The WorkInbox is the best place for SureLC agency admins to manage ALL pending carrier contract requests for ALL producers in one place. After logging in as an agency admin, select Work Inbox at the top of the navigation menu to check the status of ALL pending contract requests. Review the information below to learn more about how to use the Work Inbox.
HOW TO'S:
1. How to use the Work Inbox User Interface
2. How to Check the Status of a Contract Request
3. How to Review & Process a Contract Request
4. How to Assign a Contract Request to an Admin
5. How to Mark a Contract Request Completed
6. How to Discard a Contract Request
1. How to use the Work Inbox User Interface
The work inbox is made up of 2 main sections, which are (1) filters & options and (2) pending contracts.
Section 1: Filters & Options
Use the filters and other options at the top of the WorkInbox to locate pending producer contracts by producer name, carrier, stage, contract type, affiliation, date range, and assignment.
1. Search Field - Use to locate pending contracts by producer or carrier name.
2. Stage Filter - Use to locate pending contracts by stage. The default selection is "At BGA," which will list ALL the contracts that are ready for agency review and processing. There are 3 stages in the contracting process workflow, which are: Producer (stage 1) -> At BGA (stage 2) -> At Carrier (stage 3).
At Producer - Shows ALL contracts in progress by your agents that have not been reviewed and signed by the agent. Once reviewed and signed, the stage will be changed to At BGA.
At BGA - Shows ALL contracts that are ready to be reviewed and processed by your agency. This is the default selection for the Work Inbox. After one of your agency admins processes the contract request to send it to an upline or the carrier, the stage will be changed to At Carrier.
At Carrier - This shows ALL contracts that have been processed and sent to the carrier. These contract requests are still pending until they are marked either completed when approved by the carrier or discarded when declined.
3. Request Type Filter - This is used to filter the list by request type. Request types will be one of the following:
Contract - These are new carrier contract requests. This type is selected when an agent has never been contracted or appointed with the carrier before.
Additional State—This request type is used when the agent is already appointed with the carrier but was not licensed in all the states where they wanted to do business at the time of the original appointment. It is selected so that the agents can be appointed with the carrier in the additional states after they are licensed in those states.
Hierarchy & Commission - This request type can only be selected by an agency admin when you want to send updated hierarchy & commission information to the carrier after the agent is appointed.
Transfer - This request type is chosen when an agent who was contracted with the carrier already but now wants to work with a different IMO (agency), set up a dual appointment, or generate release forms.
Payment - This request type is used to update agent banking information after the initial carrier appointment.
4. Affiliation Filter - Use to locate pending contracts by affiliation.
5. Period Filter - Use to locate pending contracts by date range.
6. Assignee Filter - This filter will only be visible to office managers. Office managers can assign pending contracts to agency workers to work more efficiently as a group. Use this filter to locate pending contracts by assigned agency workers.
7. Funnel Icon (Save Filter) - Use the funnel icon to save the current filter selections. These filters will be automatically applied the next time you return to the WorkInbox.
When a filter has a slash through it, it will not be saved. Select the icon to remember filter settings.
The filter icon is blue when filters are saved.
8. Settings - Select the gear icon to customize the columns to be included in the pending contract list view or to save the current layout for future use.
9. Export to Excel - Select to export the pending contract list to an Excel file.
10. Create Request - Select to create a new producer carrier contract request for a producer.
Section 2: Pending Contracts
This section lists ALL pending contract requests for ALL producers by carrier.
1. Producers—This column lists the producer's first and last name. Select the > icon to check the requirements and notes section to see if there is anything pending that will prevent the contract from being processed.
2. Carrier - This column shows the name of the carrier for which the pending contract is pending.
3. Request Type - This column shows the type of contract request (e.g., contract, additional state, hierarchy, commission change, or transfer).
4. Stage - This column shows where the contract is in the contracting workflow (contracts start at the producer stage, then move to the BGA stage, followed by the carrier stage when processed).
5. Since - This column shows the date the contract was last updated.
6. States - This column shows the states the producer wants to get appointed to do business.
7. Products - This column shows the products the producer wishes to sell.
8. Status - This column shows if there are any issues related to the pending contract request.
9. Actions Menu - Select the More Options button to perform the following functions related to the contract request:
Change Stage - Select to change the current stage of the contract request to a different stage. For example, a contract at the producer stage can be changed to agency, carrier, withdrawn, or discarded. Contracts at the agency stage can be changed back to the producer stage when something is missing from the contract request.
Discard - Select to discard the contract request. This option is used when the carrier declines the request, the request is outdated (more than 6 months old), or if it's a duplicate submission.
Mark Completed - This option should be used to tell the system when the producer was appointed by the carrier and assigned an agent writing code. Marking a contract request completed will also remove it from the pending list and update the request's status within the producer profile. Producers using the SureLC web interface will also see the updated status information. Completed requests will be listed on the Contracts page in the Contracting section.
Remind - Use this option to send the producer an updated request review email.
Open - Select to open the contracting request. Once opened, the request can be reviewed and processed, and it will be sent to the carrier for their review.
Open Profile - Select to open the producer profile in a new tab.
Assign to - This option will only be shown to office managers. Select this option to assign a pending contract to a particular SureLC agency admin. The assigned admin is responsible for completing the review and processing the contract request. Please note once assigned, this request will no longer be visible to other agency workers, with the exception of office managers.
10. Column - Select the columns button to customize the columns within the pending contract request list viewing area. By default, ALL available columns are shown.
2. How to Check the Status of a Contract Request
Step 1: Search for the pending contract by producer name.
Step 2: Once located, check the Stage and Since date to see where the contract request is currently in the workflow.
Step 3: Report the status of the request back to the producer to manage their expectations.
3. How to Review & Process a Contract Request
Search for the request by producer name.
Once located, select the producer name to open the request for the desired carrier contract. For the following example, it's for Banner Life.
Step 1: Carrier & Request Type
At this point, the contract request will be opened and ready to be reviewed. Start with the Carrier selection and request Type. Review the information and click next to continue.
Step 2: States & Products
Review the selected products and states. The producers want to sell the selected products in the states where they want to be appointed with the carrier. Click next to continue.
Step 3: Hierarchy & Commissions
Enter the appropriate hierarchy and commission information that will be applied to the carrier transmittal form or custom grid. The hierarchy information entered tells the carrier who will be involved with the contract and at what level. If you also see commission fields, enter the carrier code that represents the commission to be paid to the producer. The default hierarchy and commission schedules will be loaded by default. If additional schedules are available, they will be selectable using the hierarchy or commission schedule lists. Once this information has been entered, click next to continue.
Step 4: Training
The training step shows the carrier training requirements. Review the information provided by the agent to ensure the requirements have been met. Click next to continue.
Step 5: Errors & Omissions
The errors & omissions step shows the carrier E&O requirements. Review the information provided by the agent to see if the requirements have been met, and then click next to continue.
Step 6: Carrier Questions
This step shows miscellaneous carrier questions and optional documents that can be included with the contracting paperwork. Select any desired additional optional documents, review the answers to the producer questions, and then click next to continue.
Step 7: Questionnaire / Background Questions
These are the background questions required by the carrier. Agents will answer these questions and provide additional explanations as required whenever a question has a "Yes" answer. Review the questions and answers and then click next to continue.
Step 8: Document Review & Contract Processing
In this final step, you can review ALL documents using the Preview All button or any individual document in the list before processing the contract request. Next, set the paperwork date (today is the default, but this can be backdated if needed). In the Send To section, select where to send the contract request when processed (this is usually the carrier, but you can also select BGA, which is your agency email, Administrator/your email, or copy the producer). In the signatures section, select the person who will be selected as the "certified by" signer (this will be one of your agency principals). This will add their signature to the required forms where needed. After reviewing and updating this information, select the process button to send the contract request to the carrier and/or other selected parties.
Example Email Communication Sent to Carrier for a Processed Contract:
Once processed, an email will be sent to the carrier with the contract request with all of the required forms filled out and packaged into a single PDF (merged.pdf) or will be submitted electronically.
This completed the contract request processing. At this point, the contract request will be sent to the selected party for review.
4. How to Assign a Contract Request to an Admin
Office managers can use the assignee filter to manage who will review and process pending contract requests more effectively. For example, if your agency has 2 office managers and 12 agency workers, your office managers can assign each pending contract to an agency worker. Agency workers will ONLY see their assigned pending contract requests and contract requests that are not assigned. To assign a contract request to an agency worker, do the following:
Step 1: Select WorkInbox in the navigation menu to the left.
Step 2: Use the search field to locate the contract request by producer name.
Step 3: Select the Assign button at the end of the contract row.
Step 4: Next, use the assignment list to select the name of the agency worker that you want to assign the contract to. Select the save button to complete the assignment.
Please note that once a contract is assigned to an agency worker, ONLY office managers and the agency worker will see the pending contract request in the WorkInbox.
5. How to Mark a Contract Request Completed
Contract requests at the carrier stage should be updated and marked either Completed when approved by the carrier or Discarded when declined. It is important to keep the Work Inbox clean and up to date and update the status of the pending carrier contract request in the SureLC for Producers web interface so your agents can monitor and check the status of their contracts from there.
Step 1: Select Work Inbox in the navigation menu to the left.
Step 2: Use the search field to locate the contract request by producer name.
Step 3: Select the More Options button to the right and then Mark Completed.
Step 4: When prompted, enter the assigned agent code provided by the carrier. It's important to mark contract requests completed to update the status on the producer's web interface, which will be listed on the Contracts page (in the Contracting section). This action will also remove the completed contract from the WorkInbox.
6. How to Discard a Contract Request
Step 1: Select WorkInbox in the navigation menu to the left.
Step 2: Use the search field to locate the contract request by producer name.
Step 3: Select the More Options button to the right.
Step 4: Change the stage selection to Discarded. Add comments, and then select the Save button to discard the request. Once discarded, the request will be removed from the pending contracts list in the Work Inbox. The contract request will also be moved to the Discarded page within the SureLC for Producers web interface so the agent will know the request was discarded and will see the added comment.
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