In general terms, the agency management system or AMS is a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) offering that helps organizations to run their businesses effectively. When it comes to the insurance sector, their job is no different; a well-designed AMS is a location for storing all your data in an organized and ready-to-use manner.
For those who are looking for extras, it also includes automation and can be called as a bigger version of CRM. On paper, it may seem like a hell of a task to achieve, but it is easier when you know what you want to achieve from it. In this article, we will go through the features of the insurance agency management system (AMS) and other aspects that need discussion.
Features of Insurance AMS
Agency Management System for insurance comes with several features. These act as a great value addition to your organization when appropriately applied.
- It offers basic accounting capability to its users.
- It has an inbuilt payment processing capability to make the entire process more straightforward for the end-users.
- End users get an SSP or a self-service portal to get an insight into the organization and its policies.
- It lets you access most of the features on-the-go with a simpler mobile version.
- Not only the end-users, but agents can also handle client policies too with the help of AMS.
- It lets you incorporate CRM benefits for your organization
Benefits of AMS in Insurance Sector
Insurance AMS offers a lot of benefits to its clients namely –
- Adding automation to the mix
With the help of AMS, the insurance business can simplify their business operations. They can now carry on processes that automatically collect and store relevant consumer data. It means that your organization can now focus on improving its outreach by proven methods instead of throwing in cold emails or mass emails without any purpose.
- Bringing in better lead management
Lead management is a hefty task and can consume more than that you may deem. With the help of agency management systems for insurance, agents get several tools at their disposal, allowing them to focus on sales instead.
- Consolidation of information
A sound agency management system can maintain a lot of data in an unsophisticated manner. You get a single hub housing all the data that is necessary, and it helps you to carry out complex data-driven tasks.
How is it different from Customer Relationship Management (CRM)?
AMS is CRM plus a lot more. To understand the process of marketing ideas for each one of them, it is important to understand the difference. When you delve deeper to understand what separates them, you realize there are some apparent differences. Here is how they both differ from each other –
- Specific vs. Generic
One of the prime reasons why most people prefer AMS over CRM is that it is built differently for each industry. With CRM, it isn’t effortless to incorporate industry-specific features in the software.
A software more inclined towards your industry is nearly ready to work for you. You get in a few changes, and it should be ready to boot. It is beneficial in multiple ways. Firstly, the agency management system’s implementation cost and time see a significant dip, which is a major boost. Secondly, you get to the peak capacity sooner as you are using a specific mechanism. Lastly, it makes training your staff a more comfortable and less time-consuming affair.
- Totality vs. Limited Approach
With insurance CRM, you can manage communication with your prospects, clients, and leads. And you can do some more. With AMS, you can do all of it plus a lot more like tracking agents and policies, email marketing, automation of workflow, and much more.
An important thing to know is that all of it is possible via a single system in AMS, which is not usually the case with CRM.
- Differences in Productivity
CRM is beneficial, yes, but you need to work a lot harder to achieve peak capacity in it. When it comes to AMS, you can attain higher productivity comparatively easily due to industry-specific features and its ability to create and store data in an organized manner.
What to look for in an AMS?
Before you decide that your organization needs AMS, here is the checklist that you must have in mind –
- Is it easy to adopt the new tech?
- Is it on-premise or hosted?
- How easy is the onboarding process?
- Is the pricing reasonable, and are there any hidden costs?
- Will the AMS suit your existing procedures?
- Is there a data ownership clause that makes you the exclusive owner?
- Can you import/export data whenever needed?
Wrapping Up
Choosing the right AMS for yourself depends on a lot of factors. The first and foremost question should be if your organization is willing to change? Once your answer is in the affirmative, you should then talk to your team members about the idea.
After that, start looking for the perfect AMS for yourself. Social media is a great way to find the partner you are seeking. Other than that, talk to your counterparts, and you may come across a useful reference.
Once you choose certain agencies that you find interesting, ask them for live demos and take free trials. You can now compare them all and select the right agency management system for yourself.
