Modernizing distribution management

For leading insurance carriers, the legacy systems, fragmented technology stacks, and disconnected processes of the past are no longer sustainable at a time when speed, efficiency, and seamless agent experiences define success. The demands of today’s market require true agility, scalable compliance expertise, and reliable data automation to achieve targeted distribution goals—enterprise needs that can’t be met by yesterday’s technology.

Comprehensive distribution management is not simply an adaptive tactic that meets the moment: It’s a core strategy for long-term success, achieved through maximally integrated technology and fully complemented by experts.

What is integrated distribution management technology?

Integrated distribution management technology consolidates an insurance carrier’s essential producer administration functions—agent onboarding, licensing compliance, compensation and relationship management, and performance analytics—into a unified, intuitive technology platform. With a consolidated data system offering 360° visibility, it eliminates the need for redundant manual entry and helps to surface and reconcile any inconsistencies.

The shift towards an integrated approach to distribution management technology marks a transformation in the industry’s overall approach to managing producers. By unifying fundamental operations within a single platform, carriers can leverage new optimizations and best practices to enhance efficiency, ensure greater regulatory compliance, and drive agent selling behavior with compensation programs that reinforce their market strategies.

Better tech means happier agents; happier agents build productive partnerships; and productive partnerships lead to increased revenue.

Key benefit: Fuel growth through ease of doing business

At its core, insurance remains a relationship-driven industry, and distribution management technology should help strengthen those connections. A comprehensive strategy isn’t comprehensive if it fails to account for people, too.

To effectively engage the on-the-ground individuals who facilitate every business transaction in every distribution channel, carriers depend on technology that creates positive, personal experiences. It’s concerning, then, that a recent survey of more than 1,200 independent agents found only 33% agreed their carrier partners offered great service in onboarding, licensing, and compliance practices. 

With flexibility to better manage those distribution partnerships, strategic distribution management increases collaboration between carriers, agencies, and producers, enabling them to work together in sync to drive business forward.

In practice, this focus on improving ease of doing business means providing greater self-service functionalities that allow producers to access carrier information in real time. Producers should have clear visibility into authorization status, compensation statements, sales KPIs, request statuses, and more. Additionally, efficient processes to reduce the amount of data agents must provide paired with simplified, streamlined interactions between carriers and agents make for an overall ease of doing business that is core to effective distribution management.

Key benefit: Reduce risk with scalable compliance

Amid growing market concerns, carriers need a cost-effective compliance infrastructure that enables them to do more with potentially less. With compliance rules powering the foundation of a comprehensive distribution platform, businesses can stay ahead of changing regulations without sacrificing efficiency. Compliance automation—including just-in-time (JIT) appointment processing—greatly benefits the bottom line, potentially saving carriers millions by only appointing the agents who are actively selling for them.

Compliance automation operating in tandem with an expert partnership is truly the best approach, though.

While automated technology processes can quickly incorporate new or modified regulatory requirements, there are times when scalability in compliance requires expert guidance and support to manage personnel shortages or highly specialized projects that require fast, accurate processing at high volume—particularly in the event of a merger or acquisition. That’s why a truly comprehensive platform provides both proven technology and trusted partnership.

Key benefit: Fuel growth with compelling agent compensation

Attracting and retaining top producers is always central to driving growth, and a compelling compensation strategy can be a critical differentiator for carriers. Flexible, data-driven compensation technology should motivate producers’ selling behaviors to achieve profitable growth, yet outdated systems make it difficult or impossible to restructure commissions and incentive programs to take advantage of evolving market conditions.

By integrating compensation management directly into the distribution platform, it’s easier to align producer payouts with carrier market strategies and update them when beneficial. As an example, whether by rewarding cross-selling or by supporting specialized products, a flexibly designed compensation program should bolster a carrier’s business goals while reducing administrative burdens on agents. With an integrated platform’s greater visibility, control, and automation, carriers can manage compensation strategically—and proactively—to build stronger partnerships with top-performing agencies and improve retention among the most successful producers.

Key benefit: Drive efficiency with fast processes and accurate data

Speed and accuracy are indispensable in an industry that relies on complex transactions and high-volume processing, and carriers need efficient workflows that minimize delays and maximize precision. Carriers also need valid, trustworthy data sources, with minimal risk of human error from manual entry or rekeying mistakes.

Integrated distribution management technology delivers faster digital processes, while industry experts who provide best-practice consulting can augment this system to ensure continuous process improvement that extends beyond the software.

Your trusted partner for comprehensive distribution management

Technology capabilities alone don’t solve business challenges—expertise, service, and a forward-thinking approach make all the difference between being a vendor and being a partner. That’s why we are committed to being more than just a software provider. As the leader in modern insurance technology, our dedicated experts partner with carriers across the industry to help them navigate the complexities of a rapidly evolving regulatory and operational landscape.

With deep connections to state regulators and an extensive team of compliance experts and best practice consultants, we provide unparalleled insights that enable our customers to see the strategic benefits that comprehensive distribution management can bring. In addition, our expanded customer training and support options ensure that organizations have the knowledge and resources they need to maximize the value of their investments.

By combining personal service with ongoing technology advancements, we’re ensuring that our customers have access to the right solutions, the right insights, and the right support to manage distribution strategically, all while tackling whatever market or regulatory changes the future has in store.

Tracey Brown
SVP & General Manager

Tracey has spent her professional career helping companies deploy winning strategies in product management, client experience, client service, and professional service teams. Across multiple industries, she has leveraged her talents as a leader to improve the operations and cultures of Fortune 500 companies, focusing on driving YoY growth and providing value to customers.