2017 ICTA Nomination. Technology by Applied Systems.
In 2012, the Go Insurance management team set a goal to expand their online presence and grow their book of business. They had rapidly tripled in size with 33 employees servicing over 30 dealerships and they selected Applied Epic, Applied WebRater and Applied CSR24 as a scalable solution to manage their growth strategy. The Applied digital solution aligned to their consumer journey and enables their business to capture the full lifecycle of a customer and their coverage.
Go Insurance set a long term goal to provide a comprehensive free insurance quote to all clients of Go Auto. As Go Auto sells approximately 45,000 vehicles a year, they could not achieve this goal without a technology solution that would rapidly scale and provide a single view of their business. Applied Epic provides a single point of data entry and view into their book of business, enabling them to provide better client service and expedite cross-selling opportunities, while standardizing data across over multiple dealerships throughout the west coast.
Leading the Consumer Purchasing Journey
Go Insurance recognizes that insurance is a traditional product but new ways of selling it are required. From purchasing to communication strategies, Go Insurance has aligned their strategy to today’s customer service expectations and provides instantaneous omni-channel service. Their partnership with the Go Auto Group provides a unique position in the market. As a broker they serve clients on dealership hours when consumers shop outside of business hours.
“The insurance business is 9-5 and the service is being commoditized, as a digital brokerage we can step outside the client’s expectations and be there for our clients and our dealership business 24/7,” said John Keohane, Director of Operations and Finance.
Go Insurance is committed to solidifying the relationship with their consumers through technology by matching the consumer of tomorrow with how they want to access their coverage. The ease of getting a quote transcends into how easy it is to buy insurance. When a consumer decides to enter a dealership to purchase a new vehicle, they can conduct an automatic quote via their mobile device through Applied WebRater which is customized to Go Insurance’s brand and consumer question set. Applied WebRater is accessible through multiple websites throughout the parent company, all uniquely branded. Go Insurance implemented their quoting system onto 44 different Go Auto websites enabling prospects to log in and receive an accurate quote while shopping for a vehicle. The questions are automated to provide a consumer with a quote in less than 5 minutes. Most quoting solutions ask a lot of questions, however, Go Insurance’s solution on Applied WebRater defaults and provides prefilled fields so the prospect doesn’t have to type as much, by simply entering their driver’s license number and receiving pre-populated fields they trust the quote and are more likely to discuss price.
A game changer for the brokerage was the opportunity to offer automated communications and omni-channel service directly from their management system. Go Insurance’s 1, 3 and 5 year business plan centered on omni-channel service and providing consumers the ability to communicate in the method they choose. Applied Epic produces a brokerage branded custom presentation to prospects and is automated for clients at renewal time. The Go Insurance Team customized the views and the fields and set-up workflows for their employees that aligned with their service methodology and customer experience.
The Go Insurance leadership team recognized that if clients shop during personal time they would expect access to their insurance information 24/7. The Go Insurance client portal is powered by Applied CSR24 allowing the brokerage’s insureds to review policy information, request changes, make premium payments, and report First Notice of Loss and track claims processing via the Internet and mobile app. By providing greater flexibility and servicing options, Go Insurance is increasing overall client satisfaction, building loyalty and delivering a more competitive business proposition. The hardest part of launching the solution was getting benefits of self-service out to clients. It required communication and education from the Go Insurance team, however, once customers logged-in it has become clear that they value the solution. Utilizing the client portal quickly became the preferred communication mechanism for Go Insurance consumers, they don’t phone in anymore they use the portal.
Benefits
Go Insurance embraced the change in process and procedure when moving to Applied Epic. They launched a dedicated training program and ensured their staff felt a part of the software by selecting reporting functionality and workflows that aligned to the story of their business. Applied Epic delivers process management capabilities through myEpic to automate, adapt, and manage internal operations, enabling Go Insurance to streamline workflows and quickly respond to changes in the market and within their customer base. With dealerships across multiple markets, the brokerage can place their offerings in multiple locations with different demographics and monitor data in a central system consistently.
Deploying Applied Epic greatly reduced processing costs. First by allowing Go Insurance to streamline many of the backend processes at the brokerage. Upon launching Applied Epic they went from 2-3 processors to 1 processor managing the data coming into the brokerage from all locations and reduced backend expenses significantly. Information became instantly available to the front end of the business. Secondly, it reduced the use of paper completely, with all internal processes are paperless. Finally, myEpic workflows ensured that the system retained client conversations so no matter who takes the call they can serve the client in an educated way because the service facts are so easily accessible.
Applied CSR24 allows Go Insurance’s staff to spend more time renewing files for referral rather than being reactionary on the phone, they can be more pro-active. This consultative hands-free perspective of their operation allows them to enhance their advisory role rather than reacting to the telephone as it rings. In addition, Applied CSR24 has allowed the brokerage to be available to clients when they want to access insurance coverage or make a claim without the workforce constraints and HR spend. By providing the service upfront they can increase service to a growing customer base with a minimal personnel spend.
Measurement
Go Insurance runs daily comprehensive reports that provide a more granular view of the business than ever before. Applied Epic drills down into business realities and how customer and employee behavior are driving success. Applied Epic’s CRM capabilities enable them to measure real time retention by client, line of business and cost per claim, in addition to cross referencing customer demographics. Since launching Applied Epic, the number of customers with multiple lines has increased and revenue has grown by 30% month over month.
Once a consumer attempts a quote, the Go Insurance team can access the web lead and are immediately in the quote and sell process while the consumer is finalizing the purchase of a vehicle. In the first year of using Applied WebRater, they increased quoting capacity by 40%. Go Insurance has increased their book of business three-fold in four years and leveraged Applied to service clients’ needs with their existing head-count. From implementation to today, there has been a 300% increase in the number of leads coming from the Go Auto websites mainly in part due to ease of conducting the quote.
Internally, reporting has significantly changed processes by measuring the cost to business written by producer, by department and insurer. Seeing these reports by branch, enables the Go Insurance management team to determine how many resources they should provide to each branch.
About Go Insurance
In February 2012 Go Insurance joined the Go Auto family in order to bring customers an even greater selection of services and benefits. They still receive the same great customer service and wide range of products, but now have access to special offers on vehicle purchases, savings on automotive service, and options on auto finance. For more information, visit www.goinsurance.ca.
About Applied Systems
Applied Systems is the leading global provider of cloud-based software that powers the business of insurance. Recognized as a pioneer in insurance automation and the innovation leader, Applied is the world’s largest provider of agency and brokerage management systems. By automating the insurance lifecycle, Applied’s people and products enables millions of people around the world to safeguard and protect what matters most. For more information, visit appliedsystems.com.
Source: Go Insurance
Tags: Applied Systems, Go Insurance, ICTA nomination
