Mobile devices and the apps people use with them are changing how consumers interact with information. The programming and development trend of creating small apps that accomplish a specific function will also change how business programs are developed.
Why aren’t our agency systems more like Facebook? Facebook is easy to use, and it’s a robust tool. Grandparents can browse pictures of their grandchildren in a matter of minutes, while teenagers manage their entire social lives from the site. Furthermore, Facebook is free. So why isn’t agency software more like Facebook?
The insurance industry tends to innovate slowly. Yet all of us are competing in an environment where apps developed for the consumer and small business market are popping up at a breakneck pace. As a result, we’re seeing more and more of these consumer tools finding their way into the workplace.
In the near future, agencies will be able to purchase only the apps that they want for their organizations. These apps will accomplish a single purpose and will communicate with one another. There’ll be an app for customer information, for policy detail, claims administration, mobile access for both producers and clients, and who knows what else. The list of apps will only be limited by the imagination of users and developers.
Instead of having to purchase one monolithic expensive program that does everything for everyone, agencies will be able to build their own customized products that do exactly (and only) what they need.
Here are some lessons that agency system vendors need to learn from the vibrant and innovative consumer Web apps market.
- Foster innovation through third parties. Open up your systems. Innovation won’t come solely from within a single company. By having open and documented Application Program Interfaces (APIs), a vendor encourages third parties to build upon and enhance their products. Salesforce.com is a great example of fostering innovation by opening a core program to outside developers.
- Release early; iterate often. The release cycles of traditional vendor software are far too long, which means the software isn’t as nimble or able to respond to new techniques and technology as it should be. If you’re not slightly embarrassed when it’s released you have waited too long.
- Focus on ease of use. Some agency software systems are, well, a bit clunky, usually requiring extensive training to use. On the other hand, apps in the consumer space tend to be quite well designed, with a great deal of care in making them easy to use.
- Use social features to encourage adoption. Users can resist fitting new tools or features into their workflow. By taking cues from the social features found in apps like Facebook, developers can encourage users to embrace new applications.
Part of the problem also lies with how agencies tend to adopt new tools. The ease of sharing information on a site like Facebook can run counter to many organizations’ internal cultures. The mindset of an agency (and the rest of the industry) must change from being rigidly hierarchical and siloed towards being more open, flat, and transparent. You need the ability to change the way your employees work.
What can you do?
Begin to understand apps by personally using an iPhone or Android-based smart phone, or use a tablet like an iPad or Galaxy Tab. Unfortunately, a BlackBerry doesn’t count, because its apps are so universally poor. As you start using apps, you’ll begin to understand the transformation that’s taking place.
Today, companies like Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube have transformed the way people communicate and collaborate, globally. In five years (or less?), how agencies communicate and collaborate with everyone will also be transformed because “there’ll be an app for that.”