Deep dive on agency management system integration

1. You recently managed an integration between the Bold Penguin Terminal and the HawkSoft agency management system (AMS). Can you give us your “elevator pitch” on what this new integration will do for users of both systems?

Bold Penguin is dedicated to simplifying commercial insurance. One important way to do that is through integrating Bold Penguin with other systems agents are already using. Agents who were using HawkSoft and Bold Penguin separately now have an easier way to get their work done. Rather than rekeying data between systems, they can press a button in their AMS and have essential information pushed directly into an application. It’s free, it’s easy, and will save valuable time for the agents.

2. It can be frustrating when any two tech solutions don’t “speak” to each other (regardless of industry). As integrations like these become more commonplace, what problems are being solved?

There are several benefits to tech solutions speaking to each other through strategic integrations like the one with HawkSoft. The two that stand out to me are data consistency and saving time.

Data consistency: Any time an agent needs to rekey information across multiple systems, there is a possibility of data inconsistency. Whether it’s mistyping something from one screen to another, or copying/pasting into the wrong field, there are opportunities for mistakes to be made that an integration helps cut out. 

‍Time savings: When it comes to saving time, eliminating the need to rekey information will also speed up the agent’s process and allow them to focus their attention on other things. Integrations like the one with HawkSoft make people’s lives easier, and that opportunity made this a really fun project to work on.

3. At launch, there are 22 fields that can be prefilled from HawkSoft into a Terminal application. Are there plans to increase that number? If so, what will that enhanced workflow look like to a user?

Integrations like this are always a balance of getting the most out of the current technology with an eye to the future and where we could take it next. We are always looking for ways to improve the agents’ experience, and this integration is no different. HawkSoft is in the process of further building out their Application Programming Interface (API), which will allow a much more robust integration between our systems than is currently enabled with HawkSoft’s HawkLink mapping tool. This is a partnership we are excited about, and we look forward to working with HawkSoft to continue improving the workflow for agents using both our systems.

BONUS QUESTION: You have a professional history both in the tech world and in higher education. Those two landscapes operate pretty differently. What aspects of working in higher education helped prepare you for a role in software product management?

Well, I have yet to find a way to shoehorn my dissertation topic into anything professional I’ve worked on (I keep looking for ways to do it!) but there are a number of ways the skills I learned during research and teaching have proven to be valuable in software product management. I think the overall approach I learned in higher education is foundational to much of my process now, even if the details and subject matter are different: 

1.  Start with research and let data guide you to your conclusions (whether for a dissertation or an AMS integration like HawkSoft), rather than deciding beforehand and forcing the data to fit your research.
2. Present your findings in a compelling way (whether that’s a room full of 18-year-olds in a general education class or a zoom call with company stakeholders), or they won’t be as impactful as they otherwise could be.
3. Don’t be afraid to make adjustments as you learn more. You don’t get more points for sticking to your initial ideas when the evidence points in a different direction.