Did you attend our roundtable discussions at Ivans Connect™ in Las Vegas last fall? We know some of you missed these, so we wanted to include some takeaways from our insightful conversations. I had the opportunity to participate in a conversation about application programming interfaces (APIs). Here’s a recap of our discussions, including what agents want to see when it comes to adopting APIs.

What Are APIs?

Application programming interfaces simplify software development and innovation by enabling applications to exchange data and functionality quickly and securely. API integration connects these databases, devices, operating systems, and applications, allowing data exchange with minimal effort. You may not realize it, but APIs are everywhere. Each time you use an airline app, process a mobile payment or check a video doorbell, that’s API technology in action.

APIs at the Agency Level

We explored the importance of APIs in helping carriers quickly transmit information for downloads. Agencies must receive information rapidly, so knowing which data types to prioritize is vital.

If an agency had to rank the top three, what API data is the most important? Is it downloading a policy, having quote information, or getting claims information? What data do agents need to receive in real time rather than downloading it nightly? Do they want notifications sent to their Ivans Exchange™ inbox as well?

Understanding the specific data that agents are interested in is important. Right now, agency data gets processed in a daily overnight batch by the agency management system. So, when we think about the types of data agents receive, the processes in their agency management systems, or how they use data for analytical visualizations, it's crucial to identify data use cases and acknowledge the significance of real-time data.

API Integration With an Agency Management System

When it comes to APIs and API integration, most of the heavy lifting will be within the agency management system and carriers. The one exception is if agents get data from third-party sources and want that data pulled into the management system.

For example, agents may wish to load API data from a customer relationship management system into their management system as a sales funnel or trigger to perform a task, but that would be a corner-case scenario.

APIs are the glue that enables otherwise disconnected software solutions — such as those for customer relationship management (CRM), marketing automation, and financial services — to interact with, coordinate processes, and share data between systems. Integration of applications is a keystone for automation strategies, making APIs indispensable. Integrations automate manual tasks to generate smooth, effortless transitions between linked applications. Agents can save money, time, and effort through automation and integration of processes.

APIs are transformational. They allow integration with an agency management system by exposing programmatic interfaces to customers and partners. The data and services can then be used efficiently to support workflows and automation across different applications. Ivans is using APIs to make data available to agents faster from their carrier partners.

Check out our blog post on instant data delivery to see how one of our carriers leveraged Ivans’ technology to provide instant access to policy download data.

Get More Insights at Ivans Connect ‘24

We hope you can join us at Ivans Connect '24 in Nashville for more discussions that drive more connectivity and enhance the relationships between carriers and agents. We look forward to acting on more ideas and feedback from attendees this year. If you are attending Applied Net ®, just check the box to include Ivans Connect in your registration at no additional cost. Not attending Applied Net? You can still join us for Ivans Connect!