Broker Systems · Technology · Process Improvement
AI agents
Designed around defined brokerage tasks, with staff judgement kept central.
Specialist training for the Irish insurance sector
Help your people get more from the systems they already use.
Practical training for insurance brokers, MGAs and other firms across Ireland. Simplify processes, reduce administration and make better use of the technology your people already have.
Training shaped aroundhow your team actually works
13 yearsInsurance underwriting & business development
15 yearsWorking as an insurance broker
Since 2019Delivering specialist broker systems training
Across IrelandPrimarily remote, with onsite training available
What changes
Less repetition. Better use of systems. More confident staff.
No two brokerages use Applied Relay or Open GI in exactly the same way. Training starts with how your staff use the system today, adapting the existing process to make it clearer and more efficient rather than imposing a replacement system or generic new procedure.
Bespoke tools & AI-assisted training
Practical solutions built around the way your brokerage works.
Some processes need more than standard software training. Derek develops practical tools and AI-assisted solutions around the way each brokerage actually works, then provides the training needed for staff to use and maintain them confidently.
Forms & registers
Practical information-capture systems shaped around the real process.
Workflow tools
Internal case-management tools that reduce repeated administration.
Reporting tools
Excel and management-information tools that make the numbers easier to use.
The emphasis is not on selling software. It is on giving your team a practical solution, the knowledge to use it properly and the ability to manage the process themselves.
Core training areas
Connected expertise, not isolated software lessons.
Broker systems & workflows
Applied Relay and Open GI training grounded in everyday broking processes, from data capture to document issue.
- Workflow review and improvement
- Staff-led process training
- Clearer reporting and management information
Microsoft 365
Help staff use familiar tools properly, with training connected to their actual workload rather than generic features.
- Outlook and inbox management
- Teams for internal collaboration
- Excel, Word, SharePoint, OneDrive and Planner
Documents, forms & automation
Training and tailored tools that reduce repeated administration while remaining manageable for the team.
- Applied Relay and Open GI document packs
- Jotform setup, templates and training
- Excel quotation and rate engines
Practical AI
Responsible, useful AI training for broker staff, with professional judgement and client information kept front of mind.
- Safe working practices
- Useful day-to-day applications
- Procedures, prompts and staff guidance
Specialist document training
Review and modernise your letter and document templates.
Many brokers have document templates that have not been reviewed for years. Training covers how to update Applied Relay and Open GI templates, consolidate documents into practical new-business and renewal packs, and help staff issue them consistently.
How the training works
Start with the people doing the work.
1
Observe
Staff demonstrate the real process, including workarounds, duplication and recurring frustrations.
2
Simplify
Small, useful changes are introduced first so the team can feel the benefit quickly.
3
Equip
Practical tools and training are developed around the process, not imposed from outside it.
4
Embed
Staff are trained, feedback is used and the approach becomes part of the working day.
Popular training
Make Outlook work for you, not the other way around.
Move from thousands of unread emails and memory-based follow-up to a clear daily system for action, waiting and filing. The goal is not an artificial zero. It is an inbox where important work has a clear next step.
Ask about Outlook training →Before
2,486unread
Emails marked unread as reminders
Follow-up kept in memory
After training
- 7Actions today
- 12Awaiting replies
- ✓Completed and filed
Inbox under control
Management information training
Turn exported data into something you can use.
Broker systems contain valuable information, but it is often exported into spreadsheets that are difficult to interpret. Training helps owners and managers identify the numbers that matter, understand what the data is showing and turn it into clearer reports and dashboards.
- New business, renewal and conversion trends
- Staff activity, workload and outstanding work
- Insurer performance and operational patterns
Business overviewClearer information
NBRenewalConversionActivityTrends
About Derek
Insurance experience behind every piece of training.
I spent 13 years in insurance underwriting and business development, including eight years as a Business Development Manager, followed by 15 years as an insurance broker. In January 2019, I began providing specialist broker systems and technology training. I understand how a brokerage actually works because I have worked on both the insurer and broker sides.
I have a genuine passion for technology and new ideas. I continually train and educate myself as AI and other technologies develop, then spend time working out how they can be used practically in the day-to-day operation of a brokerage.
Today I work predominantly with independent brokers, as well as MGAs and other firms across the Irish insurance sector. I am also a member of the Applied User Group and coordinator of Source Brokers.
The approach is deliberately practical: understand the work, improve it with the team and leave staff able to use and maintain the solution.
“
Technology should solve a problem, not create another one.
Derek BalfeClient experience
Practical training that makes a measurable difference.
“Derek has been an outstanding asset to our company. His training provided a wealth of knowledge on systems and practical ideas for improvement, all explained in plain English. We have seen less repeated administration and more consistent processes. In particular, the time saved through improved documentation has been a game changer in our office. I would happily recommend Derek Balfe Training to any business looking to improve efficiency for both staff and clients.”
“Derek is an excellent trainer with a natural ability to break down complex information and make it easy to understand.
He has helped us address numerous areas, including some we had not realised needed attention, by streamlining workflows and showing us practical ways to work more efficiently.
Following his training, I have become more confident using tools such as Excel. We have also improved how we gather information from customers and turn it into clear, customer-friendly documents and efficient submissions for insurers.
Derek’s depth of knowledge is exceptional. He understands a broker’s business and requirements, as well as the information insurers need. He readily shares practical tips and shortcuts that make everyday tasks quicker and reduce repeated administration. He always takes the time to ensure that everything is clearly explained and fully understood.
I would be very happy to recommend Derek Balfe Training.”
Free practical resources
Guides and short lessons you can use with your team.
Start with an updated guide to AI privacy settings, then explore short training videos and practical ideas for safer, more effective use of AI and everyday systems.
Explore resourcesA practical conversation
Want to get more from the systems your staff use every day?
Call or email Derek to discuss the process, system or training need you are trying to improve.