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AI & automation for insurance brokers

Renewals on time, and more time for clients

Broking is built on relationships, but much of the week goes on renewal packs, policy changes, carrier chasing and missing documents. We look at where that work piles up and how carefully designed automation can prepare the groundwork, so account managers can spend their time understanding clients and placing the right cover.

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AI Automation for Insurance Brokers, Explained Step by Step | MakeItFlow · 3:16 Subscribe

Understand the work

What a working day in an insurance brokerage really involves

Most brokerages and independent agencies run several books at once. Personal lines clients want quick answers about their home or auto policy, small business clients need a sensible package of property, liability and workers' compensation or employers' liability cover, and larger commercial accounts involve submissions to several insurers, negotiation on terms and a careful renewal timetable. Each line has its own carriers, portals, wordings and service expectations, and much of it still travels by email.

Before cover is placed, the broker has to understand what the client needs, and the rules around that depend on where the firm operates. In the US, producers are licensed by each state insurance department, and most states build on model laws from the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC), including rules on producer licensing and, in many states, data security. In the UK, the FCA's ICOBS rules require firms to identify a customer's demands and needs, and the EU's Insurance Distribution Directive sets a similar demands-and-needs test across member states. In Australia, many brokers subscribe to the Insurance Brokers Code of Practice, and in Canada brokers are licensed provincially, for example by RIBO in Ontario.

Renewals and cancellations carry their own rules. Many US states set notice periods and content requirements for non-renewal and cancellation, the UK has detailed renewal notice and pricing rules for consumer home and motor cover alongside the FCA's Consumer Duty, and other countries have their own disclosure and notice duties. Across all of them, regulators expect brokers to treat customers fairly, take extra care with customers in vulnerable circumstances and keep a clear record of what was advised and why. Good automation has to respect whichever version of those rules applies to the firm.

Account manager / account executive

Looks after a book of clients, gathers renewal information, approaches insurers, explains terms and makes recommendations.

Customer service rep / broker technician

Processes new business, endorsements and cancellations, issues certificates and documents and keeps the agency management system up to date.

Claims advocate

Reports claims to carriers, gathers evidence, chases progress and keeps clients informed through to settlement.

Compliance officer

Oversees licensing and continuing education, complaints, file reviews, privacy and data security, and reporting to regulators.

Accounting / premium finance

Handles premium collection, instalment plans, carrier remittances and reconciliation of client or trust accounts.

Principal / agency owner

Sets the firm's markets and appetite, manages carrier appointments and agency agreements, and is accountable to regulators.

Every day

Answering client calls and emails, processing endorsements, issuing certificates and documents, reporting new claims, chasing carriers for quotes and logging every contact on the agency management system.

Every week

Working through the renewal pipeline, chasing missing information and signed applications, reviewing open claims, and following up quotes that clients have not yet accepted.

Every month

Reconciling premiums and carrier statements, reviewing complaints and file checks, tracking licence and continuing education deadlines, and planning renewals coming up in the next few months.

Where work gets stuck

The current way of working is full of small detours.

01

Renewal work starts too late

Commercial renewals need fresh information from the client, updated schedules and time to approach the market. When the pipeline is managed by memory and spreadsheets, preparation starts weeks later than it should and the final days become a scramble.

02

Policy changes arrive in every format

A new vehicle, a change of address or an extra business activity can arrive by phone, email or a photo of a document. Each one has to be checked, sent to the carrier, priced and confirmed back to the client, and small changes queue up behind larger work.

03

Documents are always missing

Signed applications, driver records, loss runs, inspection follow-ups and payment authorisations all need chasing. Without a clear view of what is outstanding, cover can be left on conditions nobody has followed up.

04

Claims updates depend on spare moments

Clients making a claim want to know what is happening. Carriers update their own portals and inboxes at different speeds, and the broker sits in the middle relaying news by hand.

05

Carrier emails bury the important ones

Quotes, referrals, endorsements, cancellation notices and marketing all land in the same inbox. A notice of cancellation for non-payment or an inspection deadline can easily sit unread.

06

Evidence of fair treatment is scattered

Regulators increasingly expect firms to show how they treat customers, but the information sits across the management system, call notes, complaint logs and individual inboxes.

What could flow better

Less chasing. More of the work that matters.

AI agents, assistants, research workflows and integrations can each take on part of the load. Here is where they fit for insurance brokers.

Client communication

Answering routine questions and keeping clients informed without tying up account managers.

  • Triage of inbound client emails and web forms
  • Acknowledgements with clear next steps
  • Answers to routine questions using approved wording
  • Handover of advice, complaints and vulnerability indicators to people

Renewals and pipeline

Starting renewals early and keeping every one moving to a decision.

  • Renewal pipeline built from policy expiry dates
  • Information requests sent to clients in good time
  • Checking renewal and non-renewal notices against the firm's checklist
  • Reminders for clients who have not yet responded

Policy administration and changes

Turning change requests into clean, complete instructions.

  • Capturing change requests from emails and forms
  • Checking for missing details before referral to the carrier
  • Preparing endorsement confirmations for review
  • Tracking changes awaiting carrier response

Claims support

Helping clients through claims and keeping everyone up to date.

  • Structured first notice of loss capture
  • Preparing claim reports in each carrier's format
  • Chasing carrier updates on a schedule
  • Drafting progress updates for the claims advocate

Documents and conditions

Knowing what is outstanding and chasing it before it becomes a problem.

  • Tracking outstanding documents per policy
  • Reminders for subjectivities and inspection recommendations
  • Filing returned documents against the client record
  • Flagging conditions close to their deadline

Compliance and oversight

Keeping evidence organised and customer outcomes visible.

  • Logging complaints and vulnerability notes
  • Organising file review evidence
  • Preparing customer outcome summaries
  • Reminders for licence renewals and continuing education

Use cases in detail

From trigger to done, step by step.

How it happens today

Service staff read each message in turn, decide who should deal with it and forward it on. Time-critical messages, such as a cancellation notice, can sit behind routine ones.

Systems and information

  • · Shared mailbox and website forms
  • · Agency management or broking system for client and policy lookup (read-only, depending on access)
  • · Approved answer library maintained by the firm

How it could flow

  1. 1 New messages from the shared inbox and website forms are collected into one queue.
  2. 2 Each message is classified, for example policy change, claim, renewal question, carrier quote, cancellation notice or complaint.
  3. 3 Messages are matched to the client and policy in the agency management system where a policy number or email address allows it.
  4. 4 Cancellation notices, new claims, possible complaints and signs of vulnerability are moved to the top and flagged for a person.
  5. 5 For routine questions, a draft reply is prepared using the firm's own approved wording, and the account manager reviews and sends it.

Human oversight

Every reply is approved by a member of staff before sending. Complaints follow the firm's complaints procedure, and anything that touches advice, coverage or vulnerability goes to a licensed person.

What gets easier

Urgent carrier and client messages are seen first, routine replies are consistent, and the team works through the inbox in focused bursts.

How it happens today

Account managers keep their own renewal lists and send information requests when they remember. Clients reply late, and market submissions are squeezed into the final weeks.

Systems and information

  • · Agency management system policy and expiry data (where it offers an API or export)
  • · Previous year's submission, applications and schedules
  • · Email and client portal tools already used by the firm

How it could flow

  1. 1 Policies approaching expiry are listed from the management system at an interval the firm chooses for each type of business.
  2. 2 A tailored information request is drafted from last year's submission, asking the client to confirm or update revenue, payroll, activities, property values, vehicles and losses.
  3. 3 The account manager reviews and sends the request, and reminders follow automatically if there is no reply.
  4. 4 Returned information is compared with last year, and changes are highlighted in a short summary.
  5. 5 The account manager uses the summary to prepare the submission and decide which markets to approach.

Human oversight

The account manager decides what information is needed, how the risk is presented and which insurers to approach. Highlighted changes are pointers, not judgements about what an insurer would consider material.

What gets easier

Renewal work starts earlier and more consistently, clients have more time to respond, and account managers spend their effort on the market rather than chasing.

How it happens today

Staff spot-check notices by eye. Notices from different carriers and programmes vary in layout, and a missing disclosure or a notice sent too close to expiry is easy to overlook.

Systems and information

  • · Agency management system renewal documents
  • · Carrier and programme notice templates
  • · Jurisdiction checklist and compliance log maintained by the firm

How it could flow

  1. 1 Draft renewal and non-renewal notices for the coming period are collected from the management system or carrier downloads.
  2. 2 Each notice is compared with a checklist the firm maintains for each state, province or country it writes business in, such as required statements, premium information and auto-renewal wording.
  3. 3 Send dates are checked against the notice periods recorded in that checklist.
  4. 4 Notices with possible gaps or tight timing are listed for a person, with a note on what appears to be missing.
  5. 5 Staff correct the notice or query the carrier, and the result is logged for compliance monitoring.

Human oversight

Compliance staff own the checklist, keep it current with the rules where the firm operates, and decide whether a notice is acceptable. The check highlights what to look at; it does not sign off documents.

What gets easier

Gaps in notices are found before customers receive them, and the firm has a record showing the checks were done.

How it happens today

A service rep reads the email, works out what is missing, asks the client, then rekeys the change into the carrier portal or emails the underwriter.

Systems and information

  • · Shared mailbox and client forms
  • · Agency management system (depending on API write access)
  • · Carrier portals, used by staff

How it could flow

  1. 1 Change requests from email and forms are captured into a structured record against the policy.
  2. 2 The record is checked against what that type of change normally needs, such as driver details, vehicle identification number, property details or revised revenue.
  3. 3 If details are missing, a short request to the client is drafted for the service rep to send.
  4. 4 Once complete, the change is prepared in the format the carrier requires, ready for the service rep to submit.
  5. 5 The carrier's response and any additional premium are drafted into a confirmation, and any certificate updates are queued, for staff to review before sending.

Human oversight

Staff submit every change and confirm the result. If a change raises questions about whether the cover still suits the client, it goes to the account manager for advice.

What gets easier

Fewer back-and-forth emails, cleaner submissions to carriers and clearer confirmations for clients.

How it happens today

The claims advocate takes details by phone or email, fills in each carrier's form, and chases updates by phone when the client asks for news.

Systems and information

  • · Claims forms and document upload
  • · Agency management system claims records
  • · Carrier claims portals and inboxes

How it could flow

  1. 1 The client completes a structured first notice of loss form, or the advocate fills it in during the call.
  2. 2 Photos, invoices and reports are collected against the claim record.
  3. 3 The report is prepared in the carrier's required format for the advocate to check and submit.
  4. 4 Follow-ups to the carrier or adjuster are scheduled, and any updates received are logged against the claim.
  5. 5 Progress updates for the client are drafted at agreed points, and the advocate reviews and sends them.

Human oversight

Insurers and their adjusters handle and decide claims, and the broker's claims advocate manages the relationship. Questions about coverage, liability or settlement go to a person, and nothing is sent to the client unchecked.

What gets easier

Claims are reported with fuller information, carriers are chased on a reliable rhythm and clients hear from the broker before they have to ask.

How it happens today

Outstanding items are noted on the file or in a spreadsheet. Chasing depends on the account manager remembering, and deadlines can pass unnoticed.

Systems and information

  • · Agency management system document records
  • · Secure client upload or portal
  • · Email and messaging tools

How it could flow

  1. 1 Outstanding documents and subjectivities are recorded against the policy with a due date when cover is bound.
  2. 2 Clients receive reminders at set intervals, with a simple way to upload what is needed.
  3. 3 Uploaded documents are filed against the policy and the item is marked as received.
  4. 4 Items approaching their deadline without a response are escalated to the account manager.
  5. 5 A weekly list shows every outstanding item across the book, with the history of reminders sent.

Human oversight

The account manager decides what to do when a deadline is missed, including speaking to the carrier and explaining the consequences to the client.

What gets easier

Fewer conditions slip, clients understand what is needed and why, and the firm can see what is outstanding at a glance.

How it happens today

Information is pulled by hand from the management system, complaints log, file reviews and call notes, often over several days.

Systems and information

  • · Agency management system reporting
  • · Complaints and file review logs
  • · Shared document storage with access controls

How it could flow

  1. 1 Agreed measures, such as renewal retention, complaint themes, claim reporting times and cancellations, are pulled from existing systems on a schedule.
  2. 2 Complaints, file review findings and vulnerability notes are summarised into themes.
  3. 3 Changes from the previous period are highlighted for the compliance officer.
  4. 4 A draft review pack is assembled in the firm's chosen format, with every figure linked to where it came from.
  5. 5 The compliance officer reviews, adds judgement and context, and presents to leadership or the board.

Human oversight

The compliance officer and leadership decide what the evidence shows and what action to take. The system gathers and organises; it does not judge whether customers are being treated well.

What gets easier

Evidence is gathered consistently, preparation takes less effort, and the conversation can focus on what the firm should change.

From one task to a connected system

From renewal invitation to the next renewal

Here is how separate pieces can join up around one commercial client's renewal, with people in charge at each point that matters.
  1. 01 A person reviews

    Pipeline

    Policies approaching expiry are listed and information requests are drafted.

  2. 02 Automated

    Information gathered

    Client replies are collected, reminders go out and changes are highlighted.

  3. 03 People decide

    Advice and placement

    The account manager presents the risk, negotiates with insurers and recommends cover.

  4. 04 A person reviews

    Documents

    Policy documents, schedules, certificates and any required statements are prepared for review and issued.

  5. 05 Automated

    Conditions

    Outstanding documents and subjectivities are tracked and chased.

  6. 06 A person reviews

    Policy changes

    Change requests are captured and prepared for staff to submit.

  7. 07 A person reviews

    Claims

    Claims are reported in the right format and updates are drafted for the advocate.

  8. 08 Automated

    Next renewal

    The cycle starts again, with this year's information ready to compare.

Responsible by design

What gets automated, what stays with people.

Can be automated

  • Building the renewal pipeline from expiry dates
  • Reminders for outstanding documents and subjectivities
  • Filing returned documents against client records
  • Scheduling carrier follow-ups on open claims
  • Acknowledging new enquiries with next steps

AI prepares, a person checks

  • Replies to client questions
  • Renewal information requests and change confirmations
  • Claims reports and progress updates
  • Renewal and non-renewal notice checks

Stays with qualified people

  • Assessing needs and recommending cover
  • How a risk is presented to insurers
  • Questions of coverage, liability and claim settlement
  • Complaints and customers in vulnerable circumstances
  • Decisions on compliance findings and remedial action

Advice and placement stay with licensed or authorised people, and the firm remains responsible to its regulators, such as state insurance departments in the US or the FCA in the UK, for everything it sends to customers. Client data, and especially health, driving or criminal history shared for underwriting, is protected by laws such as state insurance privacy and data security rules in the US, UK GDPR and EU GDPR, and Canada's PIPEDA, so only assessed and approved services should receive it. Check the rules where you operate.

What this gives people back

Less managing the process. More doing the work.

Account managers get back to broking

When chasing and rekeying are handled consistently, there is more time to understand a client's business and the market.

Clients feel looked after

Early renewal contact and timely claim updates show the broker is on their side when it matters.

Fewer things slip

Visible deadlines for documents and conditions mean fewer surprises at renewal or claim time.

Compliance has evidence to hand

Organised records make it easier to show how the firm looks after customers, not just to say it.

Built around how you work

Your process first. Technology second.

No two brokerages work the same way. A high-volume personal lines agency has different pressures from a commercial broker handling complex placements, a wholesale or specialty broker, or a firm writing business in several states or countries. What is possible also depends on the agency management system in use, whether it offers an API or export, the carriers and portals involved, the quality of existing data, and how the firm manages its regulatory responsibilities in each place it operates.

Make It Flow starts by mapping how work moves through your firm today, from the first enquiry to the renewal. We research which options fit your systems, carrier arrangements and data protection obligations, design small, contained workflows with clear human checkpoints, and improve them over time as the team tells us what helps.

  1. 01Map the work as it really happens
  2. 02Find the steps worth automating
  3. 03Design with checks and approvals
  4. 04Connect, measure and improve

FAQ

Common questions from insurance brokers.

Still have a question?

Talk to us

No. Understanding needs and recommending cover stays with your licensed staff. Automation organises information and handles routine messages so they have more time for that work.

It can help you gather evidence, keep communications consistent and track deadlines, whether you answer to a state insurance department, the FCA or another regulator. Deciding whether the firm meets its obligations, and what to change, remains the responsibility of the firm and its leadership.

It depends on the system and your access. Some agency management and broking systems offer an API or data export, while others have built-in features that are better used as they are. We check what your system genuinely supports before suggesting anything.

Usually staff remain the ones who submit, using carrier portals or agreed email routes. Automation prepares complete, correctly formatted information so submission is quicker and less error-prone.

Yes. Notice periods, disclosures and privacy rules differ between jurisdictions, so any checks or templates are built from rules your compliance team confirms for each place you operate, rather than one generic set.

Advice and suitability, how risks are presented, coverage and claims questions, complaints and customers in vulnerable circumstances. Automation prepares information and handles routine tasks around them.

Usually with one area that causes weekly friction, such as chasing outstanding documents or preparing renewal information requests. Starting small makes it easier to test, adjust and build confidence.

Free tools

Tools picked for insurance brokers.

Free, quick and mostly sign-up free. Each one opens on the main Make It Flow site.
All free tools for this industry
Take-Home Pay Calculator UK Show clients their 2026/27 take-home pay with income tax, NI, student loans and pension, for England, Wales, NI and Scotland. VAT Calculator UK Add or remove VAT at 20%, 5% or a custom rate, line by line, with totals ready to paste into a spreadsheet. Profit Margin Calculator Turn cost and price into margin and markup, or work back from a target margin to a price. DMARC Record Checker Check whether your domain is protected against spoofing. If the policy is p=none, anyone can still send a fake fee invoice that appears to come from your exact address. DMARC Record Generator Build a stronger DMARC record once your practice software, payroll and marketing tools all authenticate properly. Move to quarantine, then reject, while reading the repor... SPF Record Checker Practice management, e-signature and newsletter platforms each need to be listed in SPF. The checker also flags the 10 DNS lookup limit, a common cause of silent failures... DKIM Record Checker Confirm Microsoft 365 or Google Workspace is signing your email. Without DKIM, forwarded messages to clients often fail DMARC and land in spam. Email Header Analyzer When a client forwards a suspicious "updated bank details" message, paste the headers to see where it really came from and whether it passed authentication. SSL Certificate Checker Check the certificate on your website and client portal subdomain. A lapsed certificate on a login page is an immediate red flag for clients. Security Headers Checker Grade your portal and contact pages for HSTS, Content-Security-Policy and clickjacking protection, then pass the plain-English results to your web developer. Merge PDF Combine bank statements, payslips and supporting documents into one file for a mortgage reference or tax return pack. Files stay in your browser and are never uploaded. Split PDF Extract just the pages a lender or HMRC enquiry needs, such as "1-2, 7", rather than sending a client's full annual accounts. Compress PDF Shrink large scanned receipts and statements so they fit email limits. Pages become images, so keep the original searchable version on file. Image to PDF Clients often photograph receipts on their phones. Turn those JPGs into a single A4 PDF, in the right order, ready for your records. Email Deliverability Checker Every DNS record that decides whether your email reaches the inbox, checked in one go — with the fix for anything missing Website Safety Checker (Is This Site Legit?) Paste a website address to see the public trust signals behind it: how old the domain is, whether HTTPS and the certificate check out, blocklist listings, and warning sig...

Free workflow template

Open enrollment follow-up workflow (n8n)

The n8n workflow from our video: it checks every 2027 renewal each morning, flags premium jumps and discontinued plans, drafts a personal email and text with a booking link before the December 15 deadline, logs every contact and builds your daily call list. Your licensed agents still review every plan with the client.

  • Imports into n8n in one click (Import from file)
  • Runs on demo data first, then connect your CRM or spreadsheet
  • Email, SMS and voicemail wording included in the nodes

We email you the download link and nothing else unless you tick the box. See the privacy policy.

Want it running on your own CRM, email and SMS tools? Book a free 20-minute setup call. Book a setup call

Free checklist (PDF)

Free insurance brokers website checklist

31 practical checks for insurance brokers: website speed and mobile, Google Business Profile and reviews, email security, booking and enquiry handling, and AI search visibility. Each one says why it matters, and many link to a free tool that checks it.

We email you the PDF and nothing else unless you tick the box. See the privacy policy.

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