Acceptable in the 80s

We live in a technological world that constantly presents new challenges, yet despite our fears we prove to ourselves time and again that we can adapt. For example, it will not be long before most of us are no longer frazzled by Facebook or terrified by Twitter.

We have been here before, having left behind countless pointless fashions, inventions and pastimes from the 1980s such as the mullet hairstyle and the bricks that we called mobile telephones.

We have left behind most things from those lycra-clad days: the music, the make-up and the microfilms. There are though, some industry traditions that have survived: chasing quotes, re-keying information and repeatedly filling in lengthy question sets. It results in an appalling lack of efficiency for brokers and it is still commonplace in offices up and down the country. Why we still accept a system that belongs in the dark ages remains a mystery.

Using electronic data interchange is not even difficult to grasp: it is about choice and empowering intermediaries to broker the old-fashioned way. By working with some of the latest technology platforms, it puts us in a better position to embrace and protect the methods of the past. Full-cycle EDI with built-in online referrals and price negotiations allow brokers to stay focused on what they know best - researching best prices for their customers and presenting both choice and flexibility.

Insurance is not as archaic as some commentators might suggest; there is no shortage of personal digital assistants, iPhones and other mobile devices within a mile radius of the Gherkin. It is time we took things a step further to embrace the technologies that will be useful in protecting the future of our professions. Our aim should be to make broking slicker, smarter, quicker and more appealing so that we can sit alongside the social networking generation with ease.