Company File Interface Setup

The information entered in these screens allows an agency to specify forms to transmit electronically in batch mode to each company, along with other interface options listed below. Use the following steps to access this option.

Note: Be sure to set up the Company file prior to setting up interface options. See Company File.

1. From the Home Base of The Agency Manager, click the Utilities button.
2. From the Company Interface folder, select Company File Interface Setup.
3. Click the arrow to continue.
4. Make a selection from the Company dropdown list to enable the tabs.

5. Fill in the information on each tab as needed. Do not click Save until you are done entering information, as this saves your work and closes the screen.

• Download Tab

• Unique Coverages

Download Tab

The Download tab is used to set up parameters and options required for downloading policies received from the company. This tab is also used to set up Claims Download, which enables you to create or update claim summary detail, claim payments, adjustor assignment, claimants, claim status, and claim notes via the daily download process. The eDocs & Messages tab is used to set up the handling of messages received from the company.

Note: If a contract number has not been set up for the company, a warning message appears indicating that the batch in process requires a contract number that must be provided by the selected company. To enter this information, click Clients & Files,  Companies, Options, and then Agency Codes, and enter the number in the Contract field. This warning continues to appear until the required contract number is entered.

Fill in the Origination Address field. The company supplies this account information to the agency.

Personal Lines and Commercial Lines Tabs

Enter the default Policy Type for each line of business used by the agency. Double click inside each the Policy Type field to make a selection from the Policy Types list.

You must select a policy type for each line of business/policy type the company downloads. These policy types are used to create new billing screens in TAM if a new policy is received through download.
Note: The policy types you select here will not have any effect on data that is already in your system. For example, if you have multiple policy types that would fall under the Personal Automobile line of business, such as AUTO (traditional auto), CYCL (motorcycle), and CLAS (classic auto), selecting AUTO as the default policy type for the Personal Automobile line of business will not affect the billing screens of CYCL and CLAS policies already entered in your system. However, any Personal Automobile applications that are new to your agency will default as AUTO. You will be able to change the policy type to CYCL or CLAS, if applicable, on the billing screen.

Click the Update Company Unique checkboxes to update the company unique screens for each line of business you wish to update during the download.

The Create AP Billing Screen and Update AP Premium checkboxes apply to commercial lines only. AP refers to ACORD 125, which contains applicant information and is sent as part of the download with Business Auto, Property, General Liability, and Commercial Umbrella policy types. If you choose to make the AP section and billing screen visible, it displays in your policy list as PCKG.

• If you select Create AP Billing Screen, TAM will check for the existence of the PCKG policy type in the customer's policy list and will add it if it is not already present.
• The Update AP Premium option only applies if you have selected Create AP Billing Screen. This action places the entire package premium on the PCKG line.
  
  Note: Checking these options does not affect the application in any way; it only affects the appearance of the billing screen.

Download Options Tab

The Policy Settings and Exception Reports information in this section pertains to all lines of business.

• Create policies on new business transactions received: Select to create policies for new business transactions downloaded from the company for the selected policy types. Leave this option unchecked to place the transaction in the Suspense file.
• • This option is available only if the company sends the seven-byte TAM customer ID.
  • Does not apply to Initial Loads.
  • If billing screens were created in advance of the download, selecting this option can cause duplications. For this reason, it is often skipped in standard setup.
• Update premiums on billing screen for the chosen policy types: Select the checkbox to update the total policy premium downloaded from the company on the billing screen. The accounting transactions are not created, and all normal billing procedures must be followed. Typically, in an agency bill environment, the checkbox is left blank.
  Note: If your agency uses Automated Download Invoicing, do not check this option. Automated Download Invoicing automatically updates the billing screen premium, so selecting this option will cause the premium to double.
• Accept batch back direct bill commissions: Select the checkbox to allow the agency to accept Direct Bill Commission Statements electronically.
• Update billing screen on direct bill transaction received: Select the checkbox to allow the agency to update billing screens automatically via the downloaded Direct Bill Commission Statement.
• Update status on billing screens for the chosen policy types: Select the checkbox to enter the default status types for renewal, new business, rewrite, cancellation, policy changes, reinstatement, non-renewal, and reissue. Double click in any field for a listing of status types. Enter the code and click OK.
• • If any default status type is left blank, the billing screen for that status type does not update. Leave the checkbox blank to leave the status fields blank and not update the status field on the customer billing screen. The TAM status type may not match the transaction type on the Communication Log.
  • Many agencies choose to default Policy Change and New Business as blank. In some situations, automatically updating these statuses may cause discrepancies. For example, if a policy is rewritten to a new carrier, the carrier may code it as a new policy while your agency would treat it as a renewal.
• Print exception report when premium change exceeds these limits: Enter a dollar amount, percentage, or both to produce an exception report section on the Communication Log.

Claims Tab

To set up Claims Download, make the following selections on the Claims tab.

1. Select the Accept Claims Download checkbox to activate Claims Download from the selected company. If this box is not checked, no claims can be downloaded.
2. Select the Update Existing Claims checkbox to match on your matching criteria and automatically update the existing claims. If this box is left unchecked, all claims will be placed in suspense.
3. In the Claims Activity Setup frame, enter the default activity Code for each transaction type, and select whether each of those activity types should be created as Open or Closed. More information on setting up activities for Claims Download can be found in the Claims Activity Setup section, below.
4. Click Save to save your selections.

Claims Activity Setup

Activities are required to be installed first through Define Activity Categories, in order to be available for assignment through Company File Interface Setup. Users need to assign the individual claim transaction types to their corresponding activity codes. If activity codes are left blank in the Company File Interface Setup, the transactions will still be processed but activities will not be created for those transaction types.

 The following are the Claim Transaction types that may be downloaded:

• Claim Information (CLI)
• Adjustor Assignment (ADJ)
• Claim Number Assignment (CLN)
• Claim Status Update (CLS)
• Payment (PMT)
• Claim Reserve (RES)

To view the activity categories currently installed, and/or add the activity categories listed above for Claims Download, follow these steps:

1. From the Home Base, click the Utilities button.
2. Expand the General folder in the treeview.
3. Expand the Activity Defaults folder, and select Define Activity Categories.
4. Click the arrow to continue. The Manage Activity File Defaults screen displays all currently installed activity categories.
5. To add a new activity category, click Add and enter a four-character Code, a brief Description, optionally assign this activity category to a Group, and click OK to save the new activity category.
6. When you are finished entering activity categories, click Exit to exit the Manage Activity File Defaults screen.

eDocs & Messages Tab

Much like Real-Time Activity Notes, carriers can include eDocs & Messages in a download that automatically create activities in TAM. Activity codes must already exist in TAM, and you must assign the Activity Note codes to the corresponding activities. The created activities use all the same information entered for that activity in TAM (e.g., action, follow-up person and time), as defined under Utility Manager > General > Activity Defaults. If you do not associate the activity codes, the download still processes, but TAM does not create activities.

1. Select the first eDocs & Messages type from the list.
2. Complete the eDocs & Messages Setup information:
   • Code: Enter the code for the activity you want associated with the eDocs & Messages. This code must be set up in TAM.
   • eDocs & Messages Acceptance: You can elect to accept Activity Notes, not accept Activity Notes, or send them to Suspense.
   • Attachment: Downloaded Activity Notes can contain attachments from the carrier. Enter the Category and SubCategory for the attachment. You have the option of selecting the Add Activity checkbox to record that the attachment was added. If needed, you may also select the Client Viewable checkbox if you want activity notes for the selected transaction type to automatically be viewable by the client via Applied CSR24 when the transaction is added as an attachment.
     Note: If you do not enter an attachment Category, any attachments received fail to process. SubCategory is optional and does not affect whether the attachment processes.

Unique Coverages Tab

This utility allows the agency to describe coverage codes downloaded by a company for a line of business. The company provides the list of company-unique coverage codes used.

1. Select the Unique Coverages tab.
2. Select the appropriate Line of Business from the column on the left.
3. Click the Add button.
4. Type the coverage code in the Code field.
5. Type the Description.
6. Click OK.
7. Click the Add button again to enter additional codes.