Portal Launch: More Internal Information for External Insurance Agents

Agent portal based on FirstSpirit™ / More efficiency and user-friendliness

The insurance company BGV / Badische Versicherungen has launched its new web portal for their exclusive agents. In addition to more convenient navigation and ease of use for users, the web solution should also improve work processes for web editors who manage content. The information and work platform is based on an internally developed BGV portal and the high-performance FirstSpirit Content Management System (CMS) from Dortmund-based e-Spirit AG. The revamped portal helps BGV save in administrative costs and raise the quality of service for their exclusive distribution partners. In addition, the new product improves work efficiency: users reach their destination with just a few clicks.

During the technical implementation phase developers at BGV were able to build on their previous experience in creating the BGV broker portal. That portal was redesigned the previous year and was also based on FirstSpirit. IT specialists at BGV were thus able to complete the entire project independently, without assistance from e-Spirit. The agent portal is based on a portal developed internally at BGV and that was easily connected to the Content Management System using a lightweight interface solution. "We now centrally manage all content in FirstSpirit and distribute it to our portals, such as the agent portal or the broker portal. This makes redundant content a thing of the past. The CMS also lets us create an exact historical record of all text, templates, and logos, as well as media, documents, and database content, and it gives editors a simple restore option for content", explains Carsten Gauch, IT specialist at BGV and agent portal project manager.

More visually attractive and informative, with personalization for user-friendliness

A personalized workspace is now included which helps agents complete their tasks when processing policies. In addition to a designated inbox and personalized information, such as a summary of current commissions and sales orders, they receive up-to-date BGV agent news on the home page that FirstSpirit leads directly into the portal. The most current documents can be accessed using the central download center. Users can individually arrange the most frequently used web applications and save them to the home page, along with their personal bookmarks. The most recently generated offers or electronic insurance certificates can be managed and processed further direct from the home page. A search feature that accesses all content simplifies the process of finding documents in different search criteria, for example by branch (property, auto, etc.) or document type (applications, customer information, etc.). Rate software from product partners is also integrated. "The new portal helps our agents complete their activities with great efficiency and provides them with all the information they need for their daily work", says Hans-Gerd Coenen, BGV sales director. "This way they are able to concentrate on their core business and on assisting their customers."

Raising the bar

Requirements for user-friendliness and efficiency for the new agent portal were high – but the standard against which it had to be compared was the BGV broker portal, which in 2009 received the Eisenhut award for marketing software and was also based on FirstSpirit. The coveted industry award is awarded yearly by the two industry publications Versicherungsmagazin and BANKMAGAZIN, as well as the Bundesverband Deutscher Versicherungskaufleute (BVK) and the KuBi association. The broker portal shines due to its simplicity for users, streamlined processes, and an outstanding range of services. Carsten Gauch is confident that the agent portal will meet this standard in every respect: "Our distribution partners are excited and welcome the new features, which let them organize their work much more efficiently." With FirstSpirit, BGV will now carry out subsequent web projects with ease and with flexibility for future adaptability. This project will be followed by the reworking of the municipal and private customer portals.

Company profile: Badischer Gemeinde-Versicherungs-Verband

The Badische Gemeinde-Versicherungs-Verband (BGV) was founded in 1923 for the municipalities of Baden. Along with its subsidiaries, Badische Allgemeine Versicherung AG and Badische Rechtsschutzversicherung AG, it forms the insurance group BGV / Badische Versicherungen and provides insurance coverage to private and corporate clients nationwide. The company has more than 700 employees and 25 trainees. With a volume of around 230 mil. EUR and nearly 1.4 mil. policies, the insurer remains on a steady growth curve and boasts higher-than-average customer satisfaction. According to BaFin the insurance company has the lowest complaint rate in the area of auto insurance and in general liability insurance.