Case Study
Lightwell Insurance Advisors
Lightwell Insurance Advisors is a specialty insurance agency focused on churches, ministries, and faith-based nonprofits.
The Customer
Lightwell Insurance Advisors is a specialty insurance agency focused on churches, ministries, and faith-based nonprofits. With more than 40 years of experience serving religious organizations, the agency has built its reputation around a simple philosophy: deeply understand the organizations you serve and become a trusted advisor, not just an insurance provider.
Today, Lightwell serves churches, schools, camps, mission organizations, denominational offices, and other faith-based nonprofits throughout South Carolina and Florida, helping them navigate increasingly complex insurance and risk management needs. In addition to insurance, the agency also provides employee benefits, HR services, and payroll solutions designed specifically for ministries.
Headquarters: Greenville, South Carolina
Experience: More than 40 years serving ministries and nonprofits
Specialty: Churches & Faith-Based Nonprofits
"Ninety-nine percent of our book of business is churches and faith-based nonprofits. That's our bread and butter here at our agency."
Unlike many agencies that spread their focus across multiple industries, Lightwell has intentionally built its business around serving a single niche. That specialization allows the agency to provide deeper expertise, stronger carrier relationships, and a more consultative client experience.
Lightwell's mission is rooted in helping ministries focus on their purpose by protecting the people, property, and programs that support their work. As the company puts it: "When your mission is protected, ours is fulfilled."
The Challenge
As Lightwell continued to grow, so did the volume of submissions moving through the agency.
Like many commercial agencies, the team was spending significant time collecting information from clients, completing ACORD applications, and preparing submissions for carriers. The work was repetitive, manual, and consumed valuable employee time.
"We're filling out ACORDs every day."
While many agencies accept this as a normal cost of doing business, Lightwell decided to take a closer look at what the process was actually costing them.
In 2022, the agency conducted an internal analysis of the time employees were spending completing ACORD applications and gathering submission information.
The results changed how they viewed the problem.
"When you really start looking at that data and those numbers, you're saying, 'My team member that might get paid X amount every year is taking X amount of time to fill out an ACORD. That is then costing me how much?'"
For a relationship-driven agency, every hour spent entering data into forms represented time that could have been spent serving clients, strengthening carrier relationships, or supporting growth initiatives.
The question was no longer how to complete applications faster. The question became whether highly skilled employees should be spending their time completing forms in the first place.
"Where else can that money be going? Into our agency. Into our clients' relationships. Into providing more value to our clientele."
Lightwell began searching for a solution that could automate the intake and submission process while fitting naturally into the agency's workflows.
The team evaluated several options.
"We reached out to seven different companies."
But functionality wasn't the only consideration. The agency also wanted a partner that would be responsive, collaborative, and committed to continuously improving its product.
The Solution
After evaluating multiple vendors, Lightwell selected Sembley.
The agency was looking for a platform that could help automate one of the most time-consuming parts of the submission process: collecting information and translating that information into completed ACORD applications.
Sembley provided the combination of document ingestion, data extraction, and ACORD automation that Lightwell was looking for.
"Sembley was filling that gap on AI ingestion and data-driven completion of those ACORDs."
Instead of manually re-entering information into applications, the agency could leverage Sembley to extract information, populate forms, and reduce the amount of administrative work required for each submission.
This allowed employees to spend less time on paperwork and more time on the relationship-focused work that differentiates the agency.
Beyond the technology itself, Lightwell found value in Sembley's responsiveness and willingness to partner closely with the agency.
"If there's a problem, a concern, or a question we have, I email you. I email your general support email. And I get a response that day."
"Sembley has been a breath of fresh air."
Why They Chose Sembley
For Lightwell, the decision ultimately came down to two key factors.
Reducing Administrative Work
The agency wanted to eliminate as much manual ACORD completion and data entry as possible, allowing employees to focus on serving clients and growing the business.
Finding a True Partner
Lightwell wanted more than software. They wanted a company that would listen to feedback, respond quickly, and continue investing in the product over time.
"We reviewed all of them and narrowed it down to Sembley and one other company."
The combination of automation and responsiveness ultimately made the decision clear.
The Impact
Since implementing Sembley, Lightwell has significantly reduced the amount of employee time dedicated to completing ACORD applications and preparing submissions.
More importantly, the agency has been able to redirect that time toward higher-value activities that strengthen client relationships and support growth.
"Since we've adapted Sembley, we've seen a 75% cut in ROI loss based on the time saved for our employees."
For Lightwell, the impact isn't measured solely in hours saved.
It's measured in what those hours can now be used for.
Instead of spending time moving information between documents and applications, employees can focus on advising clients, supporting ministries, building carrier relationships, and delivering the personalized experience that has defined the agency for more than four decades.
"Where else can that money be going? Into our agency. Into our client relationships. Into providing more value to our clientele."
The result is a more efficient submission process, a stronger client experience, and a technology partner that continues to evolve alongside the agency.
"It's not a product that's just sitting docile and it's going to be what it is. It's always, 'Hey, we're working on the next best thing.'"
