NextAgency Reference Directory & Glossary

The NextAgency Glossary

A reference guide to terms used in NextAgency.

A

Action Items (Tasks) A series of items that need to be completed to complete a task. Milestones or sub-tasks within a Task. Related terms: Tasks

Activities (Agency) A log of significant actions taken by Users in your agency such as changes to renewal dates, updating contacts, etc. The Agency Activity Log shows these events for all users in connection with all Cases.

Activities (Case) A log of significant actions taken by Users in connection with a particular case.

Administrative Broker Users with no limit as to what they can view and do in NextAgency. Related terms: Users, Writing Brokers, Broker Support, Agency Support, Roles, Permissions

Agency Library A virtual file cabinet. A directory of folders and files accessible to every User. However, specific folders in the file cabinet may be designated as private and viewable only by the creator of the folder.

Agency Support Users who can view all cases in NextAgency, but may be limited by Permissions as to what they can do and which tabs they can view (e.g., they may not have the permission to view the Commission tab). Related terms: Users, Administrative Brokers, Writing Brokers, Broker Support, Roles, Permissions

Archive Archiving a record removes it from the active view, but does not delete it. This declutters your active view but keeps the archived item accessible if needed. You can view archived items by selecting Archived in the header or filter.

Associate An action that connects one record to another. For example, a contact as a dependent. Related terms: Disassociate, Contacts

B

Benefits The product sold to a client. Usually an insurance policy, but could be a financial product, administrative services, etc.

Blue Navigation Pane The menu of links along the left side of nearly every page providing one-click access to the most frequently used pages and tools. Tucks to the side of the page by default, but may be locked open by clicking on the lock icon. Related terms: Fast Access

Bounce Rate (Email Campaigns) Emails not delivered in an Email Campaign. Usually the email address has changed or is misspelled. Related terms: Email Campaigns, Spam Rate, Success Rate, Opened Rate

Broker Support User who can view only cases on which the Broker to which they are assigned is associated or which they are directly associated. May be limited in what they can do or which tabs they can view on those cases. Related terms: Users, Administrative Brokers, Writing Brokers, Agency Support, Roles, Permissions

C

Carriers Entities who “manufacture” policies and benefits. Used in NextAgency to describe any entity that pays your agency compensation.

Case Library A virtual file cabinet. A directory of folders and files pertaining to a specific case. Exists simultaneously in the Agency Library.

Cases A catch-all term for the prospects, clients, leads and other entities you track in NextAgency. These are listed in the Sales Status field. Related terms: Sales Status

Checklists A way to implement your agency’s procedures by creating a chain of tasks in which each task is created by the completion of a prior task. May be launched manually or by a workflow. Related terms: Tasks, Workflows

Confidence Initially intended to indicate your agency’s expectation for closing a sale. Has come to be used to rate cases on whatever basis your agency chooses.

Contacts Directory of individuals whether associated with cases, carriers, GAs or other entities. Your rolodex. There is an agencywide Contacts list accessible through the Blue Navigation Pane and lists for cases, carriers, GAs, etc.

Custom Field User-defined fields for storing data concerning benefits, cases, contacts, commissions, tasks, notes and sub-agents. May be formatted as text, numbers, currency, percentages, dates, and drop-down menu selections.

Customize Columns (Reports) A tool in all reports enabling Users to set the order in which fields will appear in reports. Reports will be sorted based on the first column.

D

Dashboard A page enabling a User to quickly view and analyze data maintained in NextAgency through Tiles (mini-reports) selected by a User.

Directory A list of your agency’s NextAgency Users along with contact information. Related terms: Contacts, Users

Disassociate Removes an association between a contact and a record. For example, removing an employee from a group. Related terms: Associate, Contacts

E

Email Campaigns A tool enabling agencies to blast out emails or newsletters to selected contacts. Related terms: Success Rate, Opened Rate, Bounce Rate, Spam Rate

External Users Users outside of your agency able to sign into NextAgency. They may only view designated tabs for cases with which they are associated. They may download their own commission statements. They cannot edit, add or delete records. Related terms: Users, Seats

F

Fast Access A dropdown menu in the Blue Navigation Pane that provides quick access to pages and tools that tend to be accessed less frequently than items listed on their own in the Blue Navigation Pane. Related terms: Blue Navigation Pane

Filters A tool to narrow the data set you’ll see in tables and reports by selecting various fields — including your custom fields. This helps you zero in on the information you need. Related terms: Tables

Footer The part of a page in NextAgency that presents links to our privacy policy, help desk and other system information. Related terms: Header

Freeze Header A means of keeping the header in view even when scrolling down on a page within NextAgency. Click on the lock in the header (below your name) to freeze and unfreeze the header.

G

General Agents Upstream product distributors. Also known as General Agencies and GAs. Also includes FMOs and similar marketing organizations.

Green Question Mark A Help Button icon (a white question mark in a green circle) located in the header on every page in NextAgency through which Users may ask for assistance from customer support. Related terms: Help Desk

H

Header The part of a page in NextAgency displaying filters, buttons and generic information as opposed to your agency’s data. Related terms: Footer, Freeze Header

Help Desk A library of useful articles, videos and FAQs in which you’ll find answers to many of your questions. The Help Desk may be accessed by the link in the footer of pages within NextAgency. Related terms: Green Question Mark

Home Page The page you arrive at when first opening NextAgency or when clicking on the NextX (the stylized X above the Blue Navigation Pane). Users may set their own home page in Settings > Agency Settings > Preferences. Related terms: Preferences

I

Integrations Connections between NextAgency and other software you may use (e.g., Ease, Outlook, Gmail) enabling them to share data.

L

Libraries Virtual file cabinets. A directory of folders and files. In NextAgency there is an agencywide library and case-specific libraries. Related terms: Agency Library, Case Library

M

Manager A User who leads a team of other Users. Some reports and tables may be filtered to display data related to a Manager’s team.

Mapping When setting up data imports, identifying the fields in NextAgency which correspond to the column headers (labels) in the source spreadsheet.

Market Segment Organizes your cases based on who is paying for the benefit, an individual or organization (group). Related terms: Sales Status

N

Notes Something your agency needs to know about a case, benefit or other item. May be viewed in the Timeline. Related terms: Case, Benefits, Sub-Agent, Tasks, Ticket, Timeline

O

Opened Rate (Email Campaigns) The number of emails sent through an Email Campaign that are opened by recipients. A sub-set of the Success Rate. Related terms: Email Campaigns, Success Rate, Spam Rate, Bounce Rate

P

Permissions Restrictions on what records Users may view, edit, add or delete in NextAgency. Administrative Brokers have unlimited permissions. Other Users may have limits imposed. Related terms: Roles, Users

Plan Name The name of a plan design provided by the Carrier. Plan Names can be imported or manually configured in the Edit screen of Carriers. This allows agencies to configure plan designs to populate Benefits when adding, editing, or renewing a policy.

Policy Stage Indicates whether the policy is active, lapsed or is in any other status your agency defines. Related terms: Policy Status

Policy Status Indicates whether the policy has ended (Past), is in-force (Current), or sold but not yet active (Future). Related terms: Policy Stage

Preferences Aspects of NextAgency you may customize to your liking. E.g., phone number formats, notifications concerning tasks, your home page. Some preferences are personal to you; others apply to the agency.

R

Ref # A unique number assigned by NextAgency to notes, tasks and tickets to make it easier to find, retrieve and share these items. Related terms: Notes, Tasks, Tickets

Roles (Case Context) A contact’s relationship to a case (e.g., owner, accountant, office manager, etc.). These roles are defined by your agency. Related terms: Case, Contacts

Roles (Team Context) A User’s relationship to a case (e.g., lead, account executive, support staff, etc.). These roles are defined by your agency. Related terms: Case

Roles (User Context) Determines which cases your users may view and whether there are limits on what they can do. Related terms: Permissions, Users, Administrative Broker, Writing Broker, Agency Support, Broker Support

S

Sales Stage Defines what is happening with a Case. When grouped together these stages become one or more pipelines. A number of Sales Stages are provided by default; you may rename these or create your own. Related terms: Sales Status

Sales Status Defines your relationship with the case. By default your cases are labeled Clients or Prospects. However, you may create your own Sales Statuses. Related terms: Sales Stage

Seats Subscription fees are determined by the number of seats you choose in Settings > Billing. Users are those who fill these Seats. An agency may have more Seats than Users, but not more Users than Seats. Related terms: Users

Spam Rate (Email Campaigns) Emails marked as spam by the recipient of the email in an Email Campaign or by the recipient’s email system. Related terms: Email Campaigns, Success Rate, Opened Rate, Bounce Rate

Splits The portion of compensation paid to a sub-agent. May be fixed, a percentage, or on a PEPM basis. Related terms: Commissions, Sub-Agents

Sub-Agencies A downstream organization, usually an agency with which you split commissions. Sub-Agents may place business under their own name or with a sub-agency. Related terms: Splits, Sub-Agents

Sub-Agents A downstream agent. Usually someone with whom you split commissions. Related terms: Splits, Sub-Agencies

Success Rate (Email Campaigns) The number of emails successfully delivered, but not necessarily opened, through an Email Campaign. Related terms: Email Campaigns, Opened Rate, Spam Rate, Bounce Rate

Synced Contacts Those contacts in NextAgency added to Contacts by a data transfer from your email client (e.g., Outlook, Gmail). Related terms: Contacts

T

Tables NextAgency presents your data in tables with rows and columns. On many pages you can select the columns used in the table by clicking on the gear in the header. May also be referred to as your “view.”

Tags A way to associate multiple items or to indicate relationships between records. For example, subsidiaries to a parent company. Can be used in filters and included in many reports. Related terms: Reports, Filters

Tasks Something someone needs to do for a case or sub-agent. May be created by checklists or workflows. May be displayed in the Timeline. Related terms: Case, Sub-Agent, Note, Ticket, Workflows, Checklists, Timeline

Teams A group of users assigned to a case. Teams may be created on an ad hoc basis or established as a set group of individuals who can be assigned to a case as one unit. Related terms: Users

Tickets Tasks (or notes) not associated with a case or sub-agent, but concerning the agency (e.g., ordering supplies, team meetings). May be displayed in the Timeline. Related terms: Notes, Tasks, Timeline

Timeline A personalized “to do” list showing tasks, notes and tickets created by or assigned to the user. Related terms: Notes, Tasks, Tickets

Tooltips Helpful information or explanations specifically about the field or link to which they are attached. You can access tooltips by hovering your mouse over the “?” in the dark blue circle next to the field.

Trigger The event that launches an automated workflow such as an effective date, renewal date, birthday, change in sales status or any of over two dozen events. Related terms: Workflows

U

Users Individuals in your agency who have credentials to sign into NextAgency. What they can see in NextAgency is defined by their Role. What they can do is defined by Permissions. Subscription fees are based on Seats, not Users. Related terms: Seats, Roles, Permissions, Administrative Broker, Writing Broker, Agency Support, Broker Support, External User

V

Vendors A list of outside companies your agency works with. This might include attorneys, accountants, payroll companies, IT support. Does not usually include carrier and general agency personnel.

W

Workflows An automated process that creates tasks or emails or launches checklists based on a triggering event. Triggers may be a client’s effective date, a change in status, or any of more than two dozen included events. Related terms: Tasks, Emails, Checklists, Triggers

Writing Broker Users who can view only cases on which they are the broker or to which they are assigned. They may be limited as to what they can do to the case or which tabs they may view (e.g., they may be unable to view the Commissions tab). Related terms: Users, Administrative Brokers, Broker Support, Agency Support, Roles, Permissions