Policy Information Management

 

 

 

  Setting up IVANS Transfer Manager

 

 

Introduction

Downloading data from Insurance Carriers directly is an important feature that automatically updates InsurancePro database with current information provided by Insurance Companies.

 

Basically, The Insurance Companies send files to the Agency’s computer in standard AL3 format, and InsurancePro reads and processes the file to retrieve the transactions done for the agent. In most cases, the company files are downloaded to the user’s computer through another vendor’s software (IVANS transfer manager) and it must be setup properly before InsurancePro can process the files.

 

The process to get the agent ready for downloading:

 

The first step is that the agent needs to contact their Insurance Company (for example Safeco) and ask them to set their agency for download. The Insurance Company will assign the agency an IVANS mailbox account, and send them the Account ID and the User ID.

 

IVANS Mailbox

There are 2 types of IVANS mailbox.

 

       Information Exchange (IE):        This type of mailbox uses dial-up to download files. This means that the agency must have a computer with a modem setup and ready to use. They do not need dial-up Internet. IVANS has their own dial access phone numbers that they use.

 

       ECS:                                        This type of mailbox uses the Internet to download files. The agent only needs an Internet connection to download files.

 

Obviously, the preferred choice for a mailbox is ECS because it goes through the internet. Unfortunately, some companies still do not support ECS and use only IE. However there are companies that support both, but will still setup the Agency’s account as IE. So when you contact your Insurance Companies to setup an IVANS Mailbox, make sure you tell them to ask the Carrier to preferably setup an ECS account rather than IE.

 

 

The second step is to setup the IVANS Transfer Manager Software on your computer.

 

Setting up Transfer Manager

 

The user needs to download and install the Transfer Manager Program. This software can be downloaded from http://www.ivans.com/downloads OR http://www.insuranceproonline.com/IVANS_Setup.zip.

 

After installing, when you start it for the first time, it will ask you if you want to create a mailbox. Choose “Yes”.

 

 

You will get the Mailbox Creator.

 

You must have your Mailbox Account and User ID at this time. You must also know whether the mailbox is IE or ECS.

 

If you have an IE type mailbox keep the “New Install” option selected. If you have an “ECS” Mailbox, choose the “Re-install” option.

 

Enter the Account and the User ID. The mailbox password is the same as the User ID. Enter the User ID in the Mailbox Password also. The program will automatically fill in the Description. Please do not change it.

 

If it is an IE account, you must check “Dial Required”. You need to enter the Account and User ID. It is the same. Again, the Network Password is the same as the User ID, if it has not been changed. Call the 800 number to get a local access phone number, and enter it in the field provided.

 

After entering all the information, click on “Save”, and then Exit.

 

(NOTE: Transfer Manager is mostly controlled through Configuration files. If you create and save a configuration file in the “Config” Folder where TM is installed, it will automatically read and implement that file when the program is started.)

Go ahead and start Transfer Manager now. So should see a small window pop-up, which will say that the configuration file has been implemented. This window will close automatically in a few seconds.

 

Now click on “Configuration” and then click on “Support Mode”. Going in support mode allows you to see password and make changes.

 

 

After the support mode is checked, click on “Configuration” again, and click on “Mailboxes”. For IE type accounts, make sure that the Connection via says “AGNS Dialer” and Dial profile is selected. Under Dial profile, select the modem from the “using” combo box.

 

 

There aren’t any save or cancel buttons in this software. The settings you choose are saved automatically.

 

For ECS Mailboxes, make sure that Connecting via says “no dialer needed”.

 

Once the mailbox is setup, Transfer Manager is ready to run a session. You should run a test session now. Close the configuration window, and click on “Session” and then “Setup New”.

 

 

You will see the following screen:

 

Click on “Start Session”. It should run through and come back with a “Session Completed” message without any errors.

 
Please note that the system is not ready to download with InsurancePro right now, and running the test session WILL NOT DOWNLOAD any company files.

 

The test session is simply to verify that it is working okay. If you get an error during this, then the mailbox is not working properly, and it is an IVANS issue. Please make sure that if you have an IE mailbox, then a dial-up profile is being used. The only error the program will give you is a login error. Therefore it is important for the you to know what type of mailbox you have.

 

If you are not able to run a session successfully, then please call IVANS at 1-800-548-2675, but make sure that you only ask about the transfer manager. You must specifically tell them that their issue is not with the Vendor Software. It is about a session failing in Transfer Manager.  

 

A few of the most common issues why a session might not work are:

  • An IE Mailbox is setup without a dial profile or is setup to download through the Internet.
  • The User ID and/or password are incorrect.
  • The Network password in the dial-up profile is incorrect. (The network password can be different from the account password).

 

IVANS can easily verify an agent’s Mailbox type, Account, User ID and Network Password. Please ask IVANS to verify if these items are entered correctly.

 

 

The third Step is that once you have a successfully completed session, you must setup the Message Class.

 

The Transfer Manager only downloads information that it is told to. By default, it only downloads Transfer Manager Configuration files and Error Messages. The company data is sent under “AIDown” Message Class, and it must be setup before data can be downloaded.

 

Setting up AIDown Message Class

 

Start up InsurancePro and then click on “Download/Bridge” and “Setup IVANS Transfer Manager”.

 

 

Make sure that the path specified is actually where TM is installed. Then click on “Create Configuration File”.

 

 

InsurancePro will create a configuration file and ask you if you want to view it. Choose “Yes” to view it.

 

This configuration file is saved in the “Config” folder on the path where TM is installed. This file tells TM to download the AIDown Messages also. The contents of the file should be:

  

ClassName=Agency Interface Download

AllowBatch=a

LocalPath=C:\AIDOWN

LocalFileName=%a.DAT

LocalFileBehavior=i

DefaultIE_Class=True

 

If you find any differences (even if extra spaces are there), please correct them.

 

Save this file, and then click on “Start IVANS Transfer Manger”. TM will start, and you should see a message that says that the “AIDown” Class was loaded.

 

 

Then go in to Support Mode, and then click on “Configuration” and “Messages”.

 

 

Make sure that you see the “Agency Interface Download” Class. Click on it, and verify the settings. It should all be exactly what you see in this screenshot. If it is different, please change it to match with this screenshot.

 

Close the setup window, and run a session. It should connect, and then download whatever files are in your mailbox.

 

 

Now you are done with setting up the Transfer Manager program. You should be able to run sessions in the future without problems. The final step is to go back into InsurancePro, and process the downloaded files. For details on this step, please click here.