M M ichael Bees in vice president of information The impact of no longer having a per kervices at American General Life & Accident policies back to the local ties for pow Tune in Nashville, one of the main enormous, pecally since the sales fonce collects about larger is. Recently Bess helped desig wles force 5,000 beneficiary changer to police wywk "The otomation and marketing management informatie going to do to speed up for around time and tems that he hopes will see millions of dollars, in policies 10 deri haines, and transform the whole business proces, Anither owne pplication for deployment only for the company 7,000 selepeople, but also for the will allow people are paint their current mere. 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"We are deploying marketing and matugi allows us to proces application information than in all of our local offices. These are to manage the work of the Case Study Questions done. But putting of the informatii dutie mond the mate dok drive a single 1. What people, hartearendust the mandalina y the mous and information product for todo o co the webby American General nithi, items hey manage the food back 2 , , , , alnilaicri" Sat, a tar tackyat a gibi do you recognition de chopin lipalailaining in 2. When the businesbenetes and in else. This American God marketing management Mom w atta - - SSSR Ch GP 114 G C at he .. M ichael Betis viet president of information The impact of no longer having to the paper is stric General Life & Accident policies back to the local offices for procent will be Insurance in Nashville, one of the nation's enormos, specially since the sales force code largest inmuren. Recently Bens helped design les force 5.000 beneficiary changes to policies every week. The wutomation and marketing management Information: going to allows to speed up turnaround time and tems that he hopes will save millions of dollars, creme esting policies by to day predict busine, and to the whole business proces, Another software application and for deployment only for the company's 7,000 alespeople, but also for the will allow people to prospect in their current nearly 6 million customers they are tome date. The to help them bring is Like most int companies, many years ago les from the tingutomer. Athird up American Generales up more than 250 local offices tout tim programmatically the home offices for is national fleet of wlespeople particular con la leching Currently, each person goes to the local office American General maling lemon wice a week totend meeting, tum in collections, and banking in the wil toe pick up forms. Even if each person had to drive an for primi dhe lected back to the erage of only five miles to get to the office, ovi per me office and deple heill American Generalinis de week per les could cost the company Si million a year in mobile membre the remaining man information Eugh sough, siden. But recherches upra local office and all the tached the syte er he pedimos the future of Bets. The company also build Sille competing and put together a plan that the applications for the sales compatya lo of money while peiding each person Americ Genesis sed of the game in the with personal, virtual perle for plan plans suggested by leading coper. In fact, Bensity based on three things Stylist 1000 blete finding that this new stem completely liminates the re- com customised application, which will be quirement for paper confronto the bom implemented over the life of the ples, and a growing office. It sources and improves the te company intet trol of the process. Perhaps most import bewys Bernay, "We are deploying marketing and manage lows us to process applications met informations de cand all of our local offices. These are tools to manage the work of the Case Study Questions er. But putting all of the sales information in duten word on the mate dink drives of a single L. What people, hardware, software, and ever, the manager can dial to und query the for up to date information opposed to the world Tesources and information products do you this American General Insurance repom currently wil, which don't provide inkom to the force and looks 2. What input processing, vaput, storage, and.com individuale actiti do you regie Anti Gas Specifically, the company has del to me that allow me on o be well be 2. What are the business benefits and limitation in the This American General les forced pielberi maring management arti Sweeped from St Joseling regulation di 10-11 Wor e thely deply recopy of domes back the policy CM 1114 wa III M ichael Betts is vice president of information services at American General Life & Accident Insurance in Nashville, one of the nation's largest insurers. Recently Bests helped design sales force automation and marketing management information sys- tems that he hopes will save millions of dollars, create new business, and transform the whole business process, not only for the company's 7,000 salespeople, but also for the nearly 6 million customers they serve. Like most insurance companies, many years ago American General set up more than 250 local offices to act home offices for its national fleet of salespeople. Currently, each salesperson goes to the local office at least twice a week to attend meetings, turn in collections, and pick up forms. Even if each salesperson had to drive any erage of only five miles to get to the office, two visits per week per salesperson could cost the company as much as Si million a year in automobile reimbursements alone. Enough is enough, said Betts. But rather than scrap- ping the system entirely, he peered into the future of mo- bile computing and put together a plan that will save the company a lot of money while providing each salesperson with a personal, virtual, paperless office. Betts plan is based on three things: Fujitsu's Stylistic 1000, 1 tablet-site computer, customized application software, which will be implemented over the life of the plan; and an ever-growing company intranet. Betts says, "We are deploying marketing and manage- ment information systems that can be accessed in all of our local offices. These are tools to manage the work of the salesforce. But putting all of the sales information in a database stored on the magnetic disk drives of a single server, the general manager can dial in and query the sys tem for up-to-date information, as opposed to the weekly reports currently available, which don't provide informa- tion necessary to manage the sales force and look into an individual salesman's productivity." Specifically , the company has developed easy-to-use electronic customer service forms that allow new policies to be written and signed and existing policies to be edited The impact of no longer having to tote paper-based policies back to the local offices for processing will be enormous, especially since the sales force collects about 5,000 beneficiary changes to policies every week. "This is going to allow us to speed up turnaround time on new and existing policies by 10 days, "Betts predicts. Another software application slated for deployment will allow salespeople to prospect against their current cus- tomer databases. The idea is to help them bring in new sales from among the existing customer base. A third appli- cation program will automatically analyze the coverage a particular customer has, based on life changes. American General is also rolling out an electronic banking service that will allow agents to send financial transactions for premiums they have collected back to the home office and deposit them into a local bank. Also, American General will expand its intranet to provide all the remaining management information necessary to man- age 1 local office and all the agents attached to it, says Berts . The company also plans to build additional intranet applications for the sales force American General is ahead of the game in the strategic plans suggested by leading experts. In fact, Betts is already finding that this new system completely eliminates the re- quirement for paper transactions from agents to the home office. It saves our customers time and improves the con- trol of the process. Perhaps most important," he says, "it allows us to process applications faster." information systems Case Study Questions 1. What people, hardware, software, data, and network resources and information products do you recognize at American General Insurance? 2. What input, processing, output, storage, and control activities do you recognize in American General's 3. What are the business benefits and limitations of American General's sales force automation and marketing management information systems Date January 1998, pp. 108-113, 1998 by Cahners " Publishing Co., and Kim Gerard, Sales Force's Paperwork Copyright 1998 by Computerworld, Inc. Framingham, MA electronically on the spot. This means that agents can re- ceive policy owner information and the signatures of both agents and customers, and then immediately display an exact copy of the document back to the policy owner, as regulations dictate 01701. Reprinted from