“With download, there’s no need to re-key information; the policy data is sent directly into the management system. At Applied, we’re reducing friction and increasing efficiency at every step of the process”

Graham Blackwell, Applied Systems

“Connectivity is the lifeblood of innovation. By streamlining data connections and alleviating the heavy lifting, insurance professionals can focus on what matters most: building relationships with clients”

Reid Holzworth, Ivans Insurance Solutions

“In essence, insurance is about data to assess risks. With AI, we can generate data about entities to help with submissions, renewals, or any part of the risk selection processes, and that’s what we’ve built – an AI-based data platform for commercial insurance”

Elad Tsur, Applied Systems

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The new era: digital insurance connectivity

Applied’s insurance technology seamlessly connects agents and carriers, creating shared value through streamlined processes that boost efficiency and enhance customer service – ultimately allowing greater focus on client needs and satisfaction

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Graham Blackwell

Applied Systems

Reid Holzworth

Beyond Bank

Anupam Gupta

Applied Systems

Elad Tsur

Applied Systems

Industry experts

In today’s competitive insurance landscape, operational efficiency and streamlined processes have become essential for agents and carriers alike. Applied Systems is leading this transformation with cutting-edge technology designed to simplify workflows and reduce transactional friction across the industry. With its acquisition of Planck, Applied Systems aims to elevate its AI capabilities, particularly in data generation and underwriting insights, enabling agents and carriers to make more informed decisions faster. By minimizing manual, transactional tasks, Applied Systems’ technology allows insurance professionals to focus on higher-value activities that strengthen client relationships and drive strategic growth.

At Applied, Blackwell and his team have envisioned a fully connected policy life cycle that streamlines these processes significantly. Every day, Applied’s network of 38,000 agents and over 700 carrier and MGA partners relies on its services to optimize operations, generate quotes, and accurately assess risk appetites while receiving timely updates on claims and commissions. “With download, there’s no need to re-key information; the policy data is sent directly into the management system. At Applied, we’re reducing friction and increasing efficiency at every step of the process,” shared Blackwell.

In commercial lines, brokers face a complex and often tedious process when working with clients to determine their insurance needs. As Graham Blackwell, president at Applied Systems, described, the process typically involves numerous email exchanges to gather necessary information. Once brokers have the client data they require, they must identify which carriers are interested in insuring their client’s business. “I might email one carrier and then another, hoping to understand their appetite for the risk at that moment,” he explained. Once a suitable carrier expresses interest, the broker must enter the policy details into their management system, often requiring additional emails and manual data entry, creating inefficiencies and frustrations for both brokers and carriers alike.

With many earlier concerns regarding downloads and data overwriting now resolved, he noted, “Carriers are now pushing agencies to download more data because it’s cleaner and more complete.” This evolution not only streamlines operations but also empowers agents to concentrate on higher-value tasks, ultimately improving customer service. “Connectivity is the lifeblood of innovation. By streamlining data connections and alleviating the heavy lifting, insurance professionals can focus on what matters most: building relationships with clients,” confirmed Holzworth.

In addition to the benefits mentioned above, agents and carriers are increasingly seeking technology partners like Applied Systems for their dedication to innovation. Planck, an AI company acquired by Applied Systems and co-founded by Elad Tsur, now Applied’s chief AI officer, exemplifies this mission, leveraging cutting-edge AI to address critical insurance industry challenges. According to Tsur, one of the primary challenges Applied aimed to address with AI was data generation. “In essence, insurance is about data to assess risks. With AI, we can generate data about entities to help with submissions, renewals, or any part of the risk selection processes, and that’s what we’ve built – an AI-based data platform for commercial insurance.”

Fast forward to the soon-to-launch Applied Book Builder, which aids agents and customer service representatives in identifying new sales opportunities. Leveraging AI, it generates data-driven recommendations tailored to clients’ specific needs. As Tsur illustrated, “For example, if a client’s restaurant business uses digital payment systems, Applied Book Builder might suggest adding cyber insurance coverage to enhance protection against digital threats.” As Tsur concluded, Applied’s ultimate goal is to develop AI-driven tools that simplify the lives of insurance professionals and give them valuable time back. “We’re creating advanced co-pilots for the insurance industry, ensuring that the steering wheel remains firmly in the hands of our end users.” To learn more about how Applied’s solutions can help your brokerage, click here.

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, serving customers throughout the United States, Canada, the Republic of Ireland, and the United Kingdom. By automating the insurance life cycle, Applied’s people and products enable millions of people around the world to safeguard and protect what matters most.

Find out more

Graham Blackwell, president and chief financial officer, has responsibility for Applied Systems’ strategic growth business units, including Ivans, EZLynx, and Applied Pay, and Applied’s corporate financial functions, including acquisitions, partnerships, and strategic planning. Blackwell joined Applied in 2020 from SMS Assist, where he led the company’s sales, marketing, and strategy functions as chief revenue officer. Prior to SMS Assist, Blackwell spent almost eight years with Bain Capital’s private equity operating team where he worked closely with the boards and management teams of Bain Capital’s portfolio companies. Before that, he was an associate partner with McKinsey & Company and a consultant with Accenture. Blackwell holds an MBA degree from the University of Chicago’s Booth School of Business and BBA degree from Ohio University.

Applied Systems

Graham Blackwell

Reid Holzworth, chief executive officer, leads Ivans’ strategic direction. He is a prominent insurance industry leader with extensive insurance experience in both broker and insurer distribution environments. Holzworth was the founder and CEO of TechCanary, an InsurTech leader that Applied Systems acquired in 2019. TechCanary built an innovative set of insurance solutions on the Salesforce platform to create choice and flexibility for agencies who prefer Salesforce.com, which has since been incorporated in Applied’s portfolio under the name Applied Epic for Salesforce. Holzworth’s extensive industry experience, innovation-first mindset, and commitment to simple, valuable customer experiences will be hallmarks of his leadership of Ivans and the expansion of its compelling innovation strategy.

Ivans Insurance Solutions

Reid Holzworth

Anupam Gupta, chief product officer, is responsible for Applied Systems’ product vision and product management teams. He was formerly CPO at 4C Insights, a sophisticated data & analytics SaaS provider to the AdTech/MarTech industries, which was acquired by Mediaocean, the mission-critical platform for omnichannel advertising with more than $200 billion in annualized media spend managed through its software, connecting the ecosystem of agencies, brands, media, technology, and data. As CPO of the combined companies, Gupta spearheaded their product transformation to the cloud, adding new products fueled by data and intelligence infused in the core workflow. Previously, he’s led product organizations for several tech companies, including Vubiquity, Mixpo, and Microsoft, among others.

Applied Systems

Anupam Gupta

Elad Tsur, chief AI officer, is responsible for Applied Systems’ AI strategy and is the co-founder and former CEO of Planck, where he focused on revolutionizing commercial insurance with a Gen AI-enhanced underwriting workbench. Elad is a recognized researcher with a strong academic background and in-depth expertise in machine learning and big data. He was the former lead architect of the Salesforce Einstein platform and former founder of BlueTail (acquired by Salesforce).

Applied Systems

Elad Tsur

In Partnership with

Fighting for the customer

The customer owned a bank saw a huge boost after the Hayne Royal Commission. One year on and their market share is growing as customer continue to see their value.

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Christopher Lee

MFAA head credit adviser, Finsure Finance and Insurance

Stewart Saunders

Heritage Bank

Darren McLeod

Beyond Bank

Fernando Lemos

Bank Australia

Industry experts

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Bank Australia

Fernando Lemos

Beyond Bank

Darren McLeod

Heritage Bank

Stewart Saunders

MFAA head credit adviser, Finsure Finance and Insurance

Christopher Lee

In Partnership with

Fighting for the customer

The customer owned a bank saw a huge boost after the Hayne Royal Commission. One year on and their market share is growing as customer continue to see their value.

Read on

Christopher Lee

MFAA head credit adviser, Finsure Finance and Insurance

Stewart Saunders

Heritage Bank

Darren McLeod

Beyond Bank

Fernando Lemos

Bank Australia

Industry experts

Beyond Bank

Darren McLeod

Heritage Bank

Stewart Saunders

MFAA head credit adviser, Finsure Finance and Insurance

Christopher Lee

Bank Australia

Fernando Lemos

Combatting inefficiencies in the policy life cycle

Published November 18, 2024

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Source: Ivans Connectivity Survey, 2022

90%

of agencies report placing more business with carriers that offer connectivity

Did you know?

Crawford’s Commercial Transportation Unit

The benefits of download connections

Save time: Automated information-exchange technologies like Applied Ivans Exchange can save agencies approximately two hours per employee per day. Provide timely customer service: Access the most up-to-date information instantly, ensuring timely and effective customer service. Simplify workflows: Streamline operations by working within a single data-exchange workflow and system for multiple carrier download connections. Save money: Reduce the resources required to manage the document-handling process, leading to cost savings.

Source: Ivans Connectivity Survey, 2022

Before the introduction of download technology, the dependence on human interaction created what Reid Holzworth, chief executive officer at Ivans, described as

Eliminating ‘transactional friction’ through download connections

“transactional friction.” This friction meant that straightforward inquiries, like those outlined by Blackwell, often required multiple calls and extended back-and-forth exchanges. “With enhanced connectivity, there’s no longer a need to call a carrier to ask, ‘Will you insure this barber shop in Milwaukee that serves alcohol?’ If that information is available, with technology, we can provide those answers automatically,” said Holzworth.

“Even if you have built the best technology, you still have to get users to learn a new way of doing things. Focusing on effective change management is essential for any technology partner to facilitate smooth transitions and maximize innovation benefits for clients”

Anupam Gupta, Applied Systems

Highlighting what makes Applied Systems a key technology partner for both agents and carriers, Anupam Gupta, chief product officer at Applied Systems, listed the following benefits:

Working with partners who connect the dots

System connectivity: Applied’s technology can seamlessly integrate with existing agency management systems and other software tools (e.g., CRM, email). “If your technology partner is not connecting systems, you’ve dropped the ball and [the result] is manual work, so connectivity is a big theme,” stated Gupta. Data utilization: Applied presents relevant data intuitively, allowing users to access and leverage the information they need quickly for decision-making. According to Gupta, technology partners should minimize the need for users to “hunt for data,” as this practice detracts from valuable time for clients. Change management support: Through its dedicated support teams and comprehensive training programs, Applied Systems strives to make every customer’s journey seamless. “Even if you have built the best technology, you still have to get users to learn a new way of doing things. Focusing on effective change management is essential for any technology partner to facilitate smooth transitions and maximize innovation benefits for clients,” said Gupta.