Agency Configuration

"Agency" refers to the organization that is servicing a client. It is the highest level in the structure combination tree, the equivalent of a brokerage. Consider it a legal corporate entity, and, therefore the determination for the Balance Sheet accounts (assets, liability, and equity) and for where the fiscal year is installed. Bank accounts’ security is installed for specific agencies. At least one agency must be installed in Applied Epic. You have the option to print the agency or branch address on certificates, policies, evidences, and other forms. If your agency has more than one office, be sure to add each office as a branch.

In addition to adding agencies to the system in this area, you must also add their structure combinations to Organization Configuration and grant users rights to access them in User Configuration before you can begin using them in your system.

1. From the Home screen, do one of the following:
   
   
   • Click Configure on the navigation panel.
   • Click the down arrow next to Home on the menubar and select Configure.
   • Click Areas > Configure on the menubar.

From any other area of the program, do one of the following:

1. • Click the down arrow to the right of the Home options bar button and select Configure.
   • Click Home > Configure on the menubar. The Configure screen displays.

2. Click Structure > Agencies on the navigation panel. The Agency frame displays to the right of the navigation panel.

From here, you can do the following:

2. • Add an Agency
     1. Do one of the following:
        • Click the Add button to the left of the Agency list.
        • Click New > Agency on the options bar.
        • Click File > New > Agency on the menubar.
        • Press [Insert] on your keyboard.
     2. Enter the new brokerage's Name. This field is required.

     3. Enter the agency’s Short Name if your bank provided one for use in payment transmission files (if so, add the Default Brokerage Name Short field to your Payment Transmission File mapping in Import/Export Configuration as well).

     4. Enter a License #.
        
        Note: This can be any license number. It will display below the agency name and address on ACORD forms.
     5. Click the down arrow to the right of the Region field and select a Region from the dropdown menu.
     6. Enter the information for the agency in the Contact Information frame. Note that before adding contact information for an agency, you must first enter the information in the Organization Contacts area. Also be aware that associating contact information (for example, an address) to an agency does not automatically enable that information for use at the branch or department level.

        The Contact Information frame includes the following tabs:

        • Address
          • To add an address:
          • 1. Click the Add button to the left of the Address list.
            2. The Add Address screen displays all addresses installed as organization contacts. Use the Search where bar to filter the addresses displayed if desired. Select the address(es) that can be used for the agency. You can click the Select all link label to enable all addresses installed for use at the agency level.
            3. Click Finish to associate the addresses or Cancel to close the screen without adding them.
          • To remove an address, select it in the list and click the Delete button . You are prompted, “Do you wish to delete this record?” Click Yes to confirm or No to cancel.
        • Phone
          • To add a phone number:
          • 1. Click the Add button to the left of the Phone list.
            2. The Add Phone screen displays all phone numbers installed as organization contacts. Use the Search where bar to filter the phone numbers displayed if desired. Select the number(s) that can be used for the agency. You can click the Select all link label to enable all phone numbers installed for use at the agency level.
            3. Click Finish to associate the numbers or Cancel to close the screen without adding them.
          • To remove a phone number, select it in the list and click the Delete button . You are prompted, “Do you wish to delete this record?” Click Yes to confirm or No to cancel.
        • Fax
          • To add a fax number:
          • 1. Click the Add button to the left of the Fax list.
            2. The Add Fax screen displays all fax numbers installed as organization contacts. Use the Search where bar to filter the fax numbers displayed if desired. Select the number(s) that can be used for the agency. You can click the Select all link label to enable all fax numbers installed for use at the agency level.
            3. Click Finish to associate the numbers or Cancel to close the screen without adding them.
          • To remove a fax number, select it in the list and click the Delete button . You are prompted, “Do you wish to delete this record?” Click Yes to confirm or No to cancel.
        • Email
          • To add an email address:
          • 1. Click the Add button to the left of the Email list.
            2. The Add Email screen displays all email addresses installed as organization contacts. Use the Search where bar to filter the addresses displayed if desired. Select the address(es) that can be used for the agency. You can click the Select all link label to enable all addresses installed for use at the agency level.
            3. Click Finish to associate the addresses or Cancel to close the screen without adding them.
          • To remove an email address, select it in the list and click the Delete button . You are prompted, “Do you wish to delete this record?” Click Yes to confirm or No to cancel.
        • Website
          • To add a website:
          • 1. Click the Add button to the left of the Website list.
            2. The Add Website screen displays all websites installed as organization contacts. Use the Search where bar to filter the websites displayed if desired. Select the website(s) that can be used for the agency. You can click the Select all link label to enable all websites installed for use at the agency level.
            3. Click Finish to associate the websites or Cancel to close the screen without adding them.
          • To remove a website, select it in the list and click the Delete button . You are prompted, “Do you wish to delete this record?” Click Yes to confirm or No to cancel.
     7. In the Accounting section, select the agency's Initial month and year from the dropdown menus. These fields are required.
     8. Select the first month of the agency's Fiscal period. This field is required.
     9. Enter the FEIN.
     10. Click Finish or press [Enter] to add the agency.
         
         Click Add to add this agency and then enter the information for a second agency.
         
         Click Cancel or press [Esc] to exit this workflow without saving your changes. You are prompted, "Do you wish to discard changes?" Click Yes.
   • Edit an Agency
     1. Click the name of the agency and then do one of the following:
        • Click the Edit button to the left of the Agency list.
        • Click File > Open on the menubar.
        • Double click the agency.
        • Press [Enter].
     2. Optionally revise the brokerage's Code, Name, Short Name, or License #.
        
        Note: If your bank provided a Short Name for use in payment transmission files, add the Default Brokerage Name Short field to your Payment Transmission File mapping in Import/Export Configuration as well. The License # can be any license number. It will display below the agency name and address on ACORD forms.
     3. Click the down arrow to the right of the Region field and select a different Region from the dropdown menu if necessary.
     4. Enter the information for the agency in the Contact Information frame. Note that before adding contact information for an agency, you must first enter the information in the Organization Contacts area. Also be aware that associating contact information (for example, an address) to an agency does not automatically enable that information for use at the branch or department level.

        The Contact Information frame includes the following tabs:

        • Address
          • To add an address:
          • 1. Click the Add button to the left of the Address list.
            2. The Add Address screen displays all addresses installed as organization contacts. Use the Search where bar to filter the addresses displayed if desired. Select the address(es) that can be used for the agency. You can click the Select all link label to enable all addresses installed for use at the agency level.
            3. Click Finish to associate the addresses or Cancel to close the screen without adding them.
          • To remove an address, select it in the list and click the Delete button . You are prompted, “Do you wish to delete this record?” Click Yes to confirm or No to cancel.
        • Phone
          • To add a phone number:
          • 1. Click the Add button to the left of the Phone list.
            2. The Add Phone screen displays all phone numbers installed as organization contacts. Use the Search where bar to filter the phone numbers displayed if desired. Select the number(s) that can be used for the agency. You can click the Select all link label to enable all phone numbers installed for use at the agency level.
            3. Click Finish to associate the numbers or Cancel to close the screen without adding them.
          • To remove a phone number, select it in the list and click the Delete button . You are prompted, “Do you wish to delete this record?” Click Yes to confirm or No to cancel.
        • Fax
          • To add a fax number:
          • 1. Click the Add button to the left of the Fax list.
            2. The Add Fax screen displays all fax numbers installed as organization contacts. Use the Search where bar to filter the fax numbers displayed if desired. Select the number(s) that can be used for the agency. You can click the Select all link label to enable all fax numbers installed for use at the agency level.
            3. Click Finish to associate the numbers or Cancel to close the screen without adding them.
          • To remove a fax number, select it in the list and click the Delete button . You are prompted, “Do you wish to delete this record?” Click Yes to confirm or No to cancel.
        • Email
          • To add an email address:
          • 1. Click the Add button to the left of the Email list.
            2. The Add Email screen displays all email addresses installed as organization contacts. Use the Search where bar to filter the addresses displayed if desired. Select the address(es) that can be used for the agency. You can click the Select all link label to enable all addresses installed for use at the agency level.
            3. Click Finish to associate the addresses or Cancel to close the screen without adding them.
          • To remove an email address, select it in the list and click the Delete button . You are prompted, “Do you wish to delete this record?” Click Yes to confirm or No to cancel.
        • Website
          • To add a website:
          • 1. Click the Add button to the left of the Website list.
            2. The Add Website screen displays all websites installed as organization contacts. Use the Search where bar to filter the websites displayed if desired. Select the website(s) that can be used for the agency. You can click the Select all link label to enable all websites installed for use at the agency level.
            3. Click Finish to associate the websites or Cancel to close the screen without adding them.
          • To remove a website, select it in the list and click the Delete button . You are prompted, “Do you wish to delete this record?” Click Yes to confirm or No to cancel.
     5. The Initial month and year display in the Accounting section. Make changes to these items if necessary.
     6. Optionally select or revise the first month of the agency's Fiscal period.
     7. Revise the FEIN if applicable.
     8. Click Finish or press [Enter] to save your changes.
        
        Click Cancel or press [Esc] to exit this workflow without saving your changes. You are prompted, "Do you wish to discard changes?" Click Yes.
   • Delete an Agency

     Note: Agencies that have been assigned to an organization cannot be deleted.

     1. Click the name of the agency and then do one of the following:
        • Click the Delete button to the left of the Agency list.
        • Press [Delete] on your keyboard.
     2. You are prompted, "Do you wish to delete this record?" Click Yes.
     3. You are prompted, "Deleting an agency will remove it from any structure with which it was associated. Do you wish to continue?" Click Yes.
   • Modify General Ledger Subaccount

     Change the Agency Payable subaccount used for this agency in the General Ledger. See Modify General Ledger Subaccount for more information.

   • Modify Initial Accounting Month

     Use this action if the agency’s initial month was entered incorrectly. You cannot use this action if any transactions or General Ledger activity exist for the agency, other than the entry of GL opening balances. If GL opening balances have been entered for the agency, you can only change the initial accounting month to a month in the same year that the opening balances were entered.

     1. Select the agency in the list.
     2. On the menubar or options bar, click Actions > Modify Initial Month.
     3. Select the correct month and year from the Change to fields.
     4. Click Finish to apply your changes or Cancel to discard them.
   • Change Main, Mailing, or Other Address

     Designating an address as the Main, Mailing, or Other address associated to an agency allows you to select it to default in various workflows (see Workflow Defaults Configuration).

     Note: The same address can serve as the Main, Mailing, and Other address for an agency.

     1. Select the agency in the list.
     2. On the menubar or options bar, click Actions and select Change Mailing Address, Change Main Address, or Change Other Address.
     3. A popup window displays, showing all addresses associated to the agency. Use the Search where bar to narrow the addresses listed if necessary.
     4. Select the desired address and click Finish. Main, Mailing, or Other now displays in the Type column for this address in the Address list.
   • Change Primary Phone Number

     Designating a phone number as an agency’s Primary number allows you to select it to default in various workflows (see Workflow Defaults Configuration).

     1. Select the agency in the list.
     2. On the menubar or options bar, click Actions > Change Primary Phone Number.
     3. The Change Primary Phone window displays, showing all phone numbers associated to the agency. Use the Search where bar to narrow the numbers listed if necessary.
     4. Select the desired phone number and click Finish. Primary now displays in the Type column for this number in the Phone list.
   • Change Primary Fax Number

     Designating a fax number as an agency’s Primary number allows you to select it to default in various workflows (see Workflow Defaults Configuration).

     1. Select the agency in the list.
     2. On the menubar or options bar, click Actions > Change Primary Fax Number.
     3. The Change Primary Fax window displays, showing all fax numbers associated to the agency. Use the Search where bar to narrow the numbers listed if necessary.
     4. Select the desired fax number and click Finish. Primary now displays in the Type column for this number in the Fax list.
   • Change Primary Email

     Designating an email address as an agency’s Primary email allows you to select it to default in various workflows (see Workflow Defaults Configuration).

     1. Select the agency in the list.
     2. On the menubar or options bar, click Actions > Change Primary Email.
     3. The Change Primary Email window displays, showing all email addresses associated to the agency. Use the Search where bar to narrow the addresses listed if necessary.
     4. Select the desired email address and click Finish. Primary now displays in the Type column for this address in the Email list.
   • Change Primary Website

     Designating a website as an agency’s Primary website allows you to select it to default in various workflows (see Workflow Defaults Configuration).

     1. Select the agency in the list.
     2. On the menubar or options bar, click Actions > Change Primary Website.
     3. The Change Primary Website window displays, showing all websites associated to the agency. Use the Search where bar to narrow the websites listed if necessary.
     4. Select the desired website and click Finish. Primary now displays in the Type column for this website in the Website list.
   • Print a List of Agencies
     1. To print a list of agencies, do one of the following:
        • Click the Print button to the left of the list.
        • Click Print > Listview on the options bar.
        • Click File > Print > Listview on the menubar.
     2. Print this list as you would any other document.