Note for accounts using Sales Records: This article includes a Legacy components section with additional information that applies to your account.
If your agency uses features like Rx Collect, SOA forms, SMS texting, or Servicing Automated Workflows, each user account needs to be connected to a servicing agent. This connection, made through the Linked Agents feature, lets AMS+ pull the correct agent details and keep everything working as expected. This article explains why this setup matters and how to put it in place.
Requirements
- You must be logged into AMS+ as an Agency User.
- You must be assigned to a Security Group with the Manage Users permission.
In this article
- Why you need Linked Agents
- How to link Agent Records to a user account
- Common questions
- Legacy components
Why you need Linked Agents
AMS+ doesn't require Linked Agents during account setup, but they are necessary for sending any communication on behalf of a servicing agent, such as emails or text messages. Because a servicing agent is just an Agent Record, you need to connect it to a real user account so AMS+ can pull in the correct agent details.
Send Rx Collect requests for Individual Records
You can send an Rx Collect request for an Individual Record without a Linked Agent. However, if you want the Rx Collect portal to include the Scope of Appointment (SOA) disclosure, the Individual's Servicing Agent (an Agent Record) must be linked to a user account in My Agency Settings > Users, and that user must have the following contact info saved under My Account > SOA/ACA Consent:
- Phone number
- Sales ID
- Signature
Without those details, AMS+ will assign the user listed in My Agency Settings > Rx Collect > Disclosures > SOA Configuration under the Agent if Record is Unassigned field. If no user is listed in that field, the SOA will not be included in the Rx Collect portal.
How the connections work
- The Individual Record must have a Servicing Agent. This field references an Agent Record (not a user account).
- That Agent Record must be linked to a user account via Linked Agents.
- The linked user account must have a phone number, sales ID, and signature saved under My Account > SOA/ACA Consent. This applies to portals sent for Individual Records assigned to that Servicing Agent.
- If all connections and data are in place, AMS+ can successfully include the SOA disclosure in the Rx Collect portal.
Forward copies of SMS replies to a user's cell phone
To forward inbound text messages from Individual Records to a user's cell phone, the user must enter and save their cell phone number under the My Account > Notifications tab and be connected to the record through a Linked Agent. In addition, the record's Servicing Agent must be linked to the user account. If this connection is missing, forwarded messages will not be delivered.
Automatically send emails or assign Activities to a record's servicing agent
With Enhanced Automated Workflows and Legacy Servicing Automated Workflows, you can immediately kick off Activities when something happens to Groups, Individuals, or Policies in AMS+.
If an agent is a user in AMS+, you would typically create and assign an Activity to the agent. If you're using Automated Workflows, we can do this for you.
All you have to do is tell us who to assign the Activities to. By default, the workflow has two options:
Option #1: Tell us exactly which user/team to assign Activities to.
Option #2: Let us automate who the Activities should be assigned to.
The setup for Option #1 is quick and simple. In the action's Activity details, set the Follow-up Type to User / Team and specify the user and/or team. Keep in mind, we'll always assign Activities to the specified user/team.
Option #2 requires a little extra setup at the start but it will be well worth your time in the end. To get started, make sure your users are linked to Agent Records.
Then, in the action's Activity details, set the Follow-up Type to Individual's Primary Servicing Agent.
Option #2 is more flexible and accommodates growth in your agency. If you recruit and add new agents to AMS+, remember to link an Agent Record to their user account.
When a new Individual Record is added and assigned to a Servicing Agent, we'll create and assign an Activity to the user linked to the Servicing Agent.
Please note, Option #2 is available for the following workflow types:
- Group
- Group Activity
- Individual
- Individual Activity
- Policy
How to link Agent Records to a user account
Linking requires both an Agent Record and an active user account. If either is missing, refer to the help articles on how to create Agent Records and add users. Ideally, the Agent Record and the user should share the same name for easier setup.
Note: A user can be linked to multiple Agent Records, but each Agent Record can only be linked to one user at a time. If you link an Agent Record that is already linked to a user to a different one, the system will unlink it from the original user.
If both the user and their Agent Record are in the system:
- Go to My Agency Settings.
- Navigate to the Users settings. On the Servicing tab, find and select the user you want to edit.
- In the user's profile, scroll down to the Security section. In the Linked Agents field, search for the user's corresponding Agent Record and add it.
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You may link the user to a maximum of three Agent Records.
- Save.
Success! The Agent Record is now associated with the user.
Who can I link Agents to?
Linked Agents can be added to the following User Types:
- Agency Users
- Agent CRM Users
Note: An Agent Record can only be linked to one user at a time. However, a user may have up to three Linked Agents.
Common questions
What is the difference between a Linked Agent and an Accessible Agent?
Linked Agents improve your efficiencies with certain features while Accessible Agents control your ability to see and access data and records. Both are similar in that they use Agent Records as a "medium".
Also, you can map the same Agent Record to a user as both a Linked Agent and an Accessible Agent.
Can a user have more than one Linked Agent?
Yes, a user may have up to three Linked Agents.
Legacy components
The following content applies only to accounts with legacy features that may no longer be present in your account. If you're unsure whether this applies to you, check your subscription package on the Subscription page.
Legacy components in this section:
- Maintain user association with Sales and Individual Records — accounts using Sales Records
- Sales Opportunities/Sales Pipelines — accounts using Sales Opportunities
Maintain user association with Sales and Individual Records
AMS+ facilitates a seamless transition between sales and servicing teams through the lead conversion process. This begins when a sales team member creates a new Sales Record and, upon closing the deal, converts it into an Individual Record for ongoing client support.
Additionally, AMS+ supports the reverse process by creating a Sales Record from an Individual Record to enable policy renewals or cross-selling opportunities.
Linked Agents are essential in these processes. They ensure user associations are maintained when converting between Sales and Individual Records. Without a Linked Agent, AMS+ lacks the data needed to associate the correct user with the record.
Sales Opportunities/Sales Pipelines
Want to see which Sales Opportunities (Opps) are assigned to you or a team? We can figure that out for you if you're using Linked Agents.
Head over to the Sales Pipelines or Sales Opportunities page and check out the Assigned To filter.
Selecting the filter opens a dropdown list with some options:
- Me — Shows only Opps that have your Linked Agent assigned as the Primary Producer.
- Other User(s) — Shows only opportunities that have the user's Linked Agent assigned as the Primary Producer.
- Teams — Shows all Opps assigned to the Linked Agents of users on the team.
Please note, Security Group permissions affect the filter results. If you have restricted access to records in your book of business, you will only see Opps that have your Linked Agent assigned even if you choose a team.