NextAgency helps you track and find a log of all events that occur within a specific case or for the entire agency. Activity log history gives you a pulse on what's going on. It helps answer: "Who, from my agency, is doing what with such and such client?"

Update (3/11/2020): we help describe the new activity log tab in this video.

In NextAgency, you can find a log of all events that occur within a specific case on the Activities tab.

On the Activities tab of a case, you can do the following:

• View all activity records related to this case.
• Filter the activities by users, contacts, and creation date.

• Search for specific activities.
• Select the number of activity records to display on the page.

In NextAgency, you can view activities not only for a specific case but also for the entire agency. To do that, in the navigation pane, click Fast Access > Activities.

On this page, you have options similar to those at the case-specific tab:

• View the records of all the activities that took place within your agency.
• Filter the activities by cases, users, contacts, and creation date.

• Search for specific activities.
• Select the number of activity records to display on the page.

In this article, we will show you how to assign benefits to employees within group cases. Let's suppose that you are creating a new benefit for a group case and want to instantly assign it to some of the employees. Follow these steps:

1. Go to the Benefits tab of the case card.
2. In the upper-right corner, click Add Benefit.
3. In the Add New Benefit form that opens, fill in all the necessary fields. For more information, see NextBroker: Benefits.
4. Important! In the upper-right corner of the Add New Benefit form, select the Share With Client checkbox. This will give you access to the Assign to Employee option under Actions.

       

5. Click Save.
6. The benefit will appear on the Benefits tab. To assign it to employees, click Actions > Assign to Employee.

       

7. In the Assign to Employees Case window that pops up, you can either assign the benefit to employees with a certain status, e.g. Hourly, or individually select the employee(s) to whom you are going to assign the benefit. You can also select All Employees.

        

8. Click Save.
9. To check the assignment of a benefit, go to the Employees tab.
10. Find a relevant employee and click their name in the list.

        

11. Go to the Benefits tab to check if the benefit has been added.

        

12. You can assign more benefits at this tab by clicking Assign Benefits in the upper-right corner.

       

 

It is possible to send an invitation to an employer within NextBroker so they can activate it and log in to their own custom NextHR portal.

Sending an Invitation

To send an invitation, follow these steps:

1. Open a case record that is relevant to this employer.
2. On the Summary tab under Details, click Invite to use NextHR.

        

3. In the form that pops up, enter the contact details of a person who will be administering the NextHR portal, including the email address to which NextBroker will send the invitation.

        

4. When ready, click Save.
5. Set the NextHR portal subdomain for the employer where they will log in to manage their HR. The system will suggest you an automatically generated subdomain based on the case name, but you can also create your own.

        

6. When ready, click Save.
7. The system will generate an invitation email for the employer. If necessary, add the CC, change the suggested message template, and then click Send.

 

Viewing the Invitation Details

Information about the sent invitation will appear on the Summary tab under Details. You will see the date and time when the invite was sent as well as the total number of invites. You can also re-send the invitation by clicking the same Invite to use NextHR link. For invitations that have already been sent, this will directly open the email template.

Details about the administrator to whom you have sent the invitation will appear on the Contacts tab of the relevant case record. From here you can also re-send the invite or change the administrator.

Accepting the Invitation

When the employer receives an invitation email, they should click Accept Invite and follow these steps:

Set the password to log in to NextHR, and then click Continue to open the NextHR onboarding dashboard. Please note that by default, NextHR will identify the logged-in user as an employee, so they should click Switch Role in the navigation bar on the left, and then click Admin.

As a result, they will be able to set up their NextHR portal, hire employees, etc.

Managing Interaction with NextBroker

After the hired employees undergo the onboarding procedure in NextHR, it will be possible to share the information with brokers in NextBroker. For this, the employer needs to do the following:

1. Go to Business Information > Share Settings.
2. On the Share Settings tab, select employees whose data you are going to share.
3. Expand the Select Fields pane and choose the fields relevant to the employees that you are going to share.
4. Click Share With Broker.

Back in NextBroker, you will see that the employee information has appeared on the Employees tab of the relevant case.

On the Employees tab, you can further edit the employee data - add teams, assign workflows, benefits, tasks, notes, etc. - by clicking the contact's name.

Similar to tasks, tickets are to-do items. However, unlike tasks, they are NOT associated with a specific case. Here are some examples: get groceries for a company party, arrange an internal company meeting, wait for furniture delivery, create new birthday invitations for staff, etc.

To manage tickets in NextBroker, do the following:

1. In the navigation bar, click Tickets.
2. In the upper-right corner of the page that opens, click New Ticket.

3. In the Add Ticket window that opens, fill in the following data:

• Title: Enter a descriptive title of the ticket.
• Include in Service Report: Select this checkbox if the ticket should be included in the service report.
• Stage: Select the current status of the ticket.
• Task Type: Select the type of the ticket.
• Priority: Enter the number that defines the priority of the ticket, from 1 to 99.
• Location: Enter the location that is relevant to the ticket. 
• Assigned To: Select a broker who is going to work on the ticket.
• Cases: If you are creating a ticket, not a task, leave this field empty. If you fill in this field, the ticket will be automatically converted to a task because a ticket cannot be associated with a case.
• Tags: Select the existing or enter the new tags by which you can find the ticket record.
• Due Date/Time: Specify the date and time by which the assignee should complete the ticket.
• Notifications: Specify the time period from which NextBroker should notify the assignee about the due ticket. You can add several notifications by clicking Add a notification.
• Body: Enter the content of the ticket.
• Add files: Attach files to the ticket, if there are any.

5. When ready, click Save. The ticket will appear in the list.

To find the tickets quickly and easily, you can filter them by various parameters:

NextBroker gives you access to a product type library where you can associate product types with carriers as well as create and edit your own product types. To manage product types, follow these steps:

1. In the upper-right corner of any NextBroker page, click your profile icon and choose Settings.
2. On the Settings page that opens, go to the Sales Settings tab.
3. Go to the Product Types subtab.

        

On the page that opens, you can see a list of system product types and custom product types. You can edit only the custom product types, i.e. those that you created yourself. To create a new product type, click Add Product Type in the upper-right corner of the page. In the dialog that pops up, enter the name of the product type and click Save.

To assign product types to carriers, follow these steps:

1. In the menu bar, click Fast Access > Carriers.
2. In the carriers library that opens, click the name of the carrier record to which you are going to assign product types, Arcadia Insurance in our example.
3. On the Basic Information tab of the Edit Carrier page that opens, under Product Type(s) click Assign Product Type.

        

4. In the dialog that pops up, select the relevant product type, e.g. Property & Casualty, and click Add.

       

5. At the bottom of the carrier record page, click Publish Live to save the changes and make them visible to authorized brokers.

 

You can also associate a plan with the assigned product type.

 

As a result, the plan will be visible on the carrier record page, and it will be associated with the product type, Property & Casualty in our case.

 

Each case within NextBroker has a set of stages/pipelines that you can change as you proceed with this case. The stages differ depending on the sales status of the case. They are marked with colors directly on the dashboard, in the cases table. You can filter the table by sales status, and then click the current stage of any record to view other available stages.

You can also create your own, custom stages. To do it, follow these steps:

1. In the upper-right corner of any NextBroker page, click your profile icon and choose Settings.
2. On the Settings page that opens, go to the Sales Settings tab.
3. Go to the Stages subtab.

       

4. In the upper-right corner of the page that opens, click Add Stage.
5. In the Add Stage dialog that pops up, enter the following data:

        

• Stage Name: Enter a short and descriptive title of the stage.
• Sales Status: Select the sales status for which you are adding the stage, either prospect or client.
• Win Percentage: If needed, enter the percentage that indicates the probability of reaching this stage.
• Color/Font Color: Select the color to visualize the stage.

6. When ready, click Save.

The stage record will appear in the table. Use the search box to easily locate it. It is also possible to either edit or delete the record under Actions.

The stage is also added to the case records on the dashboard:

You can use the quick filters to show only the clients that have the new, Closed stage assigned:

To start managing the state licenses, follow these steps:

1. In the upper-right corner of any NextBroker page, click your profile icon and choose View Profile.
2. On the My Profile page that opens, go to the State Licenses tab.
3. On the State Licenses tab, you can see a list of all licenses that have been created in NextBroker, with the following data:

        

• Default: Select this option if you want to set this license as default in NextBroker.
• Name: The name of the agency that holds the license.
• License Number: The ID of the license.
• State: US state where this license is valid.
• Entity Type: Type of the license holder - either Agency or Broker.
• License Type: Services for which this license is valid.
• Renewal Date: Date on which the license should be renewed.
• Remove: Click this link to delete the license records from the list.
• Add License: Add a new license record to the list (an empty line will appear).

You can edit the license records directly in the list.

A carrier credential is the login information about the broker or agent, which is stored in NextBroker. To open the Carrier Credentials page:

1. In the navigation bar, click Fast Access > Carriers.

2. Go to the Carrier Credentials tab.

On the Carrier Credentials page, you can see a list of all carrier credentials that have been created in NextBroker, with their names, types, settings, and available actions. 

 

Adding a Carrier Credential

To add a new carrier credential, follow these steps:

1. In the upper-right corner of the page, click Add New.
2. In the Add New Broker ID dialog that opens, specify the following information:

        

• Carrier: Select the carrier for which you are adding the ID.
• Name: Enter the name of the broker or agency.
• Type: Select the type of the carrier, either Broker or Agency.
• Agent/Broker ID: Enter the ID of the agent or broker.
• Carrier Site Username: Enter the username that the carrier will specify for authorization with NextBroker.
• Carrier Site Password: Enter the password that the carrier will specify for authorization with NextBroker.
• Carrier Site URL: Enter the carrier website URL.

After you click Save, the carrier ID will appear in the list.

Managing Carrier Credentials

The following carrier credential management options are available in the carrier credentials list:

• Preview carrier credential information.
• Edit carrier credential information.
• Delete carrier credential information.

In NextBroker, you can add custom fields to the user interface of case records (prospect/client cards). To add a custom field, follow these steps:

1. In the upper-right corner of any NextBroker page, click your profile icon and choose Settings.
2. On the Settings page that opens, go to the Sales Settings tab.
3. Go to the Custom Fields subtab.

        

On the Custom Fields page, you can see a list of all custom fields that have been created in NextBroker, with their numbers, labels, and types.

To add a new custom field, follow these steps:

1. In the upper-right corner of the page, click Add Custom Field.
2. In the Add Custom Field wizard that opens, enter the name of the field label, i.e. the name of the field that will be shown in the user interface, and then click Next.

 

3. Select the format of the custom field:

        

• Custom Text: A text field where you can enter freely whatever data you would like to.
• Date: A calendar where you can choose a date.
• Dropdown: A dropdown that allows you to choose between several options. If you select Dropdown, an additional field will appear where you should enter the labels of the dropdown options.

After you click Save, the custom field record will appear at the bottom the list. 

Viewing the Custom Fields

You can view the custom fields at the bottom of the Summary page of the Prospect/Client card under Custom Fields. From here you can also open the Custom Fields page and create more custom fields.

Filtering the Cases by Custom Fields

You can also use custom fields in quick filters to populate results in your CRM based on a certain custom field. To do it, follow these steps:

1. In the upper-right corner of the home page, expand the Quick Filters pane.
2. Expand the Custom pane.
3. Specify the data in the custom field(s) to filter the results.
4. As a result, the list will show only the cases that have the data which you have specified in the custom field(s).

In NextBroker, you can organize your prospect and client cases by using tags. To manage tags, follow these steps:

1. In the upper-right corner of any NextBroker page, click your profile icon and choose Settings.
2. On the Settings page that opens, go to the Sales Settings tab.
3. Go to the Tags subtab.

On the Tags page, you can see a list of all tags that have been created in NextBroker, with their names, descriptions, and available actions. 

Adding a Tag

To add a new tag, follow these steps:

1. In the upper-right corner of the page, click Add Tag.
2. On the Add New Tag page that opens, enter a name and description of the tag.
3. Click Save.

Managing Tags

The following tag management options are available in the tags list:

• Tags required for new case: Set this slider in the upper-right corner of the page to either Yes or No in order to specify whether you would like to make tags mandatory for each new prospect/client case.

       

• Editing the tags: Click Actions > Edit.

        

• Assigning the tags: Click Actions > Assign to Case(s). In the popup that opens, select the prospect or client case(s) to which you are going to assign the tag, and then click Save.

       

       

• Deleting the tags: Click Actions > Delete.

        

Viewing the Assigned Tags

You can view the assigned tags at the bottom of the Summary page of the Prospect/Client card under Tags. From here you can also open the Manage Tags page and assign more tags.

Filtering the Cases by Tags

You can also use tags in quick filters to populate results in your CRM based on a certain tag. To do it, follow these steps:

1. In the upper-right corner of the home page, expand the Quick Filters pane.
2. Expand the Details pane.
3. Click the Tags field and select the required tag(s) from the dropdown.

As a result, the list will show only the cases that have the specified tags assigned to them.

The Benefits page of the client/prospect card card gives an overview of insurance benefit plans that your agency can provide. They are broken down into system benefits, such as Health, Dental, Life, etc., and custom benefits that are created by NextBroker users. Each tab contains information about respective insurance carriers and relevant plans. It is possible to filter this information by showing either current or past benefits.

For each carrier, you can do the following:

• Attach relevant documents.

     

• Open the provider directory and carrier portal.

       

• Update the effective date and renewal date.

• Duplicate, edit, and remove the plans.

    

• Assign benefits to employees.

       

To add a new benefit, click Add Benefit, select the business type for which you are adding the benefit (Individual, Small Group, or Large Group for all benefits except for the Property & Casualty product type, where the business types are Personal, Small Group, and Commercial), and choose the relevant product type on the Profile tab. 

 

 

The arrangement of the Add New Benefit form fields will change depending on your choice of the business type and product type. Now we will explore the common fields that are available for all product types.

Common Fields: Profile Tab

• Share With Client: Select this checkbox to make the benefit visible to the client so they can assign it to their employees.
• Carrier/Vendor: Choose the insurance provider that is relevant to the new benefit or add a new one by clicking the link directly in the field.

        

• Product Type: Choose one of the available benefit types. They are divided into system product types, which are present in the system by default, and custom product types, which you have created yourself.
• Plan Name: Choose the name of the benefit plan or add a new plan by clicking the link directly in the field.

       

• State: Select the code of the state that is relevant for the benefit.
• Single Deductible: Enter the maximum amount of employee’s own money that they will have to pay for their individual medical expenses before the company starts covering them.
• Family Deductible: Enter the maximum amount of employee’s own money that they will have to pay for their individual and family medical expenses before the company starts covering them.
• Single Out Of Pocket Limit: Enter the maximum amount of employee’s own money that they will have to pay for their individual medical expenses during the year before the company starts covering them.
• Family Out Of Pocket Max: Enter the maximum amount of employee’s own money that they will have to pay for their individual and family medical expenses during the year before the company starts covering them.
• Policy Number: Enter the number of the relevant insurance policy.
• Group Number: Enter the relevant group ID number.
• Total Monthly Premium: Enter the total monthly fee amount that should be paid to an insurance company.
• Total Annual Premium: Enter the total annual fee amount that should be paid to an insurance company.
• Effective Date: Date on which the benefit becomes active.
• Renewal Date: Date on which the benefit has to be renewed.
• Minimum Hours Per Week: Specify the minimum number of hours that the insured person should work per week to be eligible for this insurance plan.
• Eligibility Period: Specify the length of time during which the insured person is eligible for this insurance plan.
• Carrier Portal Link: Enter a carrier portal URL.
• General Agency: Select the general agent that is managing this insurance plan or add a new general agent by clicking the Add General Agent link directly in the field.

     

• Status: Specify whether this benefit is current or past.
• Policy Stage: Specify the current stage of assigning this benefit.
• Internal/External Note: Add notes, if applicable. Internal notes can be viewed only inside the agency whereas external notes are shared with the employer and employees.
• Add Files: Attach files to the benefit, if applicable.

Common Fields: Contribution Tab

The Contribution tab is available only for the Small Group and Large Group/Commercial business types. This tab is for entering either the percentage or the amount of insurance payment to be covered by the employer for the employee’s family members. The amount of contribution is typically set by employer regardless of the product type or plan type. The total amount is calculated automatically.

Common Fields: Rates Tab

The Rates tab is for entering the insurance rate for the employee and their family members.

Now let's explore the system product-specific fields on the Profile tab.

Product-Specific Fields: Medical

• Plan Type: Choose the type of the insurance plan.
• Metal Level: Choose between the Bronze, Silver, Gold, or Platinum levels for the insurance plan.
• Exchange (not available for the Large Group business type): Specify whether the insurance plan is an exchange, i.e. federally subsidized.
• Minimum Hours Per Week: Specify the minimum number of hours that the insured person should work per week to be eligible for this insurance plan.
• Payment Mode: Choose how the payments will be made under this insurance plan.
• Provider Directory Link: Enter a URL by which the insurance provider can be found in the directory.

Product-Specific Fields: Dental

• Plan Type: Choose the type of the insurance plan.
• Waiting Period(s): Select the length of time after purchasing the dental benefits plan that the client must wait before they can get their full coverage.
• Provider Directory Link: Enter a URL by which the insurance provider can be found in the directory.
• Minimum Hours Per Week: Specify the minimum number of hours that the insured person should work per week to be eligible for this insurance plan.
• Date of Birth (available only for the Individual business type): Specify the birth date of the insured person.
• Payment Mode: Choose how the payments will be made under this insurance plan.
• Provider Directory Link: Enter a URL by which the insurance provider can be found in the directory.
• Maximum Benefit: Specify the limit of the dental benefit.
• Orthodontia: Specify whether the orthodontic services are included with this benefit.
• Orthodontia Waiting Period(s) (visible only if Yes was selected under Orthodontia): Select the length of time after purchasing the dental benefits plan with orthodontic services that the client must wait before they can get their full coverage.
• Orthodontia Maximum Benefit (visible only if Yes was selected under Orthodontia): Specify the limit of the dental benefit for orthodontic services.
• Vision Included: Specify whether the vision benefits are included.
• Vision Maximum Benefit (visible only if Yes was selected under Vision Included): Specify the limit of the vision benefits.

Product-Specific Fields: Vision

• Plan Type: Choose the type of the insurance plan.
• Provider Directory Link: Enter a URL by which the insurance provider can be found in the directory.
• Minimum Hours Per Week: Specify the minimum number of hours that the insured person should work per week to be eligible for this insurance plan.
• Payment Mode: Choose how often the payments will be made under this insurance plan.
• Benefit Frequency: Enter how often the benefit should be provided, i.e. the frequency of eye exams or lense/frame replacement.
• Eye Exam Copay: Enter the co-payment amount for routine eye exams.
• Provider Directory Link: Enter a URL by which the insurance provider can be found in the directory.

Product-Specific Fields: Property & Casualty

• Plan Type: Choose the type of the insurance plan.
• Minimum Hours Per Week: Specify the minimum number of hours that the insured person should work per week to be eligible for this insurance plan.
• Financing: Specify if financing is available for this plan.
• Down Payment Percentage (%) (visible only if Yes is selected under Financing): Specify the minimum percentage of down payment for this plan.
• Financed Percentage (%) (visible only if Yes is selected under Financing): Specify the minimum percentage that is financed for this plan.
• Taxes and Fees ($) (visible only if Yes is selected under Financing): Specify the amount of taxes and fees that are eligible for this plan.
• Finance Company (visible only if Yes is selected under Financing): Select the company that is financing this plan.
• Billing Type: Specify whether the billing type for this plan is direct bill or agency bill.

Product-Specific Fields: Medicare

• Plan Type: Choose the type of the insurance plan.
• Date of Birth (available only for the Individual business type): Specify the birth date of the insured individual.
• Medicare Claim Number/HICN: Enter the claim number or beneficiary's identification number that is relevant to the Medicare plan.
• Start Date - Part A: Specify the date when the Part A of the Medicare plan comes into force.
• Start Date - Part B: Specify the date when the Part B of the Medicare plan comes into force.
• Two-Party Discount: Specify if the two-party discount is available for this Medicare plan, e.g. for spouses that are 65 and older.
• Dual Eligible: Specify if this plan is eligible both for Medicare and Medicaid benefits.
• Medicaid Number (visible only if Yes is selected under Dual Eligible): Specify if this plan is eligible both for Medicare and Medicaid benefits.
• Provider Directory Link: Enter a URL by which the insurance provider can be found in the directory.

Product-Specific Fields: LTC

• Plan Type: Choose the type of the insurance plan.
• Minimum Hours Per Week: Specify the minimum number of hours that the insured person should work per week to be eligible for this insurance plan.
• Issue Age: Enter the age of the insured person with which the LTC insurance plan comes into force.
• Benefit Amount: Enter the amount of the benefit that is eligible for the LTC plan.
• Benefit Amount Type: Specify whether the LTC benefit should be paid on a montly or on a daily basis.
• Benefit Period: Specify the period during which the LTC benefit is active.
• Elimination Period: Specify the period during which the LTC benefit should be eliminated.
• Elimination Period Type: Specify whether the LTC benefit should be eliminated during x calendar days or during x service days.
• Inflation Protection: Specify whether this plan is subject to protection from inflation.
• Enter Percentage (visible only if Yes is selected under Inflation Protection): Enter the interest percentage for inflation protection.
• Interest Type (visible only if Yes is selected under Inflation Protection): Specify whether the inflation protection interest is compound or annual.
• Money Pool: Enter the total amount of money that your insurance agency provides to pay for LTC.
• Waiver of Premium: Specify whether the LTC plan includes a "waiver of premium" feature.
• Life Insurance: Specify whether the LTC plan is combined with life insurance.
• Partnership Plan: Specify whether the LTC plan is combined with Medicaid.
• Return of Premium: Specify whether the LTC plan allows the return of premium.
• Until Age (visible only if Yes is selected under Return of Premium): Specify the age until which the premium should be returned.

Product-Specific Fields: Disability

• Plan Type: Choose the type of the insurance plan.
• Benefit Amount: Enter the amount of the benefit that is eligible for the disability plan.
• Benefit Period: Specify the period during which the disability benefit is active.
• Elimination Period: Specify the period during which the disability benefit should be eliminated.
• Cost of Living: Specify the cost of living of the insured person to adjust the payments under this benefit.

When ready, click Save. The benefit will be added to the corresponding tab.

The Timeline page contains all tasks and notes that you and your brokers have created for your prospects and clients. 

On this page, you can do the following:

• Sort your tasks and notes by the time when they are due: today and future, today, tomorrow, current week, or next week.
• Add custom filters to display only specific tasks and notes.

• Export your tasks and notes to an Excel spreadsheet.

• Add new tasks and notes to your prospect or client records.

To add a new case record to NextBroker, do the following:

1. In the upper-right corner of the dashboard, click New.

       

2. In the Sales Status section, select the sales status of a record that you are adding, typically prospect or client.

        

3. In the Market Segment section, select the type of the case - individual, small group, or large group.

        

4. Fields in the Basic Info section depend on your selection under Market Segment. For individuals, you should fill in only the contact info, such as name, address, email, etc. For small groups and large groups, you should enter the tax ID, SIC/NAICS codes, business type, etc. It is also possible to add the company logo.

       

5. In the Lead Management section, specify the confidence score and estimated revenue.

       

6. In the Address section, specify the physical and mailing addresses of the prospect or client.

     

7. When ready, click Save & Continue.

Your case record is ready and will open with the Summary tab. Fill in the relevant info on all other tabs. For more information, see NextBroker: Client/Prospect Card.

It is also possible to run a bulk import of several case records. To import the case records from an Excel spreadsheet, do the following:

1. In the upper-right corner of the dashboard, click Import > New or Import > Existing.

        

2. Select the market segment - individual, small group, or large group.
3. Download the import template and fill it in with your data. Please note that there are different templates for individual and group cases.
4. Drag your spreadsheet to the specified area or click to select the file from your computer.
5. Click Map Headers.

5. Adjust the headers of your Excel file to match the system headers. Use the Move command to place your headers in front of the corresponding system headers and the Lock command to lock them. 

        

        

 

6. To completely ignore mapping of the field data in system headers, you can click Ignore in the corresponding rows. As a result, the system will mark the ignored row with gray. If you change your mind and would like to map this data, click Acknowledge.

       

7. When ready, click Validate.

        

8. After successful validation, click Import File.

9. Open the dashboard to check the imported data.

        

To edit a case record, click Action > Details next to the record that you are going to edit.

For more information about how you can edit a case record, see NextBroker: Client/Prospect Card.

To delete a case record, you should first archive it. Therefore, do the following:

1. Click Actions > Archive next to the record that you are going to delete.

       

2. In the confirmation dialog that appears, click OK.

       

3. In the upper-right corner above the cases table, expand the Quick Filters pane.
4. In the General section, select the Archived checkbox. As a result, the cases table will be instantly filtered to view only the archived cases.

5. Now locate the record that you are going to delete and click Action > Delete. The Delete action is available only for the archived cases.

       

6. In the confirmation dialog that appears, click Confirm. Please note that the deletion cannot be undone.

       

To manage tasks in NextBroker, do the following:

1. In the navigation bar, click Timeline.
2. In the upper-right corner of the Timeline page, click Add Task/Ticket.

3. In the Add Task/Ticket window that opens, fill in the following data:

• Title: Enter a descriptive title of the task.
• Include in Service Report: Select this checkbox if the task should be included in the service report.
• Stage: Select the current status of the task.
• Task Type: Select the type of the task.
• Priority: Enter the number that defines the priority of the task, from 1 to 99.
• Location: Enter the location that is relevant to the task. 
• Assigned To: Select a broker who is going to work on the task.
• Cases: Select one or several cases that are relevant to the task.
• Tags: Select the existing or enter the new tags by which you can find the task record.
• Due Date/Time: Specify the date and time by which the assignee should complete the task.
• Notifications: Specify the time period from which NextBroker should notify the assignee about the due task. You can add several notifications by clicking Add a notification.
• Body: Enter the content of the task.
• Add files: Attach files to the task, if there are any.

5. When ready, click Save.

As a result, the task will appear on the Tasks tab of the case record, from where you can further edit it. To add more tasks that are relevant to this case, click New Task.

This page contains demographic information about the client’s employees, such as age or marital status. This data is needed to estimate the health care costs and is used for quoting purposes only, without being linked to the client's actual HR system. You can view the records by selecting the census type from the drop-down list.

You can also add new employees to the census by clicking the Employee button next to the drop-down list.

The following actions are available for the census:

• Set Coverage: Set the coverage status for the census.

       

• Set Dependent Status: If a person in the list is a dependent, i.e. a spouse of a child of an employee, you can specify the exact status.

       

• Delete Selected: Remove the selected employee record together with dependents.

       

• Import: If you need to add a large amount of employee records, it would be more convenient to run a bulk import from an Excel file. You need to download the import template, fill it in, and then upload it to NextBroker.

       

• Export: Generate an Excel file with employee data from the census.
• Quote: Send a quote request for the case to a carrier or general agency.

Employees

This page contains a list of the client’s employee records. Here you can do the following:

• Add new employees or existing contacts

• Filter the employees by type, state, zip code, and date of hire

• Copy all or several employees to the census

• Run a bulk import of the employees

On the Sales page of the client or prospect card, you can view and edit quotes, proposals, and enrollment kits that are relevant to the client. Let’s take the client card as an example. To quickly access the Sales page, find the client record in the table and click Actions > Sales.

The Sales page has three subpages.

Quotes

The Quotes subpage contains all client-related quotes that you create for a carrier or general agency. The quotes are divided into Active, Drafts, and Archived.

Uploading Quotes

To upload a quote, сlick the Upload Quote button and fill in the following data in the window that appears:

• Select All: Select this checkbox to automatically fill in the Requested From field with all contacts from the carrier or general agency who are labeled as Quoting. Leave the checkbox blank to add the contacts manually.
• Desired Effective Date: Select the date on which the quote should become effective.
• Census Type: Choose one or several census types that are relevant to the quote.
• Sent On: Select the date on which the quote is going to be sent.
• Sent By: Select the employee who is going to send the quote.
• Status: Choose one of the available statuses for your quote:
  • Draft: Place the quote record on the Drafts tab and send it later.
  • Sent: Send the quote.
  • Uploaded: Place the quote record on the Drafts tab and send it later.
  • Proposed: Place the quote record on the Active tab with the Proposed status but not send it.

       

• Manage files: Click this link to attach files to your quote. NextBroker will take you to the Attach Files subtab of the Upload Quote window, where you can select the files to be attached.

When ready, return to the Quote Content subtab and click Upload.

Requesting Quotes

There are two ways to request a quote in NextBroker:

• Click the Request Quote button and fill in the form that appears.
• Request a quote from a draft by clicking Actions > Edit Draft and add the missing data in the form that appears.

       

The Request Quote form is similar to the Upload Quote form; however, now you cannot set up the sent date and change the status. Besides, you have to accompany the quote with a message.

When ready, click either Save Draft or Send. As a result, the status of the quote on the Active subtab will change to Sent.

Other Quote-Related Actions

It is also possible to do the following actions with the quotes:

• Add attachments: Add further attachments to the quote, quote draft, or archived quote.
• Add notes: Add an HTML formatted note to the quote, quote draft, or archived quote. After you add a note, you can edit it from the same Actions column.

       

• Archive: Archive the quotes and quote drafts and move them to the Archived tab.
• Convert to proposal: Convert the quotes and quote drafts to proposals and move them to the Drafts tab of the Proposals page.

       

• Unarchive: Remove the quote from the Archived tab back to the Drafts tab.

Proposals

The Proposals subpage contains all client-related proposals that you create for a carrier or general agency. The proposals are divided into Sent, Drafts, and Archived.

Adding Proposals

To add a proposal, сlick the Add Proposal button and fill in the following data in the window that appears:

• Sent To: Select the contacts to whom the proposal will be sent.
• Sent On: Select the date on which the proposal is going to be sent.
• Effective Date: Select the date on which the proposal should become effective.
• Sent By: Select the employee who is going to send the proposal.
• Quote Type: Select the type of the quote relevant to the proposal – Health, Dental, Vision, Life, or Other. It is also possible to select several quote types.

       

• Add files: Click this link to attach files to your proposal. NextBroker will take you to the Attach Files subtab of the Upload Quote window, where you can select the files to be attached. If the files have not been uploaded yet, NextBroker will suggest that you upload them.

       

When ready, return to the Proposal Content subtab and click Add.

Sending Proposals

There are two ways to send a proposal in NextBroker:

• Click the Send Proposal button and fill in the form that appears.
• Send a proposal from a draft by clicking Actions > Resume and add the missing data in the form that appears.

       

The Send Proposal form is similar to the Add Proposal form; however, now you cannot set up the sent date and change the status. Besides, you have to accompany the proposal with a message.

When ready, click either Save as Draft or Send. As a result, the proposal will be moved to the Sent subtab.

Other Proposal-Related Actions

It is also possible to do the following actions with the proposals:

• Add attachments: Add further attachments to the proposal.
• Add notes: Add an HTML formatted note to the proposal. After you add a note, you can edit it from the same Actions column.
• Archive: Archive the proposals and proposal drafts and move them to the Archived tab.
• Unarchive: Remove the proposal from the Archived tab back to the Drafts tab.

Enrollment Kits

On the Enrollment Kits subpage, you can create enrollment kits for employers and carriers. Click Create Enrollment Kit and fill in the following data:

• Select Plan/Carrier tab: Select a plan/carrier to add to the kit by clicking Add Plan/Carrier. This will open the Custom Carriers and Plans page where you can make a selection. When ready, click Select Carrier.

• For Employer tab: Fill in the form to send the enrollment kit to the employer. Specify the recipient, desired effective date, status, and edit the note, if necessary. Click Add files to attach the files to the kit, if necessary. When ready, click either Save Draft or Send Kit To Employer.

       

• For Carrier tab: Fill in the form to send the enrollment kit to the carrier. Specify the recipient, desired effective date, status, and edit the note, if necessary. Click Add files to attach the files to the kit, if necessary. When ready, click either Save Draft or Send Kit To Carrier.

       

You can also convert the enrollment kit to carrier by clicking Actions > Convert to Carrier. As a result, the kit will be moved to the Carrier tab.

It is also possible to archive the kit by clicking Actions > Archive. As a result, the kit will be moved to the Archived tab, from where you can also unarchive it.

 

To open a client or prospect card with all details, click the name of the case in the table. Let’s take the client card as an example and explore all available pages.

Summary

This page contains an overview of the client’s contact details, custom fields that are relevant to the client's case, company snapshot, etc. Here you can also find important dates, such as employer’s last login or next renewal date.

In addition, on the Summary page you also convert the client to a prospect, change its status, and add team members.

Finally, you can view custom fields that are related to the case, assign tags and worfklows to the case, view the company snapshot, view important case-related dates, and read recent case-related notes.

Contact Info

This page contains data related to the owner/administrator of the client’s business as well as contact persons.

You can add the new contacts, existing employees, and existing individuals by clicking New in the upper-right corner of the page and selecting the corresponding option.

Benefits

On the Benefits page, you can view and add insurance benefits that are relevant to the case.

You can also filter the benefits by product type as well as by the Current and Past parameters.

Tasks

This page contains tasks that are relevant to the case. You can add new tasks as well as edit the existing tasks.

You can also archive the tasks and later view them by selecting the Archived checkbox in the upper-left corner of the page.

Finally, you can filter the tasks by type, stage, tags, and due date.

Notes

This page contains notes that are relevant to the case. You can add new notes and edit the existing notes.

You can also archive the notes and later view them by selecting the Archived checkbox in the upper-left corner of the page.

Finally, you can filter the notes by due date.

Files

This page contains several system folders for all files and documents that are relevant to the case. It is also possible to create custom folders and add files. You can share, edit, and delete your custom folders, but not system folders.

You can also move files between folders. You can either drag a file record to the folder or select one or several files, click the Multiple Actions button that appears after the selection, and then choose Move. 

In the window that appears, select the folder where you are going to move the file(s) and click Move.

 

Finally, you can place the folders inside other folders by simply clicking and dragging one folder into another folder.

Census

This page contains demographic information about the client’s employees, such as age or marital status. This data is needed to estimate the health care costs and is used for quoting purposes only, without being linked to the client's actual HR system. You can view the records by selecting the census type from the drop-down list.

You can also add new employees to the census by clicking the Employee button next to the drop-down list.

The following actions are available for the census:

• Set Coverage: Set the coverage status for the census.

       

• Set Dependent Status: If a person in the list is a dependent, i.e. a spouse of a child of an employee, you can specify the exact status.

       

• Delete Selected: Remove the selected employee record together with dependents.

       

• Import: If you need to add a large amount of employee records, it would be more convenient to run a bulk import from an Excel file. You need to download the import template, fill it in, and then upload it to NextBroker.

       

• Export: Generate an Excel file with employee data from the census.
• Quote: Send a quote request for the case to a carrier or general agency.

Employees

This page contains a list of the client’s employee records. Here you can do the following:

• Add new employees or existing contacts

• Filter the employees by type, state, zip code, and date of hire

• Copy all or several employees to the census

• Run a bulk import of the employees

Sales

On the Sales page, you can view and edit quotes, proposals, and enrollment kits that are relevant to the case.

 

You can also do the following:

• Upload and request quotes

• Add and send proposals

• Create enrollment kits

• Convert employer enrollment kits to carriers

Commissions

This page contains all commissions, overrides, and bonuses that are relevant to the case.

You can split the commissions between a carrier and a subagent on the Split subpage.

You can also view the hidden sub-agents on the corresponding subpage.

NextMail

This page gives you access to NextMail - the internal mailing system of NextAgency - with emails that are relevant to the case.

 

The Reports tab in the navigation bar gives you access to the Agency Reports page, from which you can generate Excel reports with data related to:

• Cases
• Users
• Enrollment kits
• Proposals
• Sales team
• Contacts
• Commissions: general, unpaid, and for sub-agents
• Notes
• Tasks
• Customer Service
• Benefits
• Employees

We will use the Cases report as an example to explain you how NextBroker reports work. To generate a report with specific data related to clients:

1. On the Cases tab, click Create.

2. The system will suggest that you select the fields which you want to export. The fields are color coded and divided into several groups: Client Info, Status Info, Agency Info, System Info, CRM Info, and Custom Info.

       

3. For our example, let’s export the data related to the client info only. For this purpose, deselect all checkboxes below except for Client Info.

       

4. It is also possible to save these settings as a template. In the upper-right corner of the page, click Save as Template, enter the name of the template, and then click Save. The report will appear in the list.

       

       

       

5. To save this report as an Excel file, click Actions > Run.

       

It is also possible to create a copy of the report. To do it, click Actions > Copy Report.

The copy will appear in the list.

 

To remove the report or report template, click Actions > Delete, and then click Yes in the confirmation dialog.

Let's create another example report on unpaid commissions. Follow these steps:

1. Click the Commissions tab, and then click the Unpaid sub-tab.
2. Click the Create button.

3. Select the fields that you are going to include in the report.

      

4. If needed, customize the columns by dragging them to change their order, changing their headers, or adding empty columns.

       

5. When ready, either save the report as a template or export it.

From the Library tab in the navigation bar, you can access a library of all uploaded files and documents that are relevant to your agency.

Uploading Files

To upload an external file from your computer:

1. In the upper-left corner of the Agency Library page, click Add Files > From Desktop.

       

2. In the dialog that opens, click Select Files and choose one or several files that you want to add to the library or just drag and drop the files to the specified area.

       

3. Click Upload.

       

4. Wait until the progress bar is complete, and then click Close. The file(s) will appear on the top of the list.

       

To add an internal file from NextAgency:

1. Under the File Library header, click Add Files > From NextAgency.
2. In the dialog that opens, click From NextAgency.

       

3. In the pane on the left, choose one or several files that you want to add to the library. They will appear in the pane on the right, under Selected Files.

       

4. When ready, click Add.
5. Click Save. The file(s) will appear on the top of the list.

Creating Folders

By default, the files are added to the main folder. However, you can create your own subfolders to organize the files:

1. In the upper-left corner of the Agency Library page, click Create Folder.

       

2. In the dialog that opens, enter the name of the subfolder.
3. Click Create. The folder will appear at the top of the list.

       

4. To add files to the folder, just click its name in the list, and then click Add Files.

File and Folder Actions

The following actions are available for files and folders:

• Move Up/Down: You can arrange the files and folders the way you'd like by using the Move Up and Move Down menu items.
• Share: To share a folder with all users in your agency, click Actions > Share, and then confirm the action by clicking Yes.

       

• Edit/Rename: To rename a file or folder, click Actions > Edit, and then enter a new name for the folder or file in the dialog that appears.
• Download: This action is available only for files. Click Actions > Download to save a file to your computer. To download multiple files as a ZIP archive, select those files, click the Multiple Actions button that appears after the selection, and then choose Download.

       

        

• Create Link: This action is available only for files. NextBroker makes it possible to generate shareable file links for others to click and download from. 
  • Click Actions > Create Link.
  • In the dialog that opens, click Create a link.
  • 
  • Click Copy link.
  • 
  • To access all links, click View Public Links.

                 

 

To search for a specific file, type its name or prefix in the search field above the files list, and then press Enter.

You can also move files between folders. You can either drag a file record to the folder or select one or several files, click the Multiple Actions button that appears after the selection, and then choose Move. 

In the window that appears, select the folder where you are going to move the file(s) and click Move.

 

You can also place the folders inside other folders by simply clicking and dragging one folder into another folder.