An automated accounting and information system for independent insurance agents

Abstract

During recent years, there have been notable changes in the independent property and casualty insurance agency industry. While there is a trend toward larger multi-office agencies, the size of the agencies in business today range from small one-man operations to large publicly-held corporations with hundreds of employees. The ARCom item accounting and information system described in the following chapters provides a single, compatible automated system for agencies regardless of size. The concept of the system is to match the computer needs with the agency's requirements, and to offer a system that is compatible between individual offices of varying sizes of a multi-office agency. The considerations in the use of a minicomputer in this application are described, and the shortcomings in the current minicomputer offerings are addressed. The resulting system is an attempt to minimize these shortcomings. The concept presented with regard to the use of minicomputers in the agency application is to utilize the minicomputer in conjunction with a medium-scale, general-purpose computer in order to make effective use of the best characteristics of both machines. The necessity of the development of a programming language and system control program for the minicomputer system are described. One chapter describes in general terms the overall process of developing the ARCom system to include justification for the system, financial considerations, development costs, pricing of the system, personnel requirements, programming effort, and marketing considerations.