April 11, 2026 · Updated September 5, 2026
The best automation purchase starts with an unfinished job in your agency. It might be preparing an application from dec pages, organizing renewal follow-up, comparing carrier results, or connecting two systems. Buying the wrong category can leave that work untouched.
We build Relay, so this is an agency workflow guide rather than an independent ranked product test. Use it to decide what to evaluate and what evidence to ask for.
Start with the tool you already have
Modern agency systems can do more than maintain records. Before adding software, ask your current provider to demonstrate the relevant workflow and the features in your plan. For example, AMS360 publishes automation capabilities alongside agency management.
Record what remains after that demonstration. A feature available somewhere in a product family is not necessarily configured for your agency, but an existing capability may solve the first problem.
Match the category to the task
| Your unfinished job | Category to evaluate | Proof to request |
|---|---|---|
| Compare supported carrier pricing | Comparative rating | Your carriers, lines, states, and complete result path |
| Coordinate dates and follow-up | AMS or CRM workflow | Ownership, reminders, exceptions, and record history |
| Move information between systems | Integration or workflow platform | Exact fields, direction, triggers, and failure handling |
| Prepare work from client files | Document or agency workbench | Source information, draft deliverable, and review |
| Perform a supported website task | Browser automation | Approved access, visible actions, result, and recovery |
| Coordinate varied administrative work | A trained colleague or service provider | Scope, authority, supervision, and handoff standards |
Products can span categories. A provider's current demonstration matters more than a fixed boundary in a comparison chart.
Rating and browser work can overlap
EZLynx, PL Rating, and Tarmika publish rating or quoting offerings. Confirm the supported workflow for your book instead of assuming every result is preliminary or every carrier needs manual re-entry.
Browser automation performs actions through a site. It still needs supported inputs, an approved access arrangement, and a process for missing information or changed requirements. It does not acquire universal carrier support merely by using a browser.
General automation is not just a recorded mouse path
Platforms differ in how they identify and operate interface elements. Microsoft's Power Automate documentation describes selectors and UI elements, rather than requiring absolute screen coordinates. AI-based products can also use several techniques together.
For an agency owner, the operating question is who builds, validates, and maintains the workflow. Ask how your team handles an interruption and what expertise is needed over time. Avoid assuming that either a no-code label or an AI label removes maintenance.
Compare total task cost
Obtain current terms for users, usage, setup, support, and connections. Add agency training and review effort. Do not choose from generic hourly rates or subscription estimates that omit the actual scope.
Measure representative completed tasks before estimating savings. Keep staff capacity distinct from cash savings and exclude unproven revenue or retention effects. The manual quoting worksheet provides an example method.
What Relay should prove
Relay can be evaluated on applications, proposals, certificates, client-file questions, and configured browser workflows. Start with one task and a useful output your team can inspect. Confirm the input, missing answers, review, and return to the agency record.
A successful pilot gives the owner a repeatable task a colleague can complete. Expand from observed results, using Relay's platform pages to choose the next workflow.
Choose one piece of client work and see how Relay helps prepare it.