It’s no secret that more and more business professionals are adopting mobile technologies. And while many are adopting them, not everyone knows what to do once they get there. Case in point, recently I had a C-level manager from an insurance agency approach me with this question:

I bought iPads for all my agents. Now what?

He had been sold on the idea of giving his agents mobile capabilities but next step was a bit less clear. After our extensive conversation, I decided to outline what we came up with.

First thing to keep in mind is that running an insurance agency is not for the faint of heart. It’s a logistical nightmare that requires managers to keep track of all projects undertaken by their agents and the status of their policies. Are the premiums paid on time? Are their policies that need to be processed immediately? How are all the agents performing?

After assessing the company’s needs, we came up with 5 iPad apps that he could equip his agents with that would ensure his return on investment.

1. Good Reader – This PDF reader allows you to not only read large PDF files but also to make annotations and share it over a web-based storage server. Agents can use this app to share policies, add notes, and finalize documents without having to meet in person.
2. Dragon Dictation – Constantly running from meeting to meeting, it can be difficult to remember all of the verbal agreements made. Dragon dictation allows the user to speak into a mobile device and writes notes, emails, and reminders that can be referenced when necessary.
3. Team Viewer – Insurance agents are always on the move. It’s inevitable that at some point they will need to present a document that is housed safely on the home computer. Using Team Viewer for iPad, agents can remotely connect to their computer and access the desired file(s).
4. Quick Office – A major limitation of the iPad is that you can’t open and edit Microsoft Office Documents. That’s no longer the case with Quick Office. This app allows users to view and edit excel, word, and PPT documents directly in the iPad so there is no need to drag around a laptop.
5. Drop Box – The storage capacity on a tablet can limit an agent’s ability to work with large documents. By using a cloud storage solution like Drop Box, the user can access all their files regardless of which device they’re on (tablet, smartphone, laptop, desktop).

While these apps are great out of the box solutions to boost productivity, they were not the conclusion to our conversation. As I’ve seen in my own meetings with insurance agents, and as we eventually concluded, developing a native app for his company was the way to go. It requires a larger investment however the end result is the best sales tool for a process that requires a million signatures. To learn more about this particular project, feel free to drop me a line at pnalevka@astegic.com or leave a note in the comments section below.