Why IIAG Made Catalyit Free to Members for Tech Success

Why IIAG Made Catalyit Free for Members and Why Agency Technology Can’t Wait

Independent insurance agencies are under pressure from every direction.

Technology is changing fast. Artificial intelligence is reshaping workflows. New vendors show up every week promising better results. At the same time, many agencies are still trying to figure out what they already have, what is working, and what needs to change.

That is exactly why IIAG is going all-in with Catalyit.

In a recent webinar for IIAG members, John Barbour, CEO of IIAG, and Casey Nelson, Director of Consulting at Catalyit, explained why agency technology has become one of the most important conversations independent agencies can have right now.

The message was clear. Agencies that take technology seriously will be in a stronger position to grow, improve efficiency, and stay competitive over the next five to ten years.

What is Catalyit?

Catalyit is a technology resource built specifically for independent insurance agencies.

As Casey Nelson explained during the webinar, Catalyit’s mission is simple:

We make understanding insurance technology easy.

That matters because many agencies are overwhelmed by the number of tools, platforms, demos, and sales pitches coming at them every day. Catalyit helps cut through that noise by giving agencies a trusted place to research, compare, and better understand insurance technology.

Catalyit was created by Big “I” state associations and is designed for independent agents by people who understand the independent agency channel.

Why did IIAG partner with Catalyit?

IIAG made a strategic decision to provide full Catalyit access to its members at no cost.

According to John Barbour, this is about helping agencies prepare for the future. Advocacy remains a major priority for IIAG, but agency technology is now one of the biggest factors shaping long-term success.

Technology affects:

• Efficiency
• Agency value
• Hiring and retention
• Client experience
• Workflow consistency
• Growth potential

IIAG sees technology as a business issue, not just an IT issue. That is why the association chose to make Catalyit a member benefit.

What do IIAG members get with Catalyit?

IIAG members now have access to Catalyit’s full suite of resources. During the webinar, Casey Nelson and Katrina Marschner, Catalyit's Customer Experience Lead, highlighted several key benefits.

1. Access to vetted insurance technology providers

Catalyit has researched more than 300 insurance technology solution providers.

That means agencies can explore tools with more context and less guesswork. Instead of relying only on sales calls and marketing claims, agencies can review educational content, company details, team insights, verified user feedback, and in many cases demo videos.

This gives agencies a more practical way to evaluate vendors before booking meetings or making decisions.

2. Guides that simplify technology categories

Catalyit’s Guides help agencies understand categories of technology such as management systems, CRMs, and other common insurance tools.

These guides do three things:

• Explain what a category of technology does and how it can help
• Show and compare the solutions Catalyit has researched within that category
• Offer resources to help agents fully maximize this tech category

3. Live sessions and on-demand webinars

Catalyit offers educational webinars and live demos focused on insurance technology.

For Full Access members, these recordings are available on-demand through the Catalyit Vault. That means agencies can watch demos and educational sessions on their own time instead of trying to fit everything into a busy calendar.

This is especially helpful for agencies that want to learn about solutions without getting pulled into immediate sales conversations following a product demo.

4. The Agency Tech Assessment

One of the most valuable tools discussed in the webinar was the Agency Tech Assessment.

This assessment takes about 10 to 15 minutes to complete and gives agencies a structured way to review their current technology stack. It asks about the systems an agency uses, how those systems are rated, and where there may be opportunities for improvement.

Once completed, the assessment unlocks an analytics dashboard that gives agencies a clearer view of their current technology environment.

5. A technology roadmap and analytics dashboard

After completing the Tech Assessment, agencies gain access to a dashboard that helps them see:

• Which systems they currently use
• How they rated those systems
• Where friction may exist
• Which tools may be missing
• How their stack compares with peer usage data

Casey explained that the dashboard functions like a roadmap. It shows what an agency already has, where performance may be weak, and where additional tools or integrations might make sense.

The dashboard also includes peer benchmarking, so agencies can see what other agencies are using in categories like CRM, AI, customer portals, and integrated workflows.

6. A free consultation

IIAG members also receive access to a free 30-minute consultation with the Catalyit team.

Agencies can book this consultation through the Let’s Talk campaign or after completing the Tech Assessment. This gives members a chance to discuss pain points, ask questions, and get practical guidance on next steps.

For agencies attending the IIAG Annual Convention in June, Catalyit will also offer on-site consultations. Casey noted that completing the Tech Assessment beforehand is required in order to make those conversations as productive as possible.

How do IIAG members sign up for Catalyit?

IIAG members can go to the Catalyit + IIAG page and click the button to "Unlock Full Access". From there, they complete a quick two-page sign-up form. After submitting it, they receive a welcome email to set their password and log in.

Once logged in, members can access all Catalyit resources, including guides, live sessions, assessments, and other exclusive benefits.

What is the Agency Tech Assessment, and why should agencies complete it?

The Agency Tech Assessment is one of the best places for an agency to start.

It helps agencies answer important questions like:

• What technology are we currently using?
• How well is it working?
• Where are we underusing tools?
• What gaps exist in our stack?
• Where should we focus first?

Casey emphasized that the assessment gives Catalyit a baseline understanding of the agency. That makes future consulting conversations more useful because they start with real information instead of assumptions.

The value is not just in taking the assessment. It is in what comes next.

Agencies get an analytics dashboard, a clearer view of their stack, and a starting point for internal discussions and future planning.

Can agencies update their Tech Assessment later?

One attendee asked whether the Tech Assessment could be updated after submission. The answer was yes. Catalyit can reopen the assessment so agencies can make changes, answer new questions, and refresh the data behind their dashboard.

That matters because technology changes. New tools get added. Existing tools get replaced. Questions evolve over time. Catalyit’s assessment is designed to reflect those changes, not freeze the agency in one moment.

What are the most common technology mistakes limiting agency growth?

One of the best moments in the webinar came when an attendee asked what common tech-related mistakes limit revenue growth.

Casey’s answer was direct.

The biggest problem is often not technology itself. It is process.

If an agency does not have clear standard operating procedures, it becomes much harder to implement new tools well. It also becomes harder to get full value from the technology the agency is already paying for.

In other words, buying more tools does not solve broken processes.

Casey used a simple analogy. If your agency technology is like a kitchen and the blender is hidden behind the couch, no one is going to make smoothies. The problem is not the blender. The problem is that it is not in the right place, with clear expectations for how it should be used.

That is why agencies need:

• Clear workflows
• Standard operating procedures
• Defined ownership
• Intentional use of systems
• Better integration between tools

Technology works best when it supports a clear process.

What is Agency Compensation 360?

In addition to the Tech Assessment, the webinar also highlighted Agency Compensation 360.

Comp360 helps agencies understand how independent agencies across the country are compensating employees. That gives leaders more insight when thinking about hiring, retention, salaries, and benefits.

Once an agency completes the Comp360 survey, it gains access to the analytics dashboard and can begin exploring the nationwide data.

John Barbour noted that this data set is growing across dozens of states and offers agencies a valuable way to benchmark their compensation approach.

Why should agencies take this seriously now?

John Barbour made an important point during the webinar.

This is not a tool to sign up for and forget.

It is a member benefit meant to start a bigger conversation inside the agency.

Agencies that are growing quickly today are often the ones taking technology more seriously. They are finding efficiencies, improving workflows, and creating better internal systems than many agencies thought possible even a few years ago.

That does not mean every agency needs to become a technology expert overnight.

It does mean every agency should start.

Where should agencies begin?

If your agency is unsure where to start, the webinar offered a simple path:

Step 1: Sign up for Catalyit
Get access to the Full Member Benefit.

Step 2: Complete the Agency Tech Assessment
Build a baseline understanding of your current tech stack.

Step 3: Review your analytics dashboard
Look for gaps, pain points, and opportunities.

Step 4: Book your free consultation
Talk through your results with the Catalyit team.

Step 5: Keep the conversation going
Use the guides, demos, education, and consulting support to move forward with more confidence.

Final takeaway

Independent agencies do not need more noise.

They need clarity.

That is what Catalyit is built to provide.

With IIAG now offering Full Access at no cost to members, agencies in Georgia have a real opportunity to better understand their technology, benchmark their current setup, and make smarter decisions about what comes next.

The future of agency growth will be shaped in part by how well agencies use technology.

Catalyit helps make that challenge easier to understand and easier to act on.

Ready to make better technology decisions for your agency?

Sign up for Catalyit, complete your Agency Tech Assessment, and start building a clearer path forward.

Unlock Full Access Now