Applied Net 2018 brought insurance professionals, technology providers, and users of Applied Systems solutions together in Nashville, Tennessee, to discuss the technology shaping the insurance industry.

Pathway attended Applied Net 2018 with a specific goal: to connect with insurance brokers using TAM and Applied Epic BMS and learn more about the operational and technology challenges brokerages were trying to solve.

While a lot has changed in insurance technology since 2018, one lesson from the event has become even more relevant: insurance brokerages get more value from their management system when the data inside it can drive action.

Here are three things we learned at Applied Net 2018 and what they mean for insurance brokerages today.

What Was Applied Net 2018?

Applied Net is an insurance technology event associated with Applied Systems and its community of insurance professionals and technology partners.

At Applied Net 2018, Pathway exhibited at the Applied Net Exchange Expo and connected with insurance brokers using Applied Systems technology, including TAM and Applied Epic.

For Pathway, the event provided an opportunity to better understand how insurance brokerages were using their Broker Management System (BMS) and where additional technology and automation could help improve everyday operations.

What Is Applied Epic BMS?

Applied Epic is a broker/agency management system used by insurance organizations to manage client, policy, operational, and other insurance-related information.

A BMS or AMS acts as an important system of record for an insurance brokerage or agency. It contains information teams need throughout the client and policy lifecycle.

But storing information is only part of the equation.

The bigger opportunity is using that information to initiate the next appropriate action.

For example, policy and client data can support workflows related to:

• Policy renewals
• Client communications
• Billing reminders
• Claims communication
• Document delivery
• Forms and information collection
• Cross-sell opportunities
• Client reviews and feedback

This is where Applied Epic BMS automation becomes important. Instead of requiring employees to continuously check records and manually initiate repetitive tasks, data and events within the management system can be used to support automated workflows.

That evolution was already becoming visible when we attended Applied Net 2018.

1. Insurance Technology Is About More Than Storing Data

One of our biggest takeaways from Applied Net 2018 was the amount of change happening across the insurance industry.

Brokerages were increasingly navigating a more digital environment while exploring technology that could help employees work more efficiently and communicate more effectively with clients.

The Applied Epic BMS provides a centralized location for important brokerage information. However, brokerages still have numerous repetitive processes surrounding that information.

Consider a policy approaching renewal.

The management system may already know the policy expiration date, client details, policy information, and assigned account manager. Without automation, however, an employee may still need to identify the upcoming renewal, prepare communication, send reminders, request information, and follow up.

Insurance automation can help connect the information stored in the BMS with the work that needs to happen next.

The model becomes:

BMS data → Trigger → Workflow → Client communication or internal task → Follow-up

This is an important distinction.

Your BMS knows what is happening. Automation helps it act on that information.

2. Industry Events Help Brokerages Understand How Technology Is Changing

The energy at Applied Net 2018 reflected how quickly insurance technology was evolving.

Bringing insurance professionals, vendors, and technology specialists together made it easier to exchange ideas and understand how other organizations were approaching common operational challenges.

For insurance brokers, events such as Applied Net can provide opportunities to discover new approaches to:

• Improving operational efficiency
• Reducing repetitive administrative work
• Connecting insurance systems
• Improving policyholder communication
• Automating routine workflows
• Using existing BMS data more effectively

These conversations are particularly valuable because technology decisions shouldn’t be made in isolation.

A brokerage may have a powerful BMS, but employees can still spend significant time completing repetitive work around the system.

The question therefore isn’t simply:

“What can our Applied Epic BMS store?”

A more useful question is:

“What can we automate using the information already stored in Applied Epic?”

That shift in thinking can help brokerages identify opportunities for workflow automation.

3. The Real Value of Applied Epic BMS Comes from What You Do with the Data

Our third takeaway from Applied Net 2018 was the business value that can come from combining industry knowledge, technology, and the right processes.

At the time, we came away from the event with new relationships, leads, vendor knowledge, and ideas for improving Pathway for insurance professionals.

Looking back, another important lesson stands out.

Insurance brokerages already hold a significant amount of useful information inside systems such as Applied Epic BMS. The challenge is turning that information into consistent action.

For example, imagine that Applied Epic contains a policy renewal date.

Instead of relying entirely on an employee to remember every step, an automation platform connected to the BMS can use that information as part of a workflow.

A simplified process might look like this:

Policy data → Renewal trigger → Client communication → Follow-up → Staff intervention when needed

The same principle can apply across other insurance processes.

Automation doesn’t need to replace the BMS. Instead, it can extend the value of the BMS by helping brokerages act on the information already stored there.

Applied Net 2018 vs. Insurance Automation Today

Applied Net 2018 took place years ago, but many of the technology questions discussed by insurance professionals remain relevant.

The difference is that automation capabilities have continued to develop.

The conversation has moved beyond simply digitizing insurance records toward connecting systems, automating workflows, and using existing policy data to determine what happens next.

For brokerages using Applied Epic, this creates an important opportunity.

Rather than asking employees to repeatedly move information between systems or manually initiate predictable processes, brokerages can look for workflows where Applied Epic data can become the trigger for action.

Examples include:

Renewal Automation

Policy dates and client information can help initiate renewal preparation, communications, information requests, and follow-ups.

Billing Automation

Policy and billing information can support timely reminders and reduce the need for employees to manually chase routine payments.

Client Communication

Relevant policy events can trigger personalized email or SMS communications instead of relying exclusively on manually scheduled outreach.

Claims Communication

Repeatable claims-related communications and follow-ups can be incorporated into structured workflows.

Document Delivery

Policy documents and communications can be delivered digitally while maintaining a more consistent process.

These are examples of how the role of the BMS can expand from system of record toward being part of a broader automated insurance workflow.

How PathwayPort Works with Applied Epic

PathwayPort helps insurance agencies and brokerages use information from their management systems to automate repetitive insurance workflows and client communications.

For organizations using Applied Epic BMS, the objective is not to replace Applied Epic.

It is to help turn the information already stored in the management system into action.

Depending on the workflow, this can include automating processes around renewals, billing, client communication, claims, forms, document delivery, and other repetitive activities.

The concept is simple:

Applied Epic stores the information. PathwayPort helps use that information to trigger the next step.

This can help brokerage teams spend less time manually monitoring routine processes and more time focusing on clients, exceptions, and work that requires human expertise.

What We Still Take Away from Applied Net 2018

Our original trip to Nashville for Applied Net 2018 was about meeting insurance brokers, learning about emerging technology, and understanding how organizations using TAM and Applied Epic were approaching digital transformation.

Those goals remain relevant today.

The technology has evolved, but the fundamental challenge hasn’t disappeared: insurance brokerages have enormous amounts of useful policy and client information, yet employees can still spend hours manually acting on that information.

For brokerages using Applied Epic BMS, the next stage isn’t simply collecting more data.

It’s making the data they already have more actionable.

BMS data → Trigger → Workflow → Communication → Action

That is where insurance automation can turn a management system from a place where information lives into part of a system that helps work get done.

Frequently Asked Questions

What was Applied Net 2018?

Applied Net 2018 was an insurance technology industry event attended by insurance professionals, Applied Systems users, technology providers, and partners. Pathway attended the event in Nashville to connect with insurance brokers using TAM and Applied Epic and to exhibit at the Applied Net Exchange Expo.

What is Applied Epic BMS?

Applied Epic is a management system used by insurance organizations to manage client, policy, and operational information. Brokerages can also connect management-system data with other technologies to support automated workflows and client communications.

Can Applied Epic data be used for insurance automation?

Applied Epic data can be used as part of integrated workflows where policy, client, date, or other relevant information helps determine when an automated process should begin. The specific capabilities depend on the integration and automation platform being used.

What processes can insurance brokerages automate?

Common opportunities include renewal workflows, billing reminders, claims communications, document delivery, client communications, forms, reviews, and other repetitive processes that follow predictable rules or events.

Does automation replace Applied Epic?

No. An insurance automation platform can complement a BMS such as Applied Epic by helping brokerages act on information stored in the management system. The BMS remains an important system of record, while automation supports the workflows surrounding that information.

How does PathwayPort support Applied Epic users?

PathwayPort helps insurance agencies and brokerages automate repetitive processes and client communications using information from their existing management systems. This allows brokerages to create workflows around policy and client events without replacing their core BMS.