Insurance brokerages have invested years in digitizing their operations, but the reality on the ground often looks much the same: teams shuffling between emails, spreadsheets, PDFs, and aging systems just to get work done. Comparing quotes, preparing proposals, reviewing policies, and managing renewals can eat up hours each day - precious time that brokers would rather dedicate to helping clients. Now, a new wave of AI-powered workflow platforms is starting to shift that reality by automating entire processes, not just tinkering around the edges.
One company at the center of that shift is Fulcrum, a workflow automation platform designed specifically for insurance brokerages. According to Lexie Tonelli, Head of Strategy & Operations at Fulcrum, the goal isn’t simply to introduce another AI tool into the tech stack - it’s to orchestrate the workflows that power brokerage operations from intake through servicing and renewal.
“Fulcrum has a lot of different capabilities,” she told IB. “It’s really a workflow platform solution, not just a one-point solution. At Fulcrum, we use co-pilot tools which we roll out immediately so that users really feel the impact from day one. We also have end-to-end workflow replacements which we tailor to your agency greatly and require testing.”
The first stage of deployment here is intentionally quick. When a brokerage begins working with the platform, Tonelli revealed that the first thing her team does within five days is roll out assistant tools. These assistants act as AI-powered helpers built specifically for insurance workflows. The goal is to give brokers immediate value without requiring them to change their processes overnight - and the outputs generated by the assistants are tailored to common brokerage tasks too.
“The outputs that those workflows produce are very fit for purpose,” Tonelli explained. “It’s a specific summary of insurance, it’s a coverage comparison, it’s a gap analysis - things that from day one the customer can get real value from.”
And, even after rolling out just 1-2 workflows, agencies are seeing time savings of 3-8 hours per AM.
“That doesn't even account for all the work that is "sped up" by Fulcrum,” added Tonelli. “Including coverage analysis, contract reviews, drafting responses, claims analysis. That's like adding another 2-4 hours a week – meaning we’re essentially giving every user a day back into their week – or 20% time savings overall.”
According to Tonelli, the purpose of workflow automation isn’t to remove the human element from the process but to give account managers more capacity to focus on their clients.
“We see the account manager role shifting,” she said. “Instead of being pulled in multiple directions by operational work, they’re able to spend more time engaging with clients - understanding their needs, advising on coverage decisions, and strengthening those relationships.”
By streamlining many of the underlying processes, brokerages can ensure that account managers have more time to focus on service and strategic guidance rather than coordination.
“The expertise of the account manager is still at the center of the relationship,” Tonelli added. “Technology just makes it easier for them to deliver the level of service their clients expect.”
“From there we usually work on our more end-to-end workflow solutions, which do require a little bit more of a step change in ways of working and a more customization up front,” added Tonelli. “Those really are the things that make a difference - our proposal tool, our policy checking tool and our certificates workflow. Normally there’s a two-to four-week testing period with an ordained group of testers responsible for making sure the workflow is ready for prime time for the entire team.”
Once these systems go live, the day-to-day experience inside the brokerage begins to shift. Instead of relying on manual processes or external support teams to complete administrative tasks, brokers gain an arsenal of tools that allow them to handle workflows internally with far greater speed. And the proof here is being seen first-hand my account managers themselves.
“The time I used to spend digging into policies for coverage questions has been reduced so much with the help of the tools in Fulcrum,” added one AM. “I have a client who will ask a bunch of complicated and confusing questions and drafting a response would have taken me an hour in the past, but it took me [just] 15 minutes. [Fulcrum] really helps me learn too - the simple breakdowns it gives makes policy forms so much easier to understand and then be able to explain it back to the client.”
“Whether you’ve deployed account managers, producers, or client service reps, whatever your team structure looks like, they now have a fully equipped toolkit to support their work,” said Tonelli. “You’re fully in the driver’s seat when it comes to how you manage and service your accounts.”
Crucially, the platform is designed to deliver complete, ready-to-use work outputs, allowing teams to move faster without sacrificing quality or consistency. But the impact goes beyond efficiency. By streamlining the underlying workflows, brokers are able to spend more time where it matters most - with their clients.
“It gives teams the ability to be more responsive and proactive,” Tonelli added. “Instead of being tied up in process, they can focus on advising clients, answering questions quickly, and delivering a better overall experience.”
The gains can be significant. Tasks like proposal generation, which traditionally take hours, can be completed much faster - freeing up time to focus on client relationships and strategic guidance.
Yet Tonelli notes that today’s workflow tools are still evolving. Many systems operate on an “opt-in” basis, requiring users to initiate each task.
“Right now, you still have to tell the system what you want it to do,” she said. “But over time, the opportunity is to make that experience more seamless - so the right work is surfaced at the right time.”
The longer-term vision is a more connected and proactive operating environment, with Tonelli noting that the account manager role is already beginning to evolve.
“We see the account manager role shifting,” she told IB. “It’s not ‘I’m doing every step of the process for every account.’ It’s ‘these are my accounts, and I’m responsible for delivering a great client experience.’”
Rather than being tied up in coordinating workflows and managing every task manually, account managers are able to focus more on understanding client needs, guiding decisions, and staying ahead of key moments in the client lifecycle. Instead of waiting to initiate each task, the platform helps surface what needs attention and when. Importantly, the intention isn’t to remove human judgment, but to make sure it is applied where it matters most.
“The goal is to support the account manager in delivering better service,” Tonelli added. “Their expertise and understanding of the client is what drives decisions - the technology just helps bring the right information forward at the right time.”
This broader shift is one reason investors have begun paying close attention to insurance workflow platforms. As AI continues to evolve, its ability to structure complex data and support decision-making is seen as particularly well-suited to the insurance industry - where much of the work is driven by documentation, analysis, and timing.
Ultimately, the impact of workflow automation goes beyond efficiency or cost savings - it’s changing how brokerages operate and compete. For years, growth has been constrained by the ability to service clients effectively. As books expanded, so did the operational burden, often forcing firms to choose between scaling and maintaining service quality. Workflow platforms are beginning to remove that trade-off.
“A lot of brokers feel servicing is a rate limiter,” Tonelli said. “If you grow beyond what your team can support, you risk impacting the client experience. There’s so much under-served and underinsured risk in the market. The opportunity isn’t to do less - it’s to serve more clients well.”
This article was created in partnership with Fulcrum.
