100 times what is required for paper.

I know there are some very stringent paperless office softwares available, such as laserfiche, but there is a price to pay for these.

Dan

 

[1manshow]

I think they're called tif files ? our agency management system with xanatek takes care of all that stuff

 

[Norwayguy]

I think they're called tif files ? our agency management system with xanatek takes care of all that stuff

My B/D also wanted tiff files...its a joke because I can print the tif file into a pdf file alter it then convert the pdf to a tif file....Its so true that the paperless rules are so much more stringent...Have to have backup but the back up must be kept at another location in case of fire disaster etc...Now these are reasonable but when compared to my paper files which I have no backup of and they would be destroyed in the safe fire or disaster its kind of funny.

 

[maksim]

I love my HP 8500 all in one.

Any non essential documents, just get scanned in, and discarded.

All of client files get scanned in, to individual client folders on pc. backups happen at this point. Anything without a signature, discarded. signature stuff goes into the physical client file.

 

[robertwawee]

I also have OneNote. I think that if trial attorneys can use it in a courtroom with a great deal of success, I can certainly use it in the insurance business. I find it is great for filing and storing and the search feature helps highlight and find documents fast. Besides, the program is native to Microsoft Office and works hand-in-hand with other Office programs. Check this out for $49.95 before spending a fortune on other document management systems.