Please Suggest an Agency Management System for Us..

[Larry Tew]

I didn't see anyone suggest Advisors Assistant. I'm not sure if they have an agency version. Client Marketing Systems - Advisors Assistant

 

[almondbrook]

When you are first starting, downloads may not be a big deal, but very, very, very quickly it becomes a huge issue.

 

[insurancequoter]

Have the same dilemma and have been searching for the right system. I've checked out epic, ams360, hawksoft, aspire, qq and the sugar crm. The first 2 are pricey, functional but don't always flow well. qq is nicely priced but limited. When u add in the stuff u want like scanning docs the price goes up too. Hawksoft and aspire look the best to me right now, though I'm leaning more to aspire - its totally on the web, its got all the crm stuff sugar has, and it looks easy to learn and use. Hawksoft does have a slightly lower price though. Any other ideas on systems I should check, let me know.

Hi,

We are a small agency as well and have been using the following system for about 5 years. Gives online acords, can be accessible remotely,accounting, xdate, t-filing and many more capabilities.

Check out The Agency Advantage

Dean

 

[billyg]

We are a small independent agency. One agent, and I will be licensed next month (hopefully!). No other employees. We sell mostly P&C. About 85% Personal lines and 15% commercial. BOB is around 1.5 million. I am new to this business, and came to this agency to learn as much as I can about insurance, so I can make a career of it. The biggest problem is that we have no management system in place. I don't know how he has been doing this so long (10+ years) with not even a list of contacts! Everything is old school. Filing cabinets FILLED...no...STUFFED with old policies, new policies...all sorts of stuff. We waste so much time tracking down info. we should have on-hand, (What's so and so's phone? Address? What company are they with? What's their policy number?)...that we are losing out on business. I'd eventually like to go paperless as well. I watched a live demo for AMS360....but even with the promotion, we are looking at $2400 MINIMUM to start up. I need help. Any suggestions on web-based management systems for an agency our size, with considerably lower start-up costs than this? I don't need all the bells and whistles of AMS, it would be nice, but it isn't necessary right now. I just need a way to get this agency under control, because right now I just want to pull my hair out. Any help, suggestions, or insight would be greatly appreciated!!

Rather than trying to convert everything into a comprehensive "AMS", consider the smaller and more manageable step of getting a good CRM system up and running. IT sounds like you will get the biggest bang for the buck (& time invested) by just getting basic info (Names, addresses, phones, emails, and basic policy info) online. There are plenty of good inexpensive CRMs available:

• Your Insurance Office
• Radius BOB
• ZOHO CRM
• Sugar CRM

With all of these, your start up cost will be minimal ($0 - $300), but the benefit you will derive will be substantial.

 

[Bertolinoins]

Rather than trying to convert everything into a comprehensive "AMS", consider the smaller and more manageable step of getting a good CRM system up and running. IT sounds like you will get the biggest bang for the buck (& time invested) by just getting basic info (Names, addresses, phones, emails, and basic policy info) online. There are plenty of good inexpensive CRMs available:

• Your Insurance Office
• Radius BOB
• ZOHO CRM
• Sugar CRM

With all of these, your start up cost will be minimal ($0 - $300), but the benefit you will derive will be substantial.

For a P&C agent I could not disagree more. The man-hours it would take to manually input the information would cost more than the most expensive management systems on the market. In his situation, it is very important to have a system with downloads from the carriers so you are not having to input that data yourself. You get it set up and all of the info is populated from the downloads.

 

[AZ Insurance Guy]

Another vote for QQ right here, love it. Anyone using and unhappy with it?

 

[iiinycboi]

Ugh... Do you guys suggest a small agency to start with an management system right away or wait till I get bigger. Does it take time to transfer all the data to the ams?

I'm trying to keep overhead as low as possible with e&o, rent, utilities... Adding ams would make have a bigger overhead. What do you guys suggest.? I have enough premiums to be a little over break even per month but I'm a new startup and still taking it slow.

 

[AverageJoe]

Ugh... Do you guys suggest a small agency to start with an management system right away or wait till I get bigger. Does it take time to transfer all the data to the ams?

I'm trying to keep overhead as low as possible with e&o, rent, utilities... Adding ams would make have a bigger overhead. What do you guys suggest.? I have enough premiums to be a little over break even per month but I'm a new startup and still taking it slow.

I am in the same about as you and I would like to hear more information about this. As of right now, after e&o, hp8se PC, dual monitors, duplex scanner, Skype phone with recording, PDF editor, eFax, logo design, and membership to FAIA, I have paid a little over $3500. I have no monthly bills because rent, utilities, etc, even food are provided by my parents and their company (I am blessed I know, Thank God) I would like opinions because I have been thinking about taking that rent and utility money that i'm saving and put it into a management system. Something that is not outrageous, but a management system that will do the job for a newbie agency. I hear a lot of people having trouble/ frustration from switching over and since management system would be my only monthly commitment I am thinking should do it. Yay or nay? What do you guys think?

 

[Sparky06]

For a P&C agent I could not disagree more. The man-hours it would take to manually input the information would cost more than the most expensive management systems on the market. In his situation, it is very important to have a system with downloads from the carriers so you are not having to input that data yourself. You get it set up and all of the info is populated from the downloads.

AGREED. btw, I am a "her"

----

Since my first post, I managed to get my license, pick an AMS, and pull through these months without stroking out at the age of 24. One word of advice I have for start up PC agencies...MAKE AN AGENCY MANAGEMENT SYSTEM PART OF YOU INITIAL INVESTMENT! I signed a contract with Quomation (thanks RBA) on Wednesday. Haven't had all my initial carrier downloads come through yet, so I haven't really dug into it, but it sure feels like Christmas around here! They offered me a great deal with $1000 down (financed over 4 months, interest free) and $150 bucks a month. We are using the online version.

Quomation blows the others out of the water. Most bang for your buck hands down. Their rater looks just as great, and I will likely pick that up as well a couple months down the road.

Appreciated all the suggestions.

 

[ShannonO]

I am in a similar situation (although mine is a start up so BOB is not that big yet). I have been looking into Agency Software. They have 4 products depending on the funtions you want out of your software. They have let me try a demo and have been very helpful in answering my questions. Best prices I have found and am happy with the demo product.
AgencySoftware . com / prodcompare