What Clean New Business Intake Looks Like Day to Day
New business intake is the first operational impression a client has of the agency. In a clean intake operation, every new account moves through a defined onboarding checklist, the policy is bound within a standard timeframe, and the client receives confirmation with clear next steps. In most agencies, intake is ad hoc.
What clean new business intake looks like day to day
Structured producer handoff. When a producer closes a sale, the handoff uses a standard intake form covering coverage requirements, effective date, and underwriting considerations. Not a verbal summary.
Application completed and submitted. The account manager completes the ACORD application using the intake form as the source. The submission is complete before it goes to the carrier.
Binder reviewed before delivery. When the binder arrives, the account manager reviews it against the intake form to confirm coverage matches what was sold. Discrepancies are resolved before the binder goes to the client.
Client onboarded with documentation. The client receives the binder, a coverage summary, effective date, billing schedule, and instructions for requesting certificates and changes.
Frequently asked questions
Should producers be involved in intake after the sale?
Only for underwriting questions or client decisions that require their involvement. Routine intake steps should be owned by the account manager. Producers involved in routine intake are producers not selling.
What creates the most E&O risk at intake?
The binder-to-application gap. When binder coverage does not match what was sold and the client is not informed, the agency has E&O exposure for any loss that falls in the gap. The binder review step closes this risk.
For the full back office framework: What a Clean P&C Back Office Actually Looks Like Day to Day
Talk to COVU about clean new business intake for your agency
Based on COVU’s operational experience managing service operations across 50+ agencies and $200M+ in premium.