At SIS our Customer Service Team regularly answers client questions and also makes suggestions to improve our clients’ productivity and profitability. Such Best Practices can make a difference in your agency – today. Here are two to get you started:
Best Practice: Web-Based Search
One of the best time savers available with the Spring 2010 Partner XE update is Web Search. With this feature you no longer have to type out a complete word or phrase before you can click “Search” and get results.
Let’s say you’re looking for a specific client’s file. From the very first letter you type, results begin to stream back. The more letters you type, the more specific the returns become, speeding you to your results. Web-Based Search gives you what you need, faster. (If you came to Partner XE from SEMCI/Partner 6 you already know what a time-saver this can be.)
On the Agency Desktop, click on the File menu drop-down and select Web-Based Search. Chose the category where you would like to search (Client, Policy, Notes, etc.). As you begin to type in the search entry box, your results will appear in the lower grid.
Best Practice: Employee Client Profiles
When you or your employees have a Client Profile in Partner XE and it lists your agency email address, you may notice with the Outlook Add-In, incoming emails may be flooding to your own Client Documents section.
You can prevent the Outlook Add-In from adding email to your own Client Profile by removing the check from the “Allow Auto-Add” for that email address from the Email/Web tab in your Client Profile.
Removing the check from “Allow Auto-Add” for any Client email address will also prevent emails from being attached to those Clients.
Too Much Mail…
If you have discovered extra email messages within your Client Document section, you can move the emails to the proper client.
Highlight the email message in documents and click Action, Move Document. Then select the destination client from the search box and click OK. Confirm the move by typing “Yes”, then OK, and the email will then be move to the selected Client.
Partner XE does not delete documents due to Errors & Omissions; however, documents or email messages may be hidden from view. On the Client Documents section, there is a column titled “Hide”. By checking the box for these item and clicking the “Save” button in the upper hand corner, the documents will be hidden from view.
Below are five features you might not realize you have at your fingertips with Partner XE. Each one will save you valuable time, and make your work a little easier, too.
Do you have a Tip or Time Saver to share? Simply click here to contact us with your suggestion; we’ll be sure to pass it along.
1. New Search Option Speeds Your Results
Did you know… Web-Based Search will instantly stream results options as you input the search term.
Here’s how it works:
A. From File, select Web-Based Search from the drop-down menu
B. Select the category you want to search (Client, Policy, etc.)
C. Begin to enter the word, name or phrase you’re searching…
2. Another Search Time-Saver: The Client Search Screen
Did you know… You can access Policy Details directly from the Client Search screen.
Here’s how:
A. Click the Open Policy Details icon located in Client Search Summary.
B. Click Yes to lock for Editing if that option pops up.
This takes you directly into the Policy Details screens. There is no need for you to open up the Client Summary if you don’t need to go into it.
3. Clear Reminders Faster Than You Realized
Did you know… You can clear a Reminder directly from the Partner XE Agency Desktop.
Here’s how:
A. Go to the Notes/To Do List/Messages section.
B. Open the Note.
C. Clear the Reminder directly from this screen.
4. Another Notable Notes Navigation Tip
Did you know… You can access Notes directly from the Client Summary screen instead of first navigating to the Notes screen.
Here’s how:
A. Click on the link of an open or pending Note and it will take you directly to that Note right from the Client Summary screen.
5. Ready to quickly access the Client Policy List? Click. Done.
Did you know… You can access the Policy screen directly from the Client Search screen.
Here’s how:
A. From inside the Client Search Summary, click the Policy link.
B. When finished, close the screen and you’re right back at your Client Search screen.
Click here and sign in for Training to find more Tips and Time Savers. And don’t forget to send your suggestions our way!
What’s Inside Partner XE 1.5?
March 2010 brings the release of Partner XE 1.5, a rich package of enhancements to our agency management system. This release keeps us on target with Partner XE’s product roadmap including some key initiatives our agency user group NASPA (National Association of SIS Partner Agents) helped us establish: email and search. In the interview that follows, SIS’ Chief Architect Donavan Stanley and Quality Assurance Manager Nolan Davis share highlights of the features and functionality of this upgrade.
What do you consider to be the most significant enhancement in the Partner XE 1.5 release?
Nolan: The two-way enhancements to Partner XE’s integration with Microsoft® Office Outlook are probably most important to NASPA and all our clients. A key piece is the new auto-add functionality that will automatically pull in the incoming and outgoing emails – and their attachments – that you have associated with specific clients in Partner XE, and put them in their files.
Donavan: Absolutely. This is all about streamlining an agency’s work with clients. The functionality was there in previous releases of Partner XE, but it was a cumbersome, multi-step operation. The new plug-in will allow users to receive an email from a customer, then that correspondence and any attachments will be automatically added to the customer’s file. In addition users can right click and open that customer’s file – all without leaving Outlook – significantly cutting down the time of that transaction.
Nolan: There’s also an Outlook Calendar upgrade. Now you can create your appointments in Partner XE and they will automatically populate your Outlook Calendar, which could then synch with your mobile device as well.
Another NASPA directive has to do with more robust search capabilities. What can we expect with Partner XE 1.5?
Donavan: This release includes web-based search integration with Partner XE that allows users to drill down into the policy details of an individual or group of clients for more in-depth reports and analysis. Users will find the searches are much more intuitive and significantly faster.
Nolan: As a part of this web-based search functionality, you will also have a new tool option, called Query Builder, that will enable you to build user-defined queries within two lines of business currently: personal auto and home (and know that we will be adding additional lines of business in future releases). That gives the user full control of the search with the ability to set parameters with specific variables in as much details as required; save, apply and share the search queries; and generate reports whenever needed with results output to Excel.
Donavan: The bottom line is that agency principals and office managers will be able to build reports and obtain exactly the information required for workflow analysis, business reviews, marketing campaigns, producer efficiency, all the key components of their business… better, faster, and more efficiently.
There are also industry-related enhancements in the Partner XE 1.5 release as well… What are those highlights?
Donavan: There are updated ACORD forms, specifically ACORD 24 Certificate of Property Insurance and ACORD 25 Certificate of Liability Insurance.
Nolan: And there are some significant integration enhancements. For example, we have added two-way integration with AMS Producer Plus commercial lines sales product that allows agencies to create proposals, do analysis and take advantage of the multiple tools within Producer Plus. In addition, this release includes enhanced Boston Software WinRater software – from one-way to two-way integration.
Donavan: And we continue to look for additional integration opportunities to enhance our client agencies’ efficiency.
Is there anything else you want to share about this initial 2010 Partner XE 1.5 upgrade?
Nolan: A lot! That’s why we’ll make web-based demonstrations available as soon as we release, and our Customer Service Team is available to help our client agencies in any way at service@sisware.com.
Donavan: And we’ll continue to follow the Partner XE product roadmap – and listen to input from our users and our user group – for additional enhancements throughout the year.
Gahanna, OH – January 20, 2009 – Strategic Insurance Software (SIS), a leading provider of agency management systems, announced today the release of Partner XE version 1.3 which includes IVANS Transformation Station. Transformation Station allows agents to connect real-time to their carrier partners through their Partner XE management system.
“The addition of Transformation Station greatly increases the number of carriers and real-time service transactions available to our customers” said Nolan Davis, SIS Product Manager. “This is another great example of how SIS strives to simplify our customer’s workflow and increase their efficiency.”
John Heinsz of Heinsz Schafer and Garwitz Insurance Services, goes on to add, “Being able to go right to the Company’s policy, billing or claim screen without having to use passwords or individual websites with Transformation Station, has been exciting and really gives us Real Time ability. Plus, when we’re done, it brings us right back into our policy screen! Not only do we save time and money, it actually allows us to TALK to our clients again. Once again, SIS has done a great job implementing Transformation Station and continues to work with us, the users, to improve our XE System and expand the value they bring to the industry”.
About Strategic Insurance Software
Strategic Insurance Software, Inc. provides solutions insuring success to P&C agency and carrier insurance partners. SIS is recognized as a leader in award winning applications that fully support ACORD industry standards for forms, AL3 and XML. The Partner XE™ agency management system, marketed nationwide through direct sales and company alliances, is their latest program, designed to improve agency operations at a reasonable price. For additional information, contact an SIS associate at 1-800-747-7005 or email Sales@sisware.com.
Gahanna, OH – January 12, 2008 – Strategic Insurance Software (SIS), a leading provider of agency management systems, announced today the release of Partner XE version 1.3 which includes IVANS Transformation Station. Transformation Station allows agents to connect real-time to their carrier partners through their Partner XE management system.
“The addition of Transformation Station greatly increases the number of carriers and real-time service transactions available to our customers” said Nolan Davis, SIS Product Manager. “This is another great example of how SIS strives to simplify our customer’s workflow and increase their efficiency.”
John Heinsz of Heinsz Schafer and Garwitz Insurance Services, goes on to add, “Being able to go right to the Company’s policy, billing or claim screen without having to use passwords or individual websites with Transformation Station, has been exciting and really gives us Real Time ability. Plus, when we’re done, it brings us right back into our policy screen! Not only do we save time and money, it actually allows us to TALK to our clients again. Once again, SIS has done a great job implementing Transformation Station and continues to work with us, the users, to improve our XE System and expand the value they bring to the industry”.
About Strategic Insurance Software
Strategic Insurance Software, Inc. provides solutions insuring success to P&C agency and carrier insurance partners. SIS is recognized as a leader in award winning applications that fully support ACORD industry standards for forms, AL3 and XML. The Partner XE™ agency management system, marketed nationwide through direct sales and company alliances, is their latest program, designed to improve agency operations at a reasonable price. For additional information, contact an SIS associate at 1-800-747-7005 or email Sales@sisware.com.
