Technology adds speed and efficiency to business processes
By Mark E. Ruquet
Independent agencies looking to increase their efficiency can find an ally in wireless technology, according to one chief executive whose agency has embraced it enthusiastically.
Debra Zambrana, chief administrative officer for Gateway Insurance Agency, says her agency has abandoned old-fashioned notebooks and pens for the advantages wireless technology has to offer.
“Were a pretty innovative agency,” says Zambrana. “As soon as we found out we could get wireless, the next thing you know, we all had wireless. We knew, as soon as we heard about it, we could find a way to make it work for us. And thats what we did.”
The agency has three locations in FloridaFt. Lauderdale (where it is based), Bartow and Lake Worthand 107 employees, many of whom are utilizing the new technology.
Blackberry, a wireless, e-mail messaging system, is standard equipment for employees to send and answer e-mails when they are out of the office. Managers and producers carry laptops capable of sending updated data from the road, by e-mail, to the office.
“People can respond from wherever they are at,” Zambrana explains. “Our producers now can go out to a client and can connect via wireless technology to our agency management system and update the files immediately following a meeting.”
One producer even has gone so far as to mount his laptop in his car.
“When he leaves an appointment, he goes out into the parking lot, gets in his vehicle and sends e-mails to the account manager, or indicates in some way, to someone, what happened in the meeting he just attended,” she says.