From Carrier Appointment To Live Rating In Weeks Not Months
For MGAs and wholesalers, time to market determines whether a program succeeds or stalls. Carrier appointments are hard won, but many programs lose momentum waiting months for rating tools, issuance workflows, and accounting to come online.
This delay is not caused by carriers. It is caused by fragmented systems and one off integrations.
This is why the Selectsys Commercial & Specialty Rating Platform was built to move programs from carrier appointment to live rating, binding, issuance, and accounting in weeks rather than months.
Why Program Launches Take Too Long
Most program launches follow a familiar pattern:
- Carrier appointment is finalized
- Rating requirements are documented
- Tools are evaluated or built
- Issuance workflows are created separately
- Accounting and reconciliation are addressed later
Each step introduces dependencies. Each dependency introduces delay. By the time the program is live, market opportunity has narrowed.
The Real Bottleneck Is Not Rating Alone
Many teams assume rating is the long pole. In reality, delays come from:
- Disconnected rating tools
- Manual quote to bind handoffs
- Issuance built outside the rating system
- Accounting configured after go live
- Rework caused by data inconsistencies
Solving one piece does not solve the whole.
What Fast Program Launches Require
Programs that launch quickly share common characteristics.
1. A Platform That Already Supports Multiple Models
Fast launches depend on platforms that already support:
- API based carrier rating
- ISO based rating where required
- Proprietary rating for program business
Building these from scratch every time is what causes delays.
2. Pre Built Quote to Bind Workflows
When quote to bind workflows already exist, teams avoid redesigning processes for each new carrier or program. This reduces configuration time and testing cycles.
3. Integrated Policy Issuance
Issuance must be part of the same platform that handles rating and binding. When issuance is added later, teams are forced to reconcile data across systems and delays compound.
4. Accounting That Is Ready at Go Live
Programs fail quietly when accounting is an afterthought. Premiums, fees, commissions, and carrier payables must be configured alongside rating and issuance, not months later.
How MGAs Launch Programs In Weeks
MGAs that consistently launch programs quickly do not reinvent their stack for each opportunity.
They use platforms that:
- Reuse existing carrier integrations
- Extend rating logic instead of rebuilding it
- Apply standardized issuance workflows
- Connect accounting from day one
This approach compresses timelines dramatically.
Where This Matters By Line Of Business
Speed to market is critical across major commercial and specialty lines:
Programs in these lines lose value with every week of delay.
Why Six Weeks Is A Realistic Target
With the right platform, onboarding a new carrier or program does not require rebuilding core workflows.
A realistic six week timeline includes:
- Mapping carrier rating logic
- Validating underwriting rules
- Configuring issuance and documents
- Connecting accounting workflows
- Testing end to end execution
Platforms built for reuse make this possible.
What Slows Teams Down Most
The biggest sources of delay are predictable:
- One off integrations
- Manual data mapping
- Separate issuance tools
- Post launch accounting fixes
These are architectural issues, not staffing issues.
What This Means For Program Leaders
If your programs routinely take months to launch, the problem is not your team or your carriers. It is your platform. Speed to market is a structural advantage. Platforms create it. Tools do not.
Conclusion
Carrier appointments create opportunity. Platforms determine whether that opportunity is captured. MGAs and wholesalers that launch programs quickly invest in platforms designed for reuse, expansion, and execution across rating, binding, issuance, and accounting. That is how programs go live in weeks, not months.
Next Steps
Explore how a production ready platform supports rapid program launches:
Or see how this applies across key lines:
