10-Question Agency Automation Readiness Audit
By Laksh Pujary, Founder of AutoIkigai Building AI Employees for Insurance Agencies
Overview
Before you automate anything, you need to know where you stand. Most agency owners have a vague sense that “we could be more efficient” but no clear picture of what’s broken, what’s costing the most time, and what to fix first.
This 10-question audit scores your agency’s automation maturity on a 0-100 scale, identifies your biggest bottlenecks, and gives you a prioritized action plan. Takes 15 minutes. Worth more than most consultants charge for a full assessment.
How to Score
For each question, choose the answer that best describes your agency today. Add up your points at the end.
The 10 Questions
Question 1: How do you track policy renewals?
| Answer | Points |
|---|---|
| A) CSRs manually check AMS expiration reports weekly or monthly | 0 |
| B) We have a recurring calendar reminder or spreadsheet | 3 |
| C) Our AMS generates automatic expiration alerts to the assigned CSR/producer | 6 |
| D) We have an automated multi-touch sequence (email/SMS) triggered by expiration date with escalation rules | 10 |
Why it matters: Renewal retention is the single biggest driver of agency revenue. If your process depends on someone remembering to pull a report, you’re losing clients.
If you scored 0-3: This is your #1 priority. You’re likely missing 10-20% of renewal follow-ups.
Question 2: How long does it take to issue a certificate of insurance?
| Answer | Points |
|---|---|
| A) 30+ minutes — CSR has to look up policy, manually fill out the cert, email it | 0 |
| B) 15-30 minutes — we have templates but still mostly manual | 3 |
| C) 5-15 minutes — AMS generates certs but we customize manually | 6 |
| D) <5 minutes — automated cert generation with minimal human review | 10 |
Why it matters: Cert requests are high-volume, low-complexity tasks that eat CSR time. A commercial agency processing 20+ certs/week is burning 10+ hours on paperwork.
If you scored 0-3: You’re spending $500-1,000/month in labor costs on cert requests alone.
Question 3: What happens when a new client binds a policy?
| Answer | Points |
|---|---|
| A) We send the policy docs and that’s it | 0 |
| B) We send a welcome email (manually) with agency contact info | 3 |
| C) We have a standardized welcome packet we send (but manually) | 6 |
| D) Automated welcome sequence: intro email, agency app download, ID cards, review request, cross-sell offer | 10 |
Why it matters: The first 30 days of a new client relationship set the tone for retention. Clients who feel taken care of from day one renew at 95%+. Clients who hear nothing until their renewal? 78%.
Question 4: How do you handle after-hours inquiries?
| Answer | Points |
|---|---|
| A) Voicemail — we call them back next business day | 0 |
| B) Voicemail with an email auto-responder saying we’ll be in touch | 3 |
| C) After-hours answering service that takes messages | 6 |
| D) AI-powered response system that answers common questions (billing, ID cards, claims reporting info) and routes urgent items | 10 |
Why it matters: 40% of service requests come outside business hours. If a client can’t get their ID cards at 7pm, they’re Googling competitors by 7:05pm.
Question 5: How do you identify cross-sell opportunities?
| Answer | Points |
|---|---|
| A) We don’t proactively cross-sell — it happens organically | 0 |
| B) Producers occasionally review accounts for gaps | 3 |
| C) We run periodic book-of-business reports to find mono-line clients | 6 |
| D) Automated gap analysis flags coverage gaps and triggers targeted campaigns by policy type | 10 |
Why it matters: Your existing book is your lowest-cost source of new premium. Agencies with systematic cross-sell processes write 40-60% more premium per household.
Question 6: How do you manage carrier communications?
| Answer | Points |
|---|---|
| A) Everything runs through email — carrier download/upload is manual | 0 |
| B) We use IVANS for some carriers but still have manual processes | 3 |
| C) Most carrier communications are automated via IVANS/AMS integration | 6 |
| D) Fully integrated: downloads, policy changes, claims, and billing all flow through AMS automatically | 10 |
Why it matters: Manual carrier communication (re-entering data from carrier emails, downloading documents and filing them) can consume 20-30% of a CSR’s day.
Question 7: What does your quoting process look like?
| Answer | Points |
|---|---|
| A) We log into each carrier portal individually to quote | 0 |
| B) We use a comparative rater for personal lines but not commercial | 3 |
| C) Comparative rater for personal lines, some commercial via Tarmika or similar | 6 |
| D) Comparative rater + automated follow-up on unsold quotes + quote-to-bind workflow automation | 10 |
Why it matters: Quoting is where you win or lose new business. Manual quoting across 8-12 carrier portals means fewer quotes per day, slower turnaround, and lost deals.
Question 8: How do you track and manage tasks?
| Answer | Points |
|---|---|
| A) Sticky notes, mental lists, or email inbox as task list | 0 |
| B) Shared spreadsheet or basic task list | 3 |
| C) AMS task/activity tracking with assignment and due dates | 6 |
| D) AMS tasks + automated task creation from triggers (new business, renewals, claims, etc.) with SLA tracking | 10 |
Why it matters: If work lives in people’s heads or inboxes, things fall through the cracks. Missed tasks = missed revenue and E&O exposure.
Question 9: How do you handle marketing and client communication?
| Answer | Points |
|---|---|
| A) We don’t do regular marketing — referrals and walk-ins only | 0 |
| B) Occasional email blasts or social media posts | 3 |
| C) Regular email newsletters + some automated campaigns (Agency Zoom, Mailchimp) | 6 |
| D) Segmented, automated campaigns: seasonal reminders, rate change alerts, educational content, review requests, referral asks | 10 |
Why it matters: Agencies that communicate proactively retain better and generate more referrals. Silence = churn.
Question 10: How do you measure agency performance?
| Answer | Points |
|---|---|
| A) We look at commission checks and general feel | 0 |
| B) Monthly revenue reports from AMS or accounting | 3 |
| C) Dashboards tracking written premium, retention, close rate, and policy count | 6 |
| D) Real-time dashboards with KPIs, trend analysis, producer scorecards, and automated alerts when metrics dip | 10 |
Why it matters: You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Agencies with clear performance visibility make better decisions and catch problems early.
Scoring
Add up your total points:
Score: 0-25 — “Manual Mode”
+------------------------------------------------------------------+
| YOUR AGENCY IS RUNNING ON HUMAN EFFORT ALONE |
| |
| Reality check: |
| - You're likely losing 15-20% of renewals to poor follow-up |
| - Your CSRs are spending 60%+ of their time on tasks AI can do |
| - You can't scale without hiring (and you're probably already |
| maxed out) |
| - Your E&O exposure is higher than it needs to be (dropped tasks)|
| |
| IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES: |
| 1. Automate renewal reminders (biggest ROI, lowest complexity) |
| 2. Set up a comparative rater if you don't have one |
| 3. Implement AMS task tracking -- get work out of people's heads |
+------------------------------------------------------------------+Score: 26-50 — “Foundation Builder”
+------------------------------------------------------------------+
| YOU HAVE THE BASICS BUT MAJOR GAPS REMAIN |
| |
| You're better than most but leaving significant money on the |
| table. Your team is doing too much manual work that should |
| be automated. |
| |
| IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES: |
| 1. Build automated sequences (renewal, welcome, cross-sell) |
| 2. Connect your tools -- AMS to email to SMS to automation |
| 3. Implement cross-sell gap analysis on your book |
| 4. Set up performance dashboards |
+------------------------------------------------------------------+Score: 51-75 — “Automation Ready”
+------------------------------------------------------------------+
| SOLID FOUNDATION -- TIME TO ADD INTELLIGENCE |
| |
| Your systems are in place. Now it's about connecting them with |
| an AI/automation layer that makes everything work together |
| without constant human intervention. |
| |
| IMMEDIATE PRIORITIES: |
| 1. Add AI layer for email classification and response drafting |
| 2. Build triggered automations based on AMS data changes |
| 3. Implement predictive analytics (churn risk, cross-sell score) |
| 4. Automate reporting and alerts |
+------------------------------------------------------------------+Score: 76-100 — “AI-Ready Agency”
+------------------------------------------------------------------+
| YOU'RE IN THE TOP 5% OF AGENCIES |
| |
| Your operations are mature. Focus on optimization, not |
| implementation. Look for AI opportunities that create |
| competitive advantages, not just efficiency. |
| |
| FOCUS AREAS: |
| 1. Advanced AI -- predictive retention, automated underwriting |
| triage, intelligent routing |
| 2. Client experience differentiation -- real-time portal, |
| proactive communication, self-service tools |
| 3. Scale -- use your automation advantage to grow faster than |
| competitors without proportional headcount growth |
+------------------------------------------------------------------+The Automation Priority Matrix
Based on your audit, here’s what to fix in what order:
HIGH IMPACT
|
+------------------+------------------+
| | |
| QUICK WINS | STRATEGIC |
| (Do First) | (Do Second) |
| | |
| - Renewal auto | - AI employee |
| - Welcome seq. | - Cross-sell |
| - Cert auto | campaigns |
| - Task tracking | - Predictive |
| | analytics |
LOW +------------------+------------------+ HIGH
EFFORT| | | EFFORT
| NICE TO HAVE | LONG-TERM |
| (Do When Ready) | (Plan For) |
| | |
| - Birthday msgs | - Self-service |
| - Social auto | portal |
| - Review asks | - Full carrier |
| | integration |
| | - Custom |
| | analytics |
+------------------+------------------+
|
LOW IMPACTYour 90-Day Action Plan
Month 1: Foundation
Week 1: [ ] Complete this audit (done!)
[ ] Export AMS data -- renewals, client list, policy list
[ ] Choose automation platform (Make.com or n8n)
Week 2: [ ] Build renewal automation (60/30/7 day sequence)
[ ] Set up email sending (SendGrid or similar)
[ ] Configure AMS task tracking if not already active
Week 3: [ ] Launch renewal automation for next 90 days of renewals
[ ] Build welcome sequence for new clients
[ ] Set up Twilio for SMS (optional but recommended)
Week 4: [ ] Monitor and tune renewal system
[ ] Measure: open rates, response rates, tasks created
[ ] Document baseline metrics for comparisonMonth 2: Expansion
Week 5-6: [ ] Build cert request automation
[ ] Run cross-sell gap analysis on full book
[ ] Launch first cross-sell campaign (auto+home bundle)
Week 7-8: [ ] Add AI layer for email classification
[ ] Build performance dashboard (Google Sheets or Power BI)
[ ] Train team on new workflowsMonth 3: Optimization
Week 9-10: [ ] Analyze 60-day performance data
[ ] Optimize email templates based on open/response rates
[ ] Expand automation to additional workflows
Week 11-12: [ ] Launch advanced campaigns (umbrella, flood, cyber)
[ ] Build producer scorecards
[ ] Plan Phase 2 roadmap based on resultsCommon Mistakes in Agency Automation
| Mistake | Why It Happens | How to Avoid |
|---|---|---|
| Automating everything at once | Excitement, vendor pressure | Start with ONE workflow. Master it. Expand. |
| Not cleaning AMS data first | Rushed implementation | Spend Week 1 on data quality. Bad data = bad automation. |
| Choosing tools before mapping workflows | Shiny object syndrome | Document the process first, THEN pick the tool |
| Not measuring before and after | No baseline established | Record current metrics BEFORE automation |
| Skipping team training | ”They’ll figure it out” | Your team will resist what they don’t understand |
| No human fallback plan | Over-reliance on automation | Always have a manual process backup |
Next Steps
- Score yourself honestly — don’t round up
- Identify your biggest gap — the question where you scored lowest
- Start there — not where it’s easiest, where it hurts most
- Set a 30-day goal — one workflow automated, measured, and working
- Then expand — add one new automation per month
Want me to run this audit for your agency and build the automation plan? At AutoIkigai, we do the audit, build the systems, and measure the results. DM me and I’ll walk you through it.
— Laksh Pujary, AutoIkigai