The Future Ready Broker - IBA Executive Briefing

Complimentary broker-focused briefing covers the tech tools needed to put firms at the forefront.

When the workplace of the future can vary from an office desk to a coffee shop and even the home – or a mix of all three – brokers need to equip their teams with the right technology that enables mobility without compromising on productivity and security. 

SureSkills partners with the IBA to develop a series of complimentary hour-long executive briefings aimed at helping brokers and business owners to navigate the new digital landscape. The latest event was held in mid-November at the IBA headquarters in Dublin, where attendees heard about the challenge of the future-ready workforce. 

SureSkills is an Irish-owned provider of technology, knowledge and learning solutions. In partnership with some of the leading names in technology, it has devised fast-moving presentations from experts who demystify the issues in a non-technical, interactive setting.

During the morning briefing, Tara Gale, Client Solutions Marketing Manager at Dell, guided brokers through areas that are criticalto the future of the workplace. “Security, reliability and manageability are Dell’s top three IT concerns, and if your company is holding essential data, those are important considerations,” she said. 

As workforces evolve, Dell believes the typical office contains five different types of user:  

1. The on-the- go professional who divides their time between client meetings and time at the office.  

2. The corridor warrior is someone who works in an office but not at any fixed place  

3. A desktop-centric worker who usually stays at the same workspace. 

4. Remote employees who work off-site from a mobile office or even from home.  

5. The specialised user who works outdoors in places where a rugged device would be needed. 

When asked, one of the brokers in attendance said his firm needs “a bit of everything” from each category. 

Given this trend, the time when everyone in a company was handed the same computer are vanishing fast. “That approach doesn’t take into account workers and their use cases. End users are being given a lot more choice and their opinions are being heard,” said Gale. 

Many workers get stressed, frustrated and – crucially, from a business perspective – less productive if they are saddled with old IT equipment that’s slow to start, she added. Dell’s range of tablets, laptops, smartphones, and convertible 2-in-1 devices deliver the desirability that today’s employees expect, while also providing the performance that lets them carry out their jobs even more efficiently. That said, while it’s good to get the latest systems, many brokers on the day said the ability to use them and understand their capabilities remains a big issue. 

Another advantage of upgrading to newer hardware is that it enables higher productivity from staff. Mobility options like the 4G connectivity in the Dell Latitude 11 5000 series let people stay connected to their usual software applications even when they aren’t in the office. Newer tools such as Microsoft’s Windows Ink lets people take handwritten notes – for example when meeting a client – and then save them into Microsoft Word or share them with a colleague. One broker at the event, who has already begun using Ink, said it eliminated a lot of duplication of the work he used to do in transcribing notes. Gale said that one insurance provider provided staff with 200 tablets, and they were able to use the device’s camera function to take photos of original documents and make further productivity gains. 

Graham Hohn, Operations Director with LHK Insurance Ltd, said about the event: “We as insurance brokers need not be afraid of investing in technology. Our customers are doing so – why shouldn’t we? SureSkills understands the technology demands and issues required of running an insurance broking business and therefore I found the briefing session very informative and enlightening.” 

If you think your business might benefit from topic specific workshops on cloud computing, cyber security, data protection etc then get in touch below.