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...h them, especially through social networking. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn ...ense, and taking advantage of social networking has been a successful strategy...

...s information on company computer networks, you may want to consider having a backup network offsite. RISKS Telecommuting is...g their day, log in to the company's network, use a logging device on their ow...

... ASP reduces total automation costs because there's no need to invest in hardware, software installation, and software licenses. On the other hand, an agency converting to an ASP might face setup and conversion fees, higher monthly costs, and the reconfiguration of internal systems. Such expenses level off after the conversion has been completed. Savings might also be reduced by the need to outsource the management of the network and related software or to keep employees who perform that function. DISASTER RECOVERY When agencies create emergency preparedness plans, they usually focus on the risk of losing their customer data and the equipment that supports it. Agencies can back up their data, but if their physical plant were destroyed, they'd need to replace equipment quickly and find an alternative location in which to operate. With an ASP, ... to work at a speed comparable with what they have now? How are service issues handled? A CASE STUDY Behnke & Co. Inc. (Decatur, IL) is at the tail end of selecting an ASP. We interviewed Chief Operating Officer Jim Grady about their concerns, costs, and expectations. BMG: Why did you decide to take the ASP route instead of maintaining this type of administration in-house? Grady: Frankly, we wanted to get out of the system management business. Not only were we spending too much valuable time on it, we'd reached the point where we would've had to hire a system administrator. BMG: Does this mean that all of your system administration and server headaches are now outsourced? Grady: No. We still need an in-house server for applications that ...

... ASP reduces total automation costs because there's no need to invest in hardware, software installation, and software licenses. On the other hand, an agency converting to an ASP might face setup and conversion fees, higher monthly costs, and the reconfiguration of internal systems. Such expenses level off after the conversion has been completed. Savings might also be reduced by the need to outsource the management of the network and related software or to keep employees who perform that function. DISASTER RECOVERY When agencies create emergency preparedness plans, they usually focus on the risk of losing their customer data and the equipment that supports it. Agencies can back up their data, but if their physical plant were destroyed, they'd need to replace equipment quickly and find an alternative location in which to operate. With an ASP, ... to work at a speed comparable with what they have now? How are service issues handled? A CASE STUDY Behnke & Co. Inc. (Decatur, IL) is at the tail end of selecting an ASP. We interviewed Chief Operating Officer Jim Grady about their concerns, costs, and expectations. BMG: Why did you decide to take the ASP route instead of maintaining this type of administration in-house? Grady: Frankly, we wanted to get out of the system management business. Not only were we spending too much valuable time on it, we'd reached the point where we would've had to hire a system administrator. BMG: Does this mean that all of your system administration and server headaches are now outsourced? Grady: No. We still need an in-house server for applications that ...

... ASP reduces total automation costs because there's no need to invest in hardware, software installation, and software licenses. On the other hand, an agency converting to an ASP might face setup and conversion fees, higher monthly costs, and the reconfiguration of internal systems. Such expenses level off after the conversion has been completed. Savings might also be reduced by the need to outsource the management of the network and related software or to keep employees who perform that function. DISASTER RECOVERY When agencies create emergency preparedness plans, they usually focus on the risk of losing their customer data and the equipment that supports it. Agencies can back up their data, but if their physical plant were destroyed, they'd need to replace equipment quickly and find an alternative location in which to operate. With an ASP, ... to work at a speed comparable with what they have now? How are service issues handled? A CASE STUDY Behnke & Co. Inc. (Decatur, IL) is at the tail end of selecting an ASP. We interviewed Chief Operating Officer Jim Grady about their concerns, costs, and expectations. BMG: Why did you decide to take the ASP route instead of maintaining this type of administration in-house? Grady: Frankly, we wanted to get out of the system management business. Not only were we spending too much valuable time on it, we'd reached the point where we would've had to hire a system administrator. BMG: Does this mean that all of your system administration and server headaches are now outsourced? Grady: No. We still need an in-house server for applications that ...

...o outsource the management of the network and related software or to keep empl...

...at prospects referred to an agent network will be contacted promptly, and that...worked for some; but a lack of agent network discipline compounded by inconsis...

...o outsource the management of the network and related software or to keep empl...

... . The percentage of respondents offering flexible work hours has grown steadily from 39% in 1999 to 53% in 2001. This year's survey found Sales Manager, Marketing Manager, and Marketer/Placer positions appearing more frequently than in the past. Agencies and brokers are restructuring to provide producers with more sales management and training, allowing them more time to focus on new business development. The position of Network/Systems Administrator is appearing more frequently, as automation becomes increasingly technical and agencies need to network with branch offices or carriers. Most participants indicated that their planned compensation increases for 2001 would be between 3.6% and 4.9%, with the Southeast and Pacific Regions averaging 4.8% and 4.9%, respectively. The higher increases in these regions might result from higher economic growth. Increases for 2001 ... equal to or slightly lower than actual growth in 2000, indicating agent and broker concern about the economy, together with the need to control costs and shift compensation dollars to incentive plans. The 1999 BMG survey found that 47% of agencies offered incentive plans to managers and 74% provided incentives to non-managers. A year later more than 80% of participants offered incentives to managers and 75% offered incentives to non-manager staff. More than 50% of participants rewarded Managers based on specific performance objectives, and more than 28% offered them Long Term Incentive Plans. This increase in incentive plan participation reflects agencies' desire to align individuals with growth and profitability goals and reward individuals for their contribution to overall success. Incentives tied to performance goals, individual sales results, and growth in the book of ...

...t directly provide such a support network. Instead, the BD is the rep's only r...