Accurate and well-managed data is the foundation for success in M&A. Connecting your Agency Management System (AMS) or uploading your book of business data is the single most important step to unlocking the full power of the Milly Books platform. This data is the fuel that powers our Book Valuation Engine, enables strategic portfolio segmentation with Slices, and drives our intelligent Matching Engine.
This guide will walk you through our flexible and secure connection methods, explaining how to upload your book of business and what happens to your data once you do.
Step 1: Choose Your Connection Method
Milly Books offers several pathways to integrate your data, designed to fit your agency’s specific system and preferences.
Method A: Automated Sync with Hawksoft
This is our most seamless and automated method, ensuring your data is always current with minimal effort.
Step 1: Opt-In within Your Hawksoft Account:
- Log in to your Hawksoft account and navigate to the Marketplace.
- Find the Milly Books listing, accept the terms to enable data sharing, and copy your Hawksoft AMS ID (Contract ID number) from the License Info section.
Step 2: Connect Your Account in Milly Books
- Log in to your Milly Books account, go to the Book Management section, and click the “Connect my AMS” button to launch a guided wizard.
- When prompted, enter your Hawksoft AMS ID to activate the integration.
What Happens Next:
- The initial data synchronization will occur automatically within 24 hours, followed by automatic weekly policy updates to keep your valuation and insights consistently current.
Method B: Connecting via Vertafore Book Roll (for AMS360, etc.)
This method uses Vertafore’s secure portal for a controlled, agency-initiated data transfer.
Step 1: Initiate the Export in Your Vertafore AMS
- Log in to your Vertafore AMS (e.g., AMS360), navigate to the “TransactNOW Book Roll” feature, and define your export criteria (company, LOB, date range) to select the policies you wish to transfer.
Step 2: Review the Export Log for Errors
- After initiating the export, locate and open the AMS360BookRoll_Processed.log file.
- If the log contains a list of policies, those policies have data errors that must be corrected within AMS360 before you proceed. Resolving these errors at the source is essential for data accuracy.
Step 3: Upload to the Vertafore Book Roll Website
- After a successful export, log in to the Vertafore Book Roll website, select the open invitation from Milly Books, and upload the exported XML file(s).
- Monitor the upload status on the site until it shows “Closed”.
What Happens Next:
- Vertafore securely delivers the files to Milly Books for processing. You will be notified when your policies are available for review in the “My Book” section.
Method C: Manual Upload for Any Other AMS
This flexible method works for any AMS that can export a policy report. Learn more here.
Step 2: Understanding What Happens to Your Data
Once your data is uploaded, it is protected by our comprehensive security framework and refined by our sophisticated internal quality engine.
A Foundation of Trust: How We Protect Your Data
We have placed an uncompromising priority on the security and privacy of your data.
- Data Minimization and Anonymization: Our most critical security measure is that we never store sensitive client information. Details like names, contacts, and Social Security numbers are systematically excluded. We use an anonymized client ID to protect privacy while maintaining data relationships.
- Secure Transfer and Storage: We use industry-standard security protocols like SFTP and secure APIs for data transfer. Your processed data is stored securely in an encrypted relational database with strict access controls.
- Your Data, Your Control: Your agency’s data remains your sole property. All data sharing decisions are made exclusively by you.
The Data Quality Engine: Ensuring Accuracy
To provide accurate valuations, your raw data is transformed into a standardized, high-quality format.
- Proactive Data Validation: The system checks for the presence of all required fields and verifies correct data types, flagging any mismatches for your review.
- Intelligent Transformation and Mapping: Data is automatically transformed for consistency (e.g., state names are abbreviated). The platform then intelligently maps fields like Carrier and Line of Business to a standardized master list. Your custom mappings are saved to increase efficiency for future uploads.
By connecting your AMS, you provide the data needed to power accurate valuations, strategic Slicing, and intelligent matching on the Milly Books platform. Ready to connect your agency’s data to powerful M&A insights?
Step 3: Leveraging Expert Support for Success
Powerful technology is most effective when paired with expert guidance. To unlock the platform’s full potential, we recommend adopting best practices and leveraging the support of the Milly Books Success Team.
Best Practices for Maximizing Your Experience
- Master Your Data: The accuracy of our platform depends on the quality of your data. Ensure your data is clean and accurate at the source (within your AMS) before you begin.
- Leverage Core Features: Actively use features like Slices to perform granular analysis and obtain precise valuations for specific segments of your book.
- Stay Engaged: Interact with the platform by responding to notifications and exploring your dashboard to stay aware of new opportunities.
The Milly Books Success Team: Your Expert Partner
Our dedicated Success Team is a vital resource, providing personalized assistance and deep platform knowledge. Our team can manage the entire data import process for you—from review and cleaning to mapping and uploading. We can also provide expert support to help you craft a compelling listing that attracts the right buyers and offer general guidance to ensure you can navigate the platform with confidence.
By combining best practices with the expert support of the Milly Books Success Team, you can fully leverage our powerful tools to achieve your M&A goals with confidence and efficiency.
Ready to connect your agency’s data to powerful M&A insights? Create your free and secure account on Milly Books today.
Need extra help? Connect with our Success Team today for assistance in creating your account, integrating your data, or creating your first listing!