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Recent years have exposed previously conservative industries, from legal to finance, to the benefits of digitalizing their operations. Within that process, certain tools have been adopted on a large scale to facilitate conducting business remotely. The life insurance industry is no exception, and when the pandemic hit, it had to adapt quickly to continue conducting business remotely. This evolution refreshed old technology and introduced new software to fill gaps that remote working created in the business world. In this blog, we share tools that can help Advisors with everything from team building and project management to scheduling and collaboration.

Teamwork, team building, and bonding require a level of physical presence to enable effective decision-making, exchange of ideas, strategies, planning, and execution. Remote work brought about a revolution to this aspect of work. As a result, sessions went digital. Key tools that facilitated the transition include Skype, Slack, Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Webex, and Google Meet. These applications share functionalities that have made it easier to connect teams:

• Providing the ability to meet with a large group of people with access to audio and video
• Accessible via computer and phone
• Content sharing capabilities to help keep everyone on the same page
• Recording features allowing the team to refer to the discussion later

Videoconferencing tools also facilitate file sharing, presentations, and illustrations during meetings and are used in the life insurance industry across the value chain.

There are many ways to manage projects, from writing lists on paper to blocking off time for tasks on a digital calendar. However, when teams (or multiple projects) are involved, it becomes easier to manage everything by aggregating all tasks, timelines, and collaborators into one place. A few applications that can assist with maintaining organization include Trello, Basecamp, Notion, Asana, and Microsoft Project. These are all great tools that will enable Advisors to organize tasks, optimize productivity, and visually manage projects, especially when multiple parties work together. For organizational and administrative purposes, a few good tools to consider are Microsoft Outlook, Teams, and OneNote. These tools are great for calendar-blocking, building lists, and task reminders, to name a few. Depending on the need for them, several project management tools exist, each with unique features to match requirements. Being organized can be tricky, particularly while working remotely in varied settings. Project management tools assist the life insurance industry to manage tasks and relationships by tracking communication plans, planning virtual events, participating in branding projects, and much more!

Tools made for collaboration enable teams, notwithstanding their locations, to work together on projects. Two noteworthy tools are SharePoint and Google Drive. Both tools have a few things in common – documents can be viewed, edited, commented on, and shared by team members in real-time without the need to call for a meeting. They are great for content management and the organization of all types of files. Also, team members can be allocated varying degrees of access to each folder or file, depending on the level of collaboration required.

Keeping track of all the parties involved with only pen and paper or through the default calendar app on a mobile phone can be exhausting. However, setting up time for appointments, meetings, and tasks is more manageable than ever, whether done in the office or remotely. Tools such as YouCanBook.Me and Calendly connect with existing calendars to share real-time availability. These are great tools for Advisors to connect with customers more effortlessly. Customers can easily view and select available times to meet and then receive notifications and reminders to stay on schedule.

These innovative tools bring teams together and optimize remote productivity by making the transition from in-office to remote work/hybrid seamless. In life insurance, advancements have been made as tech continues to change the landscape of the industry. Innovations within the RGA/RGAX ecosystem include the TAI Treaty, which uses Artificial Intelligence to digitize paper treaties; AURA NEXT, the most advanced digital underwriting platform for life insurers; and, of course, the APEXA software, which digitizes Advisor compliance and suitability checks and contracting in the industry.