This article originally ran in the October 2018 print issue of Connections, “The Innovation Issue.”

I’m always impressed at how willing Applied Client Network members are to embrace change and work toward perfection. We attend conferences like Applied Net, listen to webinars and talk openly about ways to improve our business operations and services. With the Applied Net 2018 theme being the “digital age of insurance,” we also look to how we can evolve our business strategies to benefit digital consumers. In that same spirit, Applied Client Network has been making some major changes to improve our own digital experience for members and industry professionals. I am excited to share some new ways in which you all can take advantage of the membership.

Throughout 2018, the Applied Client Network team put a lot of time and energy into improving the online experience for members by launching a brand-new website. With an improved user interface, members can easily access all benefits, including forums, personal profiles and educational resources. We also redesigned Connections, the official publication of Applied Client Network (which you are reading right now), and opened up this very site as a public resource for anyone in the insurance industry. This change also gives everyone easier access to great content and allows members to share insurance industry insights and innovations with friends, coworkers and peers. (You can even use the “share” buttons below to do so.)

Another major change in 2018 was the introduction of the all-access webinar pass. Education is a primary pillar of Applied Client Network, and it is important that all insurance professionals have opportunities to learn and perfect processes around workflows, databases and management systems. For the first time, member companies had the opportunity to gain access to webinars for their whole agency as opposed to paying per webinar, per person. I was thrilled to see how many of you took advantage of this great educational offering and hope you continue to in the future.

Applied Client Network gives its members innumerable chances to meet each other, discover new and emerging practices, and hear from experienced insurance professionals and Applied Systems executives. I hope that you embrace all of the amazing opportunities available to you and truly take advantage of your Applied Client Network membership. It is through our member participation and support that Applied Client Network is beneficial and successful for everyone. Each of you has amazing knowledge and insights to share, and with Applied Net likely underway as you’re reading this, I encourage you to use your Applied Client Network advantage to connect with peers and share all of the great tips, advice and learnings you have to offer. (For example, you can contribute to Connections!)

It was a pleasure to serve as your Applied Client Network chair, and I look forward to many fruitful conversations in the future, including at events like Applied Net 2019 and beyond, where we can all learn from one another to make the business of insurance better.

Amber Bosma, CIC, CISR, is vice president of business operations for Prins Insurance in Sanborn, Iowa, where she oversees operations, accounting, human resources, IT systems and LICA promotion. She both joined the company and became a member of Applied Client Network in the late 1990s, and currently serves as the immediate past chair of the Applied Client Network Board of Directors.