The 4.17.12 release has many valuable enhancements and streamlined workflows. At EZLynx, customer feedback drives the improvements we work to provide in our monthly releases, and this month’s release responds to many agent requests.

Highlights

• Policy Data From Commissions (Beta)
• Policy Change Request (Beta)
• Policy View Enhancements
• Improved Performance for Activities & Notes
• Rewritten Policy Enhancements (Beta)
  • New Term Grouping for Policy History
  • Adding Commission Rules for Rewrites
  • View Potential Rewrites from Downloaded Policies
  • New Reporting Coming Soon for Rewritten Policies
• Rating Engine Enhancements
• EZLynx Sales Center 2.0 (Beta)
  • New Display for Sales Center Table View
  • Improved Opportunity Detail View
  • Automatic Opportunity Creation for New Applicant
• What’s New in EZLynx Accounting
  • Include Policy Details on Forward DB Receipts
  • Show the Change Provided on Cash Receipts
  • New! Ability to Add/Edit Comment on Finalized Receipts

To have your agency set up with Beta features, please complete this EZLynx Beta Request Form. We will contact you shortly afterward.

Policy Data from Commissions (Beta)

With this release, you can now create a new applicant and/or a new policy for unmatched items in your commission statements. This allows you to save time and remain in the workflow of finalizing your commission statement without leaving to create new applicants and policies. Now, it’s even easier to filter commission statements by unmatched, matched or all items in the statement.

Highlights:

• Create New Applicant and/or New Policy for Unmatched Commission Line Item
• New Filter for Match Status on Commission Statement

New Filter for Match Status on Commission Statement

Difficulty separating matched and unmatched line items in your commission statements is a thing of the past. We have added a new filter dropdown that allows you to filter the commission line items by either: All, Matched or Unmatched.

• On the commission statement, select the funnel icon near the ‘X.’
• By default it is set to ‘All.’ To change the results, simply select the filter to apply.
• Selecting a specific filter will update the data on the list and return only those Match Status results.

Create New Applicants and /or New Policies for Unmatched Commission Line Items

Introducing: the ability to add new applicants and/or new policies for unmatched commission line items.  This enhancement alleviates the need to exit the commission statement to create a new applicant and/or new policy, in order to match commission line items.

• Select MATCH for any unmatched commission line item.
• The system searches for an existing match to any applicant/policy number.
• If none exists, you have the option Create New Applicant/Policy.
• Clicking this button launches the modal entitled ‘Find Existing Applicants and Policies.’
• Either create a new applicant or create a new policy for an existing applicant.

• With Create a New Applicant, you will create either a Personal or Commercial Applicant. Skip this step if you already have an existing applicant by clicking Create a New Policy for this Applicant.

• After creating the new applicant, create the New Policy.
• If there is a potential policy, choose the SELECT option, and you will be able to merge the commission statement line item with the existing policy in EZLynx.

• If you MERGE a commission line item with an existing policy, you will receive a warning that you need to confirm prior to the system processing your request.

Policy Change Request (Beta)

EZLynx is excited to introduce the Change Request feature aimed at simplifying the change request process for agents. EZLynx empowers your agency to cater to your consumer’s policy change requests more efficiently and position your agents as trusted advisors in front of the consumers. As part of this feature, agencies will be able to create change requests within EZLynx, submit to carriers or insureds, utilize workspace and tools to do follow ups, and verify the accuracy of change request once processed. Initially we enabled this feature for only Commercial Auto line of business.

With this release, we are excited to announce that this feature will be available for additional lines of business which includes Personal Auto, Commercial General Liability, Business Owners Policy, Commercial Property, Workers Compensation, Homeowners, Dwelling Fire, Commercial Umbrella, Garage and Dealers, Professional Liability, Directors & Officers, Errors & Omissions, Commercial Crime, Farm Owners.

Highlights:

• Utilize policy entry screens to create change request & preview changes before saving them.
• Create Change Request Memo to communicate proposed changes to the policy.
• Email change request, use EZLynx eSignature for insureds’ signatures, and create notes and tasks to follow up on change request.
• Generate Commercial Change Request ACORD 175, and submit to carriers who require it.

Create Change Request

To initiate change request:

• From policy, select Actions, and Change Request.
• In the Change Request modal, specify the change date – the effective date of the change request – and add remarks about the change request. Be sure to leverage this remarks section because it pre-fills the ACORD 175 for commercial lines, as well as the change request memo.
• Seamlessly create the change request using the Step By Step alert throughout the process.

• Click Edit Change Request to proceed.
• Make the changes in the policy entry screen. For example, if you want to add vehicles for a Commercial Auto Policy, click on Vehicles tab and add vehicles.

• Once you add a vehicle, click Preview to preview changes. Verify the vehicle was added as expected, ensure all details are present, and click Save & Close to be directed to Review Change Request Screen.

From the Review Change Request screen, you can:

• Send eSignature request to insured
• Add notes/tasks for change request
• Email the change request memo to the carrier
• Print the memo

• The created change request is located under the policy’s History tab and is highlighted to distinguish itself from other policy transactions.
• For manual policies: after receiving confirmation from carrier that the changes have been processed, click Confirm Change, enter the Change Premium, and click Change & Edit Policy to save the changes. The change request is now converted to a policy change transaction.
• For downloaded policies: the carrier will send the policy change download. Optional: click Confirm Change, and policy compare opens for you to compare the change request against the downloaded policy change.
• If the carrier sent all requested changes, you will not see any differences. Click Confirm Change to remove the change request from the History screen. If you do not want to confirm the change request, close the compare screen to return to the History page.

Policy View Enhancements

EZLynx is excited to introduce a feature that allows users to view a policy summary as of any date and for any transaction for a policy.

Highlights:

• View the policy summary for all historical transactions for a policy
• Ability to view the policy summary at any particular point in time.
• View policy summary for future pending transactions.

View the Policy Summary

• From applicant Overview, click on a policy’s Details
• You will notice a new dropdown that enables you to select any transaction for the policy.
• Select any historical transaction to view the policy summary.
• You can also view the summary for future dated transactions.

 

Rewritten Policy Enhancements (Beta)

EZLynx is excited to announce enhancements to the Policy Management system that grant you greater control over your agency’s book of business. We understand that not all policies you receive from carriers are new business. Sometimes carriers consider policies as new business, for what the agency looks at as existing business. This causes issues with commissions in your agency. With the Rewritten Policy enhancements we are giving you better control for how you want policies listed in your agency. This provides you with a more accurate book of business and improved commission tracking.

Highlights:

• Improved Policy History to Group by Policy Term
• Greater Visibility of a Policy’s History
• Commission Rules for Rewritten Policy Term
• Create Rewritten Policy when Converting Application to Policy
• Viewing Potential Rewrites from Downloaded Policies
• New Reporting Coming Soon for Rewritten Policies

Let’s start by defining a ‘rewritten policy’ in EZLynx.

If you have a customer that wants a better auto policy rate, you shop that customer around to other carriers.  Once you find a carrier with a better rate, you cancel the current policy and create a new one. In EZLynx, we consider this new policy a rewritten policy.

• The customer is the same and the LOB is the same.
• The only difference is the carrier, but the new carrier sees the policy as new business.
• To your agency its existing business.
• And of course existing business pays a different commission rate.
• This enhancement allows you to better manage these events, and gives you greater control over your book of business and commissions.

New Term Grouping for Policy History

One of the first things you might notice is the ‘Term’ grouping feature to a policy’s history.

• The terms are in yearly increments.
• All transactions during that respective yearly term are grouped accordingly.
• Terms can be collapsed or expanded as needed using the arrow to the far right of each term.

This provides a clearer picture of what is happening during the life of a policy.

Greater Visibility of a Policy’s History

Being able to truly understand the relationship between two policies and their historical significance is important when trying to manage your book of business. With this round of enhancements we have provided a clear understanding of the relationship between prior and rewritten policies.

When you cancel a policy with one carrier and then bind with another carrier to get your applicant a better rate, we consider this new policy being a ‘rewrite.’

For this reason, a new option is available when creating a rewritten policy. Now you can choose which policy was rewritten.

• Select the prior policy from the Rewrite Of This information is then added to the history of each policy.
• The default transaction type is Rewrite.
• The Effective & Expiration Dates, and LOB Origination Date pre-fill based on the prior policy.

• Each policy’s History screen contains a View Policy link for quick referencing.

 

Adding Commission Rules for Rewrites

To ensure you pay the intended commission amounts for the correct policy transaction type, you can select Rewrite from the Term dropdown when creating a commission rule.

Create Rewritten Policy when Converting Application to Policy

When converting an application to a policy, you can now select which policy was rewritten. We encourage you apply this new functionality to your existing policy creation workflows.

View Potential Rewrites from Downloaded Policies

We have added new functionality to the Policy Transactions page to help identify potential rewrite transactions. When a policy transaction is matched to an applicant, the system looks to see if the downloaded policy is a potential rewrite. You have the option to confirm whether it is a rewrite or not.

New Reporting Coming Soon for Rewritten Policies

Coming soon! A new Policy Management report called Potential Rewrite Detail. This report allows you to view details on all potential rewritten policies.

 

In the report you are able to view the policy number, which contains a link to the policy, for the policy transaction in question as well as the policy number for the potential match.

Rating Engine Enhancements

EZLynx is prepared for the new state minimum limit requirements for 2018 for Delaware, Connecticut, and Kentucky.

Connecticut

The minimum mandatory limits for vehicle liability insurance will be increased in state of

Connecticut, effective January 1, 2018. New limits will be 25/50 for Bodily Injury and

$25,000 for Property Damage.

• Options 20/40 and 25/25 will be removed from BI field.
• Options 10,000 and 15,000 will be removed from PD field.

Delaware

The minimum mandatory limits for vehicle liability insurance will be increased in state of

Delaware, effective January 1, 2018. New limits will be 25/50 for Bodily Injury.

• Options 15/30 and 25/25 will be removed from BI field.

Kentucky

The minimum mandatory limits for Property Damage (PD) will be increased in state of

Kentucky, effective January 1, 2018. New limits will be 25,000 for Property Damage (PD).

• Options 10,000 and 15,000 will be removed from PD field.

EZLynx Sales Center 2.0 (Beta)

With this release we are excited to announce sweeping changes to Sales Center. Sales Center 2.0 has an improved UI providing a clear view of the opportunities in your pipeline, as well as a redesigned detail view for each opportunity.

We have also added amazing functionality designed to streamline your workflows in Sales Center. These enhancements will make managing your opportunities a breeze.

But wait, there’s more to come! This is the first of two Sales Center 2.0 releases that greatly improve your experience with our pipeline management system.

Highlights:

• New Display for Sales Center Opportunity Table
• Last Contacted
• New Improved Opportunity Detail View
• Automatic Opportunity Creation with New Applicant

New Display for Sales Center Table View

The new Sales Center 2.0 table contains the same information in an easier to read format. This includes:

• Opportunity column headers
• Dollar values for each column
• A running number of opportunities in each column

• A new icon was added to expand an opportunity. Next to the Estimated Value column you will see two arrows pointing in opposite directions. Click this to launch the new Opportunity Detail view.
• You can also click anywhere on the opportunity line to launch the new Opportunity Detail View.

The new arrow style headers function the same way as the ‘tabs’ did in the prior Sales Center UI.  However, in Sales Center 2.0 we have made the headers larger and easier to see information.

There are two new reporting columns in the table:

1. Sales Priority
2. Last Contacted

Sales Priority replaces Probability of Sale and introduces a simple to interpret ‘star’ rating system. Now it’s easier to identify the importance of a sale versus the old High, Medium, and Low rating options.

• Sort the table by Sales Priority
• Filter by priority to better focus your attention on important sales opportunities.

Last Contacted helps to see how long it has been since an opportunity was last touched. So what does ‘last touched’ mean? How are we configuring this number for you? Let’s take a look below.

EZLynx Sales Center considers these actions a ‘touch’

• Status change
• Sales priority change
• Update a note
• Add/update a quote
• Reassign producers

The system then applies this information to the Last Contacted column, allowing you to visually see how long it has been since interacting with an opportunity. You can also better set urgency to prioritize your day.

Improved Opportunity Detail View

The new opportunity detail view replaces the prior expanded opportunity dropdown that appeared under each opportunity line. This information now has its own page, making it easier for you to see important information.

To access:

• Click on the double arrow icon.

OR

• Click anywhere in the white space of that opportunity’s line.
• Either action launches the new Opportunity Detail View.

A few quick highlights:

• New headers are now under the applicant’s name.
• You can do any of the following:
  • Change Opportunity Status
  • See and update Producer
  • See and update Opportunity Source
  • See the Lead Source
  • See the Next-X date
  • See and update Sales Priority

• This data is better displayed:
  • Overview
  • Lines of Business
  • Documents
  • Activity

• The new Overview tab allows you to see:
  • The Contact Information
  • The LOB(s)
  • Opportunity Activity
  • Any Email Campaigns
  • Any Active Policies

• The LOB section provides:
  • LOB’s prior premium information
  • Quoted premium information
  • Finalized premium information

• Please note: Space is limited, so only the first two carriers appear in the Carrier field. Hover over the carriers for a tooltip that shows the remaining carriers making up the quote. If the LOB carrier/premium has been finalized, then only one carrier appears.
• You can now add manual quotes to your respective LOB on the Line of Business tab, in addition to EZLynx Rating Engine quotes.
• In Sales Center 2.0 you can do all of your quoting directly from the Line of Business tab, and the results automatically associate to the opportunity.

• Now, the Documents tab is available regardless of where your opportunity is in the sales pipeline. You can also send and view eSignature envelopes.

• The Activity tab allows you to view opportunity activities, general activities for the applicant and system log events. These sub-tabs allow you to stay up-to-date on all activities associated with the applicant and their opportunity.

Automatic Opportunity Creation for New Applicant

Sales Center 2.0 further streamlines your workflow with automatic opportunity creation at the same time you create a new personal or commercial applicant.

Looking Ahead

In the next release, you can look forward to automatic quote and policy association to opportunities in Sales Center, the ability to split opportunities with more than one LOB, and a new UI for opportunity management in the workspace. We are excited about the new features coming for Sales Center 2.0 and cannot wait to get them all in your hands.

What’s New in EZLynx Accounting

This release contains new enhancements for the EZLynx Accounting application aimed to simplify your interface and fix general bugs.

Highlights:

• Include Policy Details on Forward DB Receipts
• Show the change provided on cash receipts
• Adding Ability to Add/Edit Comment on Finalized Receipts
• General Bug Fixes

Include Policy Details on Forward DB Receipts

Now, when you process a direct bill payment and select the policy in the Add Direct Bill Payment modal, you will see this information carry over to the receipt details and printed receipt.

 

Show the Change Provided on Cash Receipts

For receipts of type Cash, the system now saves the original amount paid by the customer and any change provided. Previously, only the amount retained by the agency was saved.

New! Ability to Add/Edit Comment on Finalized Receipts

With this round of enhancements, you can now edit or add comments to finalized receipts in EZLynx Accounting.

To edit or add a comment on a finalized receipt:

• Access the receipt overview.
• Select Actions, then Edit.
• This launches the EDIT RECEIPT modal.
• Either update the current comment on the receipt or add a comment if there was none.
• Save your changes, and they are now reflected on the finalized receipt.
• EZTIP: You can edit comments on receipts from the applicant Invoices tab and from the Receivables page in EZLynx Accounting.

General Bug Fixes

Along with the enhancements mentioned above, there are also several bug fixes for EZLynx Accounting in this release. These updates better refine your accounting workflows and alleviate functionality issues you are currently facing.

At EZLynx, we are constantly striving to improve our product and give you a better experience. We hope these enhancements provide you with an improved workflow in the EZLynx Accounting application.

• Updated the posted date on checks sent to QBO to show the date posted rather than the payment date.
• Updated the check description field in QBO to now show the bank account and check number if there is no check memo.
• Fixed scrolling and screen size issues on the applicant Invoices tab when adding a DB payment.
• Hiding exported ‘column’ and exported ‘field’ when QB application is set for ‘Online Webservices’ for following areas: Check List, Check Overview, Add Check popup and Edit Check popup. This field is not used for the direct QBO interface.
• Updated the Pay Invoice action to include receipts from the parent branch in addition to the invoice’s branch.
• Updated the Overdue Invoice list to show receipts for an applicant if receipts are created at another branch.
• Including Finance Companies on direct bill payment screens.
• Updated receivable write-offs unapplied to now include negative amounts.
• Fixed error with selected line items not saving on adjustments.
• Fixed issue related to disabled users still appearing in accounting.
• Fixed issue with DB Payments having the wrong payee in some cases when a policy was not selected.
• Fixed issue related to installment invoices having incorrect line items if there are more the one producer.
• Updated printed statements to show invoices from other branches.

Additional Rating & Management System Updates

• Outlook Plugin
  • Issue resolved where certain users would see an object error when saving sent emails.
  • Corrected a bug where task due dates would default to 12/31/1969.
• Improved performance for Activities & Notes
• Improved the audit trail in System Log for tracking applicant detail changes.
• Several workflow enhancements for Manual Quotes.
• Improved the Agency Form Templates handling of checkboxes.
• Enhanced how documents associated to a policy transfer if a policy is moved to a different applicant.
  • We now move the entire folder structure with all associated documents
• Users can now retroactively cancel an expired policy.
• Fixed an issue where the email footer buttons were hidden in certain browsers.
• Improved Email Subscription Management feature.
• Improved support for EMC Insurance Company when using EZPlugin for Chrome.
• Added duplicate check for Commercial Applicants.
• Improved LexisNexis pre-fill when creating applicants.
• Fixed issue where text message notifications weren’t received if mobile # was associated to multiple applicants.
• Commission Rules – Fixed an issue where certain users had the Agency Code field matching to rules rather than Producer Code.
• 40+ enhancements and bugs for Manual Policy Entry screens and ACORD Forms including:
  • Auto Commercial & Personal now have an Excluded Drivers section.
  • Auto Commercial now has a Fleet # option on Vehicles screen.
  • Expanded class description field for commercial general liability.
  • Worker’s Comp Part 1 & Part 3 – users can now add more than 10 states for every rating state except Florida. Part 1 for Florida only displays FL, but Part 3 allows more than 10 states.
  • Auto Personal – there is now the option to add premiums per vehicle.
• Improved Lead Source handling across branches.

Questions? Contact [email protected].