There aren’t a lot of options for master agencies seeking to automate their back offices. In fact there are basically two: Choose from one of three purpose-built software solutions that may not do exactly what they need or spend a lot of money and time on a fully custom deployment. Now, there is a developer who wants to add a third option: a custom application without the custom price tag.
Mendix Inc., a software company based in Boston, says its agile computing platform enables it to build custom cloud solutions to automate complex business processes quickly and flexibly and for tens of thousands of dollars not hundreds.
That could be good news for master agencies. Their ability to differentiate themselves from the competitors can hinge on their ability to automate processes for their subagents and carriers. Using the same software as a competitor can put them back at square one.
Most master agencies have chosen between the two leading software packages: RPM Software’s Agent and Salestream Software’s Masterstream. The former is known primarily as a robust commissioning system and the latter as an instant multicarrier quoting tool. Both are praised for their capabilities, but often criticized for their limitations.
The lack of continued product development is understandable; the master agent market is small. Only one competitor has emerged to challenge the two incumbents. Qudex.com launched in fall 2009. It claims to handle inventory management, call accounting, audit management, reverse auction, RFP process management, infrastructure management, wireless management, network security, business process optimization, trouble-shooting and support. However, it also includes features just for agents, such as CRM, subagent and commission management.
