Achieving Faster Quote to Bind with Automated Submission Intake Platforms for Small MGAs

MGA Insurance Software for Fast Digital Quoting

MGAs have long been at the forefront of innovation in the insurance industry — from providing coverage for niche and high-exposure risks to leveraging data to design unique insurance products. A key driver of MGA success in the current insurance market cycle is speed.   

MGAs are able to innovate at a pace that is difficult for traditional carriers to match. This includes adapting quickly to emerging risks, launching new products, and most critically, delivering fast quotes to customers. In 2026, rapid turnaround has become a top priority for MGAs looking to win new business. To achieve accelerated quote-to-bind cycles, MGAs must invest in MGA insurance software for fast digital quoting. 

Importance of Reducing Submission Processing Time in Half for Small MGAs  

MGAs work with various distribution channels, including agents, retail brokers, and affinity partners. When these partners submit new business, they are rarely approaching just one MGA or carrier. A broker often reaches out to multiple MGAs and insurers for a quote. In many cases, the business goes to the one that responds first. 

Providing a quick turnaround can be difficult. Underwriters are often working against the clock, combing through multiple documents and contacting brokers to collect missing information. This is where MGA insurance software for fast digital quoting can transform manual underwriting into a standardized process, effectively reducing submission processing time for small MGAs. 

Automated Submission Intake

The first step toward delivering faster quotes is automating data extraction from submission documents. Underwriting teams often spend excessive time manually re-keying data from multiple document types. In 2026, a major priority for underwriting leaders is reducing time spent on data entry so teams can focus on assessing risk.  

Automated submission intake platforms for small MGAs use Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) to extract and contextualize data from common submission documents such as:  

• SOV spreadsheets  
• ACCORD PDFs  
• Loss run PDFs  
• Supplemental forms  

According to Carey Geaglone of Datos Insights (Top Trends in P&C Insurance), IDP tools have reached nearly 90% accuracy, making them highly effective for document-intensive workflows like insurance submissions.  

Many automated submission intake platforms integrate seamlessly with existing insurance underwriting workbenches, ensuring a low learning curve for underwriters. For MGAs offering agent or broker portals, the same submission automation capabilities can be extended externally. By automating manual data entry, MGAs take a critical first step toward faster digital quoting. With platforms that standardize submission data across multiple formats, MGAs can reinvest time saved from manual rekeying into better customer service and more informed underwriting decisions.  

With the increase in complex loss exposures, the role of brokers are evolving from distribution partners to "risk advisors" according to EY. Making it imperative for MGAs to invest in technology that equips agents and brokers with ease of doing business through portals and automated submission intake that allows brokers to focus on advising and building relationships with clients instead of manual data rekeying.  

Communication with Agents and Brokers 

Incomplete submission data is common in commercial lines. Instead of discovering information gaps late in the underwriting process, modern quote-and-bind insurance software powered by AI can automatically detect missing information and notify agents or brokers in real time.  

Even when a submission must be declined, MGA insurance software for fast digital quoting can apply underwriting rules to assess appetite automatically and trigger a decline notification to the distribution partner. This transparency is essential for maintaining strong broker relationships and accelerating overall quote-to-bind cycles.  

Additionally, to ensure accountability, these automated workflows should include submission intake automation with audit trail, providing full traceability when AI-driven systems make decisions. Governance and oversight are critical as MGAs adopt more intelligent automation.  

Enabling Straight-Through Processing   

For standard cases that clearly fall within an MGA's risk appetite, underwriters shouldn't have to review them manually. This is where Straight-Through Processing becomes powerful. 

A Datos Insights report highlights a relevant trend: "54% of small and midsize insurers still invest in traditional core transformations, yet workbench-first strategies deliver measurable ROI in months rather than years." 

By integrating third-party risk data, MGAs can enrich incoming submissions, understand risk levels, and apply rules for STP. This approach delivers a rapid turnaround on simple submissions, benefiting partners and customers. Allowing underwriting teams to focus on complex risks while simple submissions move from quote to bind in minutes.  

Why MGAs need software for Submission Intake Automation and Audit Trail  

Delivering fast quotes is no longer a competitive advantage — it is table stakes. To meet these expectations, MGAs must invest in submission intake automation with audit trail that converts unstructured submission data into actionable intelligence while integrating tightly with existing underwriting workbenches.  

Insurance underwriting platforms already include rating and underwriting rules that enable automation and straight-through processing. Combined with submission intake automation with audit trail, MGAs can underwrite more business efficiently without increasing headcount.