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Extra
Planning Equals Successful Automation When discussing Automation concerns in the insurance industry many minor areas are often overlooked. These are areas that need to be examined as you consider automating of your agency. Perhaps a lesson can be learned from some of the mistakes that I have made in the past 1. Hire a computer / network person to advise you and help implement the upgrading and networking of your computers. A mistake in this area could be the mostly error that you have ever made. If you are not sure about the individual and his work ask for references and check out them thoroughly. 2. Next, purchase the right computers and printers for the job. Printers are one of those items where the initial price might look good, but the cost of maintenance and ink can end up decreasing the value of your automation efforts. 3. If you are considering Document Imaging, be sure to consult with your software provider to get suggestions about what has worked well for other users of their software. (I see a lot of agencies buying a starship version of printer, scanner, and fax combination equipment. This is really not a good idea. Do you really want customers waiting on a receipt to be printed because the equipment is receiving a fax? The ideal agency network printer should be a workhorse where the cost per page is about one cent or less. Everybody in the agency prints to that workhorse for letters, receipts, documents, etc. Checks can be done on an inexpensive $100.00 desk-jet printer. Scanning should be done on a separate computer, which does not tie up a productive workstation. 4. Be sure that all users of your computer equipment are fully trained in the use of the software programs and the use of the computer equipment. In our current Window's world of computers I still witness, users getting frozen while using some software and reaching down and powering down the computer, without first using the "end task" method of Control-Alternate-Delete combination of keys. When you turn off a Windows Operating System without using the shutdown function, you are asking for problems that scan disk or de-fragmenting may not be able to resolve. 5. Purchase the best power surge and battery pack equipment that you can afford. Because you can't afford not to do so. One that will allow at least 10 -15 minutes of battery back up to power down your server. 6. Purchase the best and easiest to configure back-up system for your data. Do a sample back up and verify that the correct data is being recorded. Buy more than one tape. You may think I am kidding, but many agencies, use the same tape over and over everyday, without considering the fire hazard and what would happen to the tape. Back-up daily and rotate tapes daily. Finally, get the latest tape out of the building, if only to your car. 7. Get food and drinks off the desks of users. You couldn't imagine how many keyboards I have tried to use, only to discover that some of the letters don't work and others stick. (Plus, it is not very professional to be eating in front of customers in the first place.) 8. Beware of repetitive motion injuries that keyboards can create. Purchase keyboards that are user friendly, ergonomically designed and help reduce the possibility of injury. The very first time you observe a user complaining about soreness in the wrist or forearm, react immediately, and go buy a new keyboard for them. It could be the best $20.00 that you every spent. Until next month, keep
automating those agencies; I really believe it is the only way that you
are going to survive the 21st Century. "Automation equals
Productivity and Profitability." Ron Webber |
