Connections spoke with Peer-to-Peer Connect facilitator Collin Passman about his Peer-to-Peer Connect session “Conversion to Epic-Trials and Tribulations.” Passman has been using Epic since 2011 and has presented at the Applied Net conference for over 7 years.

Connections: Since this is a new format for peer-to-peer education, walk us through your history with ACN Peer-to-Peer Connect sessions through ACN/Applied Net.

Collin: This was the secon Connect that I hosted through ACN using the new peer-to-peer format. I think it is a great format to connect users.

Connections: Share some background statistics on your agency/brokerage.

Collin: We are an Acrisure Agency Partner, and we have offices in Garden City and Elmont, New York. We have 85 users and are a General Agency that sells Commercial, Personal and, Benefits Policies as well as Financial Products.

Connections: What are some of the trials and tribulations that you covered in your discussion?

Collin: Our conversation took us down the road of conversion from the  beginning the conversion process to what happens in the months directly following the go-live date. We discussed the necessity to clean up your data prior to conversion so that the process will flow more smoothly. We also reviewed the actual conversion process and the necessity to follow along with the Applied Systems Conversion Team and the project goals and deadlines they set forth. Additionally, we chatted about the amount of patience it takes to go through a conversion to Epic and how to pick the right employees to be on your agency conversion team.

We classified those employees as:

1. The go-getters who will be on the ones who will welcome the conversion,
2. The ones who will accept the change because they have to,
3. The ones that will be dead set against the change as they will be the ones who will be most critical of the data samples and will find the tiniest of errors.

It is important to have a good mixture of all 3 as they will provide the best feedback during data sample review time.

We also discussed going through data configurations and asking as many questions as possible with the thought that no question is a bad question. If it does not look right, ask.

Connections: What is the most common issue you see when people convert to Applied Epic? 

Collin: People usually bow to the tedious process and do not review the data samples and mapping process carefully enough. These are the two most important pieces of the conversion and must be reviewed with fine tooth combs. If these are not correct, the data will convert incorrectly and you will be stuck doing a lot of post conversion clean-up work.

Connections: Provide 2-5 top takeaways from the discussion with peers. 

Collin:  

1. Patience is key
2. Careful review of data is important to the process
3. Trust the process that Applied Systems has in place and you will be fine.

Connections: What is something you learned in the Peer-to-Peer Connect environment that you did not know already or could not have gotten through another format?

Collin: Everyone goes through Data “Daze.” It is how you come out of the daze that will determine how smoothly your conversion process goes.

I learned some new ways of presenting the conversion process to the agency users and how other agencies launched the product to make it fun for their users.