They're located in Canada, Florida, and a Mississippi Gulf Coasttown still reeling from Katrina. They have as few as 10 employeesand as many as 250. One of the only things these three independentagencies have in common is success based on smart use of theirautomation systems.

In an informal roundtable discussion at last week's Applied Systems Client Network (ASCnet) TENCon, theannual meeting of the Applied Systems users group,three agency principals--all heavily involved in ASCnet--talkedabout their growth strategies and the central role automation playsin the process. These are their stories:

Insurance Portfolio Inc.(www.insuranceportfolio.com)

This 83-year-old, third-generation brokerage, based in Toronto,Canada is co-owned by Chris Gory, and is a 32-user TAMagency. Gory worked for Applied Systems as an early WinTam supporttechnician before making the move in 1997 to his in-law'sproperty-casualty insurance brokerage. In 2000, the brokerage spunoff its employee benefits department into a separate company, andGory became owner and president. Four years ago, his wife andbrother-in-law bought the property-casualty brokerage from theirparents, and the owners decided to expand the businesses to severalCanadian provinces. Over the past 2 years, Insurance Portfolio hasstarted expanding further across Canada. The brokerage also isincreasing its program business through affiliations with theCanadian Franchise Assoc. and engineering groups, Gory said.

None of this growth could have been possible without automation,which has streamlined workflows and integrated customer informationacross multiple lines of business. Even in a recession, thebrokerage averages 93 percent retentions, has increased staffing,and has experienced increases in both premium volume and policycount in all but 2 months, Gory said.

The real value of technology lies in its ability to free upusers for true customer service, he said. "Social networking andother high-tech marketing techniques are great, but they can'treplace the personal touch," Gory said. "Technology frees you upfor that."

Brightway Insurance (www.brightway.com)

Founded 6 years ago by brothers David and Michael Miller--withonly David having had an insurance background--this Jacksonville,Fla. insurance retailer used a franchise business model to growfrom a single office to more than 55 locations throughout thestate, said Michael Miller, chief operating officer andco-owner.

Today, Brightway has more than 250 associates in the agency. TheBrightway model allows all retail offices to focus on sales andbuilding relationships, while all other aspects of the agency arecentralized in the corporate office. All retail locations arestaffed only with producers--no CSRs, receptionists, accounting,renewal processing, or other non-sales functions. These are handledat Brightway's corporate office, which provides"quicker, moreaccurate, and value-added services than any of the locations couldhave provided if they were set up as a traditional agency," Millersaid.

The business began when the oldest Miller brother, David,purchased a Nationwide agency, and later went independent. In thattime, Michael has overseen the new technologies, centralizedservice center, and unique processes that differentiate Brightwayin the Florida marketplace.

Michael's background in sales and technology inspired him toapply what he learned to the insurance model. Before launchingBrightway, he worked in ADT's national marketing center in theAffinity sales group; worked with Cendant Mortgage doing theoutsource mortgage business for Merrill Lynch Credit Corp., and waspartners in a mortgage brokerage business, which he left to launchBrightway.

Brightway uses Applied's TAM Online agency management systemwhich, coupled with the agency's 120 carriers, enables the agencyto compete with the direct writers on their own turf. With 90percent of its business in personal lines, the retailer offers itscustomers a full range of insurance products and prices. The resultis a 93 percent retention rate and aspirations to take theBrightway business model national.

Because Brightway provides franchisees with a turnkeyoperation--everything they need to run their businesses--automationplays a critical role. Using a combination of Applied Systemstechnology, integrated desktop faxing, Web site integration,comparative rating software, and VoIP (voice over Internetprotocol) telephony makes this possible, Miller said.

Treutel Insurance Agency, Inc. (www.treutel.com)

Based in the Mississippi town of Bay Saint Louis (population8,000), Treutel Insurance is a third-generation, 10-user TAMagency. Vice president Angelyn Treutel recalls how high-techautomation saved the business in 2005 when Hurricane Katrina struckthe region--and the area still has not completely recovered fromthe disaster.

However, the fact that the agency runs TAM Online means they canliterally conduct business from anywhere during the disaster, a keyelement in the business's survival beyond Katrina.

Treutel's high-touch method of customer contact includes theability to chat live with customers online via the LiveChimeInternet link. The agency also maintains a strong social mediapresence through Facebook and Twitter, further enhancing itsability to deliver its local brand to a global audience.
Technology enables the agency to maintain a high level ofprofitability and provide superior service to meet theever-increasing customer demands of speed and convenience, Treutelsaid.

Angelyn Treutel is actively involved in promoting agencyautomation, chairing IIABA's Agents Council for Technology (ACT)and co-chairing the Retail Agent to E&S Market Joint IndustryInitiative. She is also past president of the Big I of Mississippiand past chair of the Southern Agents Conference TechnologyCommittee, and is a regular speaker on real time technology, socialnetworking, workflow efficiency and disasterpreparedness.