On the Move
Autonomous Connection
Part of the reason Foremost has had such long-range success with its solution is because it chose technology that fits the needs of its sales force and is flexible enough to adapt to changing information needs. IAnywhere provides an infrastructure that allows Foremost to deliver data outside the data center.
"Having our sales force [physically] connected to us every single day is pointless because they need to be in their cars and calling on their accounts," explains Foremost's McDermott. "We need to give them a local database for eight hours out of the day, when they're not connected to us here, [so] they have all of their accounts, their phone numbers, their addresses - whatever it is they need," she relates.
The solution enables the insurer to deploy a local database on a laptop during the day and synchronize information with Foremost's Oncontact (Cedarburg, Wis.) CRM software via a broadband or wireless connection at night. "IAnywhere transfers the data for us and allows them to remain autonomous during the day while allowing us to get the information we need nightly."
John Hancock, on the other hand, provides more-constant connectivity to its field force. Field agents maintain wireless contact with the home office through the BlackBerry platform during the day and synch with the company's CRM system through Pyxis at night.
"Most of the information is a day old, but certain things you can go real time into Seibel and grab," explains John Hancock's Wheatley. "If someone makes a phone call from the call center or we send out sales literature, that is recorded in our Siebel system as an activity and mWholesaler goes and gets it in real time," he continues. "So, if a salesperson is in a broker's office, they can know exactly what phone calls have been made to our call center up to the minute they walk in."
While John Hancock opted for more active wireless connectivity, each company has chosen a technology combination tailored to its sales strategy. But in some cases, it is not necessarily the sales force that is driving business advantage. Penn National Insurance (Harrisburg, Pa., $436 million in premium), a regional mutual P&C carrier with 70 percent commercial insurance in the small and middle market, differentiates based on the quality of its loss control services.
"We have an advantage over our competitors in that our loss control field representatives play the role of loss and safety consultants, so it is important for us to empower them to do that consulting job as effectively as possible and to minimize the clerical burden on them," relates Christopher Markley, vice president of corporate communications at Penn National. "This risk-reduction service is the key to growing our middle-market business accounts," he says.
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