Add an Activity

Activities serve as reminders to follow up on various items and can be used to track actions taken on each account. The Add Activity screen automatically displays during certain workflows (see System Event Configuration for instructions on specifying the events that generate activities). You can also add activities manually.

Although you can close activities after completing them, you cannot delete them.

The screen that displays when you manually add an activity varies, depending on the way you access Applied Epic. Use the links below to view instructions specific to your access method:

Epic Desktop Client | Epic Browser

Add an Activity (Browser)

If you access Applied Epic through a web browser, follow the steps below to add an activity manually. If Applied Epic is installed on your computer or you are entering information on a system-generated activity, refer to these instructions instead.

• Add an Activity (Browser)

  All of the dropdown menus on this page search dynamically as you type in them to help you locate the desired option more quickly.

  1. You can add an activity manually from the account’s Activities area or from within a workflow.
     1. From any screen in the Accounts area, do one of the following:

     • Click New > Activity on the options bar.
     • Click File > New > Activity on the menubar.
     • Press [F9] on your keyboard.

     1. To access Accounts from the Home screen, do one of the following:

     • Click Accounts on the navigation panel.

     • Click Areas > Accounts on the menubar.

     • Click the down arrow next to Home on the options bar and select Accounts.

     • Click Locate on the options bar.

     To access Accounts from another area of the program, do one of the following:

     • Click Home > Accounts on the menubar.

     • Click the down arrow next to Home on the options bar and select Accounts.

     • Click Locate on the options bar.

     2. Select a Locate account and Locate by option.
        Note: Location by phone number searches all phone numbers associated with client and contact accounts (e.g., residential, mobile, fax).

     3. Select any applicable checkboxes to the right.

     4. Enter the first few letters of the name, lookup code, phone number, etc. (depending on your Locate by selection) and press [Enter] or click Locate.

     5. The Results list displays all of the accounts that match the criteria you entered. Click on a column heading to sort the list by that category.
     6. Highlight the desired account in the Results list and do one of the following:

     • Click Activities on the navigation panel.

     • Click Areas > Activities on the menubar.

     7. Do one of the following:

     • Click the Add button on the Activities screen.

     • Click the down arrow next to New on the options bar and select Activity.

     • Click File on the menubar and select New > Activity.

     • Press [Insert] on your keyboard.

     • Press [Ctrl]+N.

     • Press [F9].

      

  2. The activity association usually defaults to the selected item on the account, but you may be prompted to select an association if you are adding the activity to an account with multiple structures or if you do not have an item selected. If so, select an option in the Add to dropdown. Then enter, select, or locate the specific item and click Continue. If you need to associate an activity to a historical item (such as an expired policy), some options include an Include History checkbox.
  3. The Add an Activity screen displays the most commonly used fields by default. If you need to access additional fields, click Go to Full Screen Add.
     • Issuing Company
     • Premium Payable Type
     • Premium Payable Name
     • Amount Qualifier
     • Amount
     • Update (Enabled only for Open activities)
     • Follow Up End Date and Time (Enabled only for Open activities)
     • Reminder Date and Time (Enabled only for Open activities)
  4. The currently selected Activity Association displays. To update it, click Change Association.
  1. The Add Activity window displays. In the Add to dropdown menu, select the type of item to which you want to add the activity. Then enter, select, or locate the specific item. If you need to associate an activity to a historical item (such as an expired policy), some options include an Include History checkbox.
  2. Click Continue.
  5. To filter the activity codes available for selection, select an Activity Category.
  6. Select an activity Code.
  7. The default Description for the selected activity code populates. Update the activity’s Description if necessary.
  8. The Priority assigned to the selected activity code defaults, but you can revise the activity’s Priority level if necessary.
  9. The Owner Name defaults based on the activity code’s configuration. If the field defaults blank or the default owner is incorrect, select an employee or work group from the dropdown menu .
  10. The Activity Status defaults based on the activity code’s configuration, but you can change it if necessary.

  To reopen the activity, select the Open radio button and enter or select a Follow Up/Start date from the dropdown calendar.

  To reopen the activity from the full screen version of the Add Activity page, perform the following steps:

  1. Select the Open radio button.
  2. If you would like to add the activity to your Outlook calendar or Outlook Tasks, make a selection in the Update dropdown menu.
  3. If necessary, enter or select a Start Date and Start Time from the dropdown calendar.
  4. Optionally, enter an End Date and End Time and a Reminder Date and Reminder Time.

  To close the activity, perform the following steps:

  1. Select the Closed radio button.
  2. Choose Successful or Unsuccessful in the Closed dropdown menu.
  3. Optionally enter the Actual time (in Hours and Minutes) spent on this activity.
  4. Optionally enter the Actual cost of this activity.

  11. If you are viewing the full screen version of the Add Activity page, enter the following optional information:
  • Select an Issuing company, Premium payable type, and Premium payable entity if applicable.
  • Select an Amount Qualifier and enter an Amount if applicable.
    
    See Amount Qualifier Configuration for instructions on adding options to this list.
  12. Select the Note Access Level for the activity.
  13. Optionally enter a note in the Note Content field.
  14. The Who to Contact section populates based on the options your organization has configured. If necessary, you can manually update the contact: click the lookup button to open the Who to Contact pop-up window, then select a contact. To filter your lookup results, you can clear the contact’s name, enter a new name in the field, and click the lookup button .
      1. The Account type and Lookup code default from the account associated to the activity. To select a different account, select an Account type and click the Lookup code button .
      2. Filter the list of contacts for the selected account if necessary.

         To filter the list of contacts, use the dropdown menus and fields in the Search where bar above the list and click Find.

         

      3. The account’s contacts display in the list. Click a column header to sort by that column.
      4. Click a contact in the list to select it.
      5. Select a method of communication from the Contact at dropdown menu. The same phone number may be listed twice if the contact has the same number designated for phone and SMS.
      6. Click Finish to apply your contact Name and Contact Via selections to the activity.
  15. The Contact Via method for the contact defaults, but you can change it if necessary:
  1. Select a contact method from the Contact Via dropdown menu. If the contact has an email address or a fax, phone, or SMS number saved, it populates in the field beside the Contact Via menu.
  2. If necessary, you can enter a different email address, fax number or phone number for this activity. Any update you make only affects this activity and does not save to the contact.
     
     You cannot update the SMS phone number in this area, because SMS messaging requires an explicit opt-in from the contact. You can update SMS and other contact method information in Contact Detail.
  16. Click Save & Go to Detail to add the activity and view or edit the activity's detail.
      
      Click Save Activity to complete the workflow.

Add an Activity (Desktop)

If Applied Epic is installed on your computer or you are entering information on a system-generated activity, follow the steps below. If you access Applied Epic through a web browser and are adding an activity manually, refer to these instructions instead.

• Add an Activity (Desktop)
  1. You can add an activity manually from the account’s Activities area or from within a workflow.
     1. From any screen in the Accounts area, do one of the following:

     • Click New > Activity on the options bar.
     • Click File > New > Activity on the menubar.
     • Press [F9] on your keyboard.

     1. To access Accounts from the Home screen, do one of the following:

     • Click Accounts on the navigation panel.

     • Click Areas > Accounts on the menubar.

     • Click the down arrow next to Home on the options bar and select Accounts.

     • Click Locate on the options bar.

     To access Accounts from another area of the program, do one of the following:

     • Click Home > Accounts on the menubar.

     • Click the down arrow next to Home on the options bar and select Accounts.

     • Click Locate on the options bar.

     2. Select a Locate account and Locate by option.
        Note: Location by phone number searches all phone numbers associated with client and contact accounts (e.g., residential, mobile, fax).

     3. Select any applicable checkboxes to the right.

     4. Enter the first few letters of the name, lookup code, phone number, etc. (depending on your Locate by selection) and press [Enter] or click Locate.

     5. The Results list displays all of the accounts that match the criteria you entered. Click on a column heading to sort the list by that category.
     6. Highlight the desired account in the Results list and do one of the following:

     • Click Activities on the navigation panel.

     • Click Areas > Activities on the menubar.

     7. Do one of the following:

     • Click the Add button on the Activities screen.

     • Click the down arrow next to New on the options bar and select Activity.

     • Click File on the menubar and select New > Activity.

     • Press [Insert] on your keyboard.

     • Press [Ctrl]+N.

     • Press [F9].

      

  2. The Add Activity window displays. In the Add to dropdown menu, select the type of item to which you want to add the activity. Then enter, select, or look up the specific item. If you need to associate an activity to a historical item (such as an expired policy), some options include an Include History checkbox.

  3. Click Continue to save the activity’s association. You cannot modify the association after adding it.

  4. To filter the activity codes available for selection, select an activity Category.

  5. Select an activity Code from the dropdown menu.

  6. The priority defaults to Normal. You can change the priority to Low or Urgent if necessary.

  7. Enter a Description for the activity.

  8. Indicate whether the Who/Owner is an Employee or Work Group, then select an employee or work group from the dropdown menu.

  9. To add the activity to your own Outlook Calendar or Outlook Tasks, make a selection in the Update dropdown menu.

  10. Enter or select a Follow-up/Start date and time from the dropdown calendar.

  11. Optionally enter a Follow-up End date and time and a Reminder date and time.

  12. Choose an Issuing company, Premium payable type, and Premium payable entity if applicable.

  13. Optionally select an Amount qualifier and enter an amount if applicable.
      
      Note: See Amount Qualifier Configuration for instructions on adding options to this dropdown menu.

  14. The Who to Contact section populates based on the options your organization has configured. If necessary, you can manually update the contact: click the lookup button to open the Who to Contact pop-up window, then select a contact. To filter your lookup results, you can clear the contact’s name, enter a new name in the field, and click the lookup button .
      1. The Account type and Lookup code default from the account associated to the activity. To select a different account, select an Account type and click the Lookup code button .
      2. Filter the list of contacts for the selected account if necessary.

         To filter the list of contacts, use the dropdown menus and fields in the Search where bar above the list and click Find.

         

      3. The account’s contacts display in the list. Click a column header to sort by that column.
      4. Click a contact in the list to select it.
      5. Select a method of communication from the Contact at dropdown menu. The same phone number may be listed twice if the contact has the same number designated for phone and SMS.
      6. Click Finish to apply your contact Name and Contact Via selections to the activity.
  15. The Contact Via method for the contact defaults, but you can change it if necessary:
  1. Select a contact method from the Contact Via dropdown menu. If the contact has an email address or a fax, phone, or SMS number saved, it populates in the field beside the Contact Via menu.
  2. If necessary, you can enter a different email address, fax number or phone number for this activity. Any update you make only affects this activity and does not save to the contact.
     
     Note: You cannot update the SMS phone number in this area, because SMS messaging requires an explicit opt-in from the contact. You can update SMS and other contact method information in Contact Detail.

  16. The activity's status is open by default. To close the activity, perform the following steps:

      1. Select the Closed radio button.

      2. Choose Successful or Unsuccessful in the Closed dropdown menu.

      3. Optionally enter the Actual time (in Hours and Minutes) that was spent on this activity.

      4. Optionally enter the Actual cost of this activity.

  17. Choose an Access level for this activity note.

  18. Optionally enter a Note in the text box.

  19. Click Detail to add the activity and view or edit the activity's detail.
      
      Click Finish or press [Enter] to complete the workflow.

   

View/Edit Activity Detail

The fields at the top of the Activity Detail screen and on the Detail tab display the information entered when you added the activity. You can update this information if necessary.

The screen contains the following tabs:

• Detail

  The Detail tab contains the following sections:

  • Detail

    Revise the Follow-up Start, End, and Reminder dates and times, if necessary.

    You can also change the Issuing company, Premium Payable type (carrier, external broker, or internal broker), and Premium Payable account associated with the activity if applicable.

    Add an Amount qualifier from the dropdown menu and enter an amount if applicable.
    
    Note: See Amount Qualifier Configuration for instructions on adding options to this dropdown menu.

  • Who to Contact

    In the Who to Contact section, you can change the person to contact in regards to the activity and specify how to contact them.

    1. The Who to Contact frame populates based on the options your organization has configured. If necessary, you can click the lookup button to open the Who to Contact pop-up window and select a different contact. To filter your lookup results, you can clear the contact’s name, enter a new name in the field, and click the lookup button .
       1. The Account type and Lookup code default from the account associated to the activity. To select a different account, select an Account type and click the Lookup code button .
       2. Filter the list of contacts for the selected account if necessary.

          To filter the list of contacts, use the dropdown menus and fields in the Search where bar above the list and click Find.

          

       3. The account’s contacts display in the list. Click a column header to sort by that column.
       4. Click a contact in the list to select it.
       5. Select a method of communication from the Contact at dropdown menu. The same phone number may be listed twice if the contact has the same number designated for phone and SMS.
       6. Click Finish to apply your contact Name and Contact Via selections to the activity.
    2. The Contact Via method for the contact defaults, but you can change it if necessary:
    1. Select a contact method from the Contact Via dropdown menu. If the contact has an email address or a fax, phone, or SMS number saved, it populates in the field beside the Contact Via menu.
    2. If necessary, you can enter a different email address, fax number or phone number for this activity. Any update you make only affects this activity and does not save to the contact.

    Note: You cannot update the SMS phone number in this area, because SMS messaging requires an explicit opt-in from the contact. You can update SMS and other contact method information in Contact Detail.

  • Indio Details

    If your agency uses Indio and the activity you are adding has the Show Indio Details section configured, the Indio Details frame displays. In this frame, you can connect an Indio submission directly to the activity and access it from within Applied Epic.

    If your organization has multiple subdomains to which you have access, you must select one before you can select a submission for the activity. A subdomain is an extension in your domain name that helps organize sections of your website and guide users to them. Subdomains may add branding to portions of your website, create areas for testing, or create areas for location-specific content. If your organization does not have subdomains, no action is required.

    1. Click Connect to Indio Submission.
    2. If your organization has multiple subdomains to which you have access, the Select Indio Subdomain pop-up window displays. Select the Indio Subdomain from the dropdown and click Continue.
       Note: If you accidentally select the wrong subdomain, you must delete the activity to select a different domain. You can also edit the activity, click the Clear Connected Submission link, close the account, reopen it, and select a different domain.
    3. You are prompted to export the client to Indio if the client has not been exported yet. Click Yes to open Indio in your default web browser, log in if necessary, and export the client to Indio.
    4. The Connect to Indio Submission pop-up window displays. Do one of the following:
    • Select an Existing Submission

      Each parent submission displays in bold in the list. Each instance of a submission sent to multiple carriers displays under the parent submission in regular type (not bold). Click the chevron beside a parent submission to expand or collapse the children.

      1. If necessary, click a column heading to change the sort order of the list.
      2. Select an existing submission from the list.
      3. Click Connect to Submission.
    • Create a New Submission

      You can open Indio in your default web browser and create a new submission.

      1. Click Create a new one in Indio to open Indio in your default web browser. Login if necessary and create a new or renewal submission.
      2. Once you create the submission, click Refresh in the Connect to Indio Submission pop-up window to update the submissions listed.
      3. Select the submission from the list.
      4. Click Connect to Submission.
  • Notes
    1. To add a note, click the Add button to the left of the Notes list.
    2. Choose an Access level, type your note in the text box, and click Finish or press [Enter].
  • Find/View Notes

    To display all notes pertaining to the activity in one window, click View all notes.

    To locate an existing note, enter some of its text in the Search where notes contain field and click Find.

    Click Clear filter to display all notes again.

    To display the full text of an existing note, click on it in the list.

• Tasks

  You can take the following actions on the Tasks tab:

  • Add a Task
    1. Do one of the following:
    • Click the Add button to the left of the list.
    • With focus on the list, press [Insert].
    2. Enter a Task description.
    3. Optionally select an Owner type.
    4. If you chose Specific Person as the Owner type, choose the Specific person.
       
       If you chose Commissionable Producer as the Owner type, enter the Order # of the producer who will own this task. If the activity is associated to a policy with a multi-term commission schedule, the producer at the time of the activity’s Follow up/Start date defaults as the owner of the task.
    5. Change the Status if applicable.
    6. Optionally enter a Start date and time.
    7. Enter a Due date and time if applicable.
    8. If you are adding a task note, choose an Access level for the note.
    9. Type the note.
    10. Click Finish to complete the workflow and close the Add Task window, or Add to add another task immediately.
  • Edit a Task
    1. Select the task and click the Edit button to the beside the Tasks list.
    2. Revise the information in the Update Task window.
  • Task Notes

    To add a note, click the Add button to the left of the list. In the Add a Note pop-up window, select an Access level for the note. Only employees with the selected access will be able to view the note.

    Type the note in the box and click Finish.

• Further Actions

  This tab provides information on further actions associated with this activity.

When you have finished making changes, do one of the following:

• Click Save on the options bar.

• Click File > Save on the menubar.

• Press [Ctrl]+S.