Business

Revolutionizing insurance with innovative self-service fuel

As the insurance sector enters the Insurtech 2.0 age, carriers need to create a flexible, innovative business environment.

As more and more consumers become tech-savvy, the insurance sector has witnessed a shift in consumer preference toward self-service portals. Over the course of the last five years, the percentage of claims processed digitally through automated processing and through mobile apps has climbed from single digits to 55%.

Insurance firms are faced with an evolving trend that requires them to retain personal engagement with clients during crucial moments while optimizing the benefits of digital tools. In addition to facilitating their workflows, digital solutions enable insurance agents to enhance their client experience services.

To meet customer expectations as the insurance industry enters the era of Insurtech 2.0, a journey driven by digital experiences, insurers should construct a strong digital system, make use of cutting-edge capabilities from ecosystem partners, and optimize their distribution channels.

Embrace digital platforms for investment

Using digital platforms, insurers may improve accessibility and convenience by enabling customers to purchase, renew, and manage their policies online. The Gen Z and millennial populations are accustomed to this kind of frictionless, user-friendly, and streamlined service from their insurers. Gen Z, who are digital natives with 95% of them possessing mobile devices, exhibit tech savvy in how they interact with insurers and buy plans.

With a templated approach to allow varying degrees of customization, low-code and no-code solutions on the backend of these platforms are accelerating the delivery of digital apps for insurers. Companies can create customized platforms by simply dragging and dropping the features they require to meet different needs.

Collaborate with pioneers in the Insurtech ecosystem

Insurtech ecosystem partners have caused a major upheaval in the insurance industry by bringing their creative and agile digital-first solutions into fundamental systems to meet changing client expectations. Insurtech platforms, for instance, facilitate the easy access, integration, and analysis of data across many business lines by insurers through their data analytics capabilities.

Precision in risk assessment and management for properties is made possible by geospatial data, while actionable insights are unlocked and improved emergency management and decision-making are facilitated by radar and satellite data.

A further illustration would be the expanding use of embedded insurance. In response to the growing gig economy, some businesses are providing insurance to drivers via meal delivery apps so they can reach their clients wherever they are. Consumers’ daily lives are impacted by the use case. Over 30 percent of insurance transactions will take place through embedded channels in the next five years.

In addition to improving customer satisfaction, insurers can open new growth potential by partnering with insurtech businesses in ways that benefit both parties.

Enhance traditional distribution channels using digital technology

By utilizing digital tools, insurers may improve their current distribution channels and enable agents and brokers to provide noticeably better client service. Online quoting and policy binding is one such tool that helps insurers stay efficient even as they transition to the self-service model.

Simplified communication between clients, brokers, and agents is made possible by digital tools, which enhances customer satisfaction and may even raise retention rates. Insurance companies that provide digital tools to their intermediaries are better positioned to hold onto their market edge.

Anticipating the future

Older customer generations won’t be left behind in the shift to digital self-service. To help customers navigate this new digital self-service paradigm, insurers must offer customer education and support. They also need to place staff members in the best possible positions to assist those customers who need to speak with an expert.

Insurers may contribute to the development of an innovative and adaptable insurance market as digital transformation progresses and cutting-edge technologies such as generative AI gain traction. Digital tools enhance the human element of insurance by comprehending the needs of policyholders and offering customized coverage, creating an experience that is streamlined and motivated by empathy.

Revolutionizing insurance: The Internet of Things (IoT) era

The internet has changed how we live, work, and connect with others. Now, with the proliferation of connected devices, we are entering a new era—the Internet of Things (IoT).

The Internet of Things encompasses a vast array of interconnected devices imbued with sensors and sophisticated software, empowering them to seamlessly gather, analyze, and exchange data.

This intricate web of connectivity enables devices to communicate with each other creating a dynamic ecosystem where information flows freely among various endpoints.

IoT in insurance

The integration of the Internet of Things in the insurance sector brings forth a plethora of advantages. From efficient customer service to simplified claims processing, IoT not only prevents risks and losses but also significantly reduces operational costs.

By utilizing data from internet-connected devices, IoT-connected insurance refines the understanding of risks. For instance, in auto insurance, risk assessment is usually done using historical data and actuarial statistics to establish a customer’s risk profile, ultimately determining the premium.

Now, with IoT devices like vehicle sensors and smartphone apps, real-time data can be collected, recorded, and processed leading to more accurate premiums.

IoT applications in insurance

• Telematics in auto insurance

Telematics, a prime example of IoT implementation in auto insurance, utilizes sensors installed in vehicles to collect real-time data on driving behavior. This data enables insurers to personalize premiums based on individual driving habits, promoting safer driving practices and reducing the risk of accidents.

Using Snapshot, a telematics program by Progressive, the insurer gathers real-time data to understand the driving habits of its policyholders. Premium discounts are given to drivers who drive safely.

• Smart home devices in property insurance

In property insurance, smart home devices such as security cameras, motion sensors, and leak detectors have revolutionized risk mitigation. By continuously monitoring homes for potential hazards, these devices help prevent damages, minimize losses, and enable insurers to offer tailored coverage to homeowners.

Since 2015, American Family has partnered with Ring Video Doorbell to offer homeowner’s insurance. If you install the latter’s doorbell equipped with a Wi-Fi-enabled camera as part of your homeowner’s coverage, the company will reimburse your deductibles in case of burglary.

• Wearables in health insurance

Health insurance has embraced wearables like fitness trackers and smartwatches to promote wellness and reduce healthcare costs. These devices monitor users’ vital signs, activity levels, and overall health, allowing insurers to incentivize healthy behaviors and provide personalized coverage plans.

As an example, John Hancock Life Insurance Co. includes a Wellness Incentive Benefit Endorsement. With it, policyholders can benefit from premium savings, Amazon gift cards, travel discounts, and more by engaging in health and wellness activities like regular exercise while using an approved fitness-tracking device.

• Drones in crop insurance

Drones equipped with high-resolution cameras and sensors conduct aerial surveys of agricultural fields, capturing detailed imagery of crop health, moisture levels, and pest infestations. Insurers analyze this data for accurate risk assessment, identifying potential hazards like drought or flooding.

Today, drones and specialized software like Pix4Dfields are used to assess crop damage in agricultural policies backed by the Risk Management Agency under the U.S. Department of Agriculture.

In addition, loss adjusters can swiftly assess affected assets and survey hard-to-reach places using drones, reducing claims costs by up to 30 percent, as reported by Forbes. As a result, claims are expedited and costs are reduced, leading to increased customer satisfaction and profits, respectively.

In conclusion

Despite the remarkable advancements, the integration of IoT in insurance comes with its own set of challenges. From data privacy and security concerns to the need for standardization and interoperability, insurers must navigate this complex maze of unfamiliarity to achieve gains brought by the Internet of Things.

Traverse the social sphere: Building brand presence for insurance companies

In today’s digital age, social media platforms have become invaluable tools for businesses to connect with their audience, foster brand loyalty, and ultimately drive growth. For insurance companies, leveraging social media effectively can be a game-changer in building brand presence and engaging with customers.

1. Know your audience

Understanding your target demographic is crucial for any marketing strategy, and social media is no exception. Insurance companies should research their audience demographics, preferences, and pain points to tailor their content and messaging accordingly. Whether it’s millennials seeking health insurance or homeowners looking for comprehensive coverage, knowing your audience allows you to create content that resonates with them.

2. Consistent branding

Maintaining a consistent brand identity across all social media platforms is essential for building brand recognition and trust. Use consistent colors, logos, and messaging to reinforce your brand’s identity. This consistency helps customers recognize your brand amidst the clutter of social media and fosters a sense of reliability and professionalism.

3. Engaging content creation

Insurance may not be the most inherently exciting topic, but that doesn’t mean your social media content has to be dull. Get creative with your content by sharing informative articles, engaging infographics, client testimonials, or even behind-the-scenes glimpses of your company culture. Interactive content such as polls, quizzes, or live Q&A sessions can also encourage active participation from your audience.

4. Utilize visuals

Visual content tends to perform better on social media platforms than text-only posts. Incorporate eye-catching visuals such as images, videos, and animations to grab users’ attention as they scroll through their feeds. Whether it’s showcasing the benefits of a particular insurance plan or explaining complex concepts in a visually appealing way, compelling visuals can significantly enhance your social media presence.

5. Provide value

Rather than bombarding your audience with promotional content, focus on providing value through educational and informative posts. Share tips for saving money on insurance premiums, advice on risk management, or updates on industry trends and regulations. By positioning your brand as a trusted source of valuable information, you can establish credibility and foster long-term relationships with your audience.

Conclusion

Building a brand presence and engaging with customers on social media requires a thoughtful and strategic approach. By understanding your audience, maintaining consistent branding, creating engaging content, providing value, actively engaging with your audience, and leveraging influencers and partnerships, insurance companies can effectively navigate the social sphere and cultivate meaningful relationships with their customers.

Unveiling insights: The intersection of data analysis & the insurance industry

In today’s data-driven world, businesses across various sectors are harnessing the power of data analysis to make informed decisions, drive efficiencies, and unlock new opportunities. Among these industries, the insurance sector stands out as a prime example of how data analysis is reshaping operations, mitigating risks, and enhancing customer experiences.

1. Understanding the data landscape

The insurance industry is inherently data-rich, with vast amounts of information collected through policy applications, claims processing, underwriting, and customer interactions. This wealth of data encompasses demographic details, risk factors, claim histories, and more. Analyzing this data provides insurers with invaluable insights into market trends, customer behaviors, and emerging risks.

2. Predictive modeling for risk assessment

One of the key applications of data analysis in the insurance sector is predictive modeling. By leveraging historical data and advanced analytical techniques such as machine learning, insurers can assess risk more accurately. Predictive models help identify patterns and predict the likelihood of future events, enabling insurers to price policies effectively and optimize underwriting decisions.

3. Fraud detection and prevention

Fraudulent claims pose a significant challenge for insurers, leading to financial losses and reputational damage. Data analysis plays a crucial role in detecting and preventing insurance fraud. By analyzing various data points such as claim histories, transaction patterns, and behavioral anomalies, insurers can flag suspicious activities and investigate them further, ultimately reducing fraudulent losses.

4. Personalized pricing and customer insights

Data analysis empowers insurers to move away from traditional one-size-fits-all pricing models towards more personalized approaches. By analyzing customer data, including demographics, lifestyle choices, and previous interactions, insurers can tailor pricing and coverage options to individual needs. Additionally, data analysis provides valuable insights into customer preferences, enabling insurers to enhance their products and services accordingly.

Conclusion

In conclusion, data analysis is revolutionizing the insurance industry, driving innovation, and transforming traditional business practices. By harnessing the power of data, insurers can better understand their customers, manage risks effectively, and improve operational efficiency. As the industry continues to evolve, data analysis will remain a cornerstone of success, enabling insurers to thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape.

AM Best: Recent insurance layoffs not primarily due to AI

AM Best doesn’t think that Artificial Intelligence (AI) is the main reason why so many people have lost their jobs in the insurance business recently.

The credit rating agency recently said in a report that “it is too soon to cite AI as the leading cause of the job losses, at least at this nascent stage.” He said that the layoffs are more likely to be in “the cyclical, rather than the structural, category.”

The rating agency said that structural unemployment is when jobs are lost because of changes in the system, the use of technology, or a mismatch between what the business needs and what the workers can do. Employment changes caused by the business cycle are called cyclical unemployment. AM Best said, “This seems to be the case in the insurance industry.”

Recently, Liberty Mutual, American Family, and GEICO all said they were cutting staff. This new information comes after those companies. According to AM Best, the most recent layoffs have an impact on personal lines insurance the most. This will have the most impact on personal lines insurance because loss ratios and underwriting margins are being pushed down by rising climate risk, loss cost inflation, and reinsurance capacity and price.

The commentary stated that the recent layoffs by insurers alone do not indicate any pressure on ratings

AM Best did say that advances in artificial intelligence will slowly change the job outlook in the insurance business. AM Best stated that many insurance companies are testing generative AI because they think it could help them with customer service. They also said that the level of industry disruption will depend on how fast AI develops in the coming years.

AM Best also mentioned that it’s still not clear what effect generative AI will have on jobs, but it will probably change the way society works as current workers learn how to use the power of this new technology.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics says that insurance companies and other related businesses have slowed down their hiring to about 1,100 jobs in October. This was less than the number of new hires in September (3,900) and July (8,300), according to the BLS.

There have also been layoffs at insurance technology companies. Earlier this year, Hippo, Branch Insurance, Corvus Insurance, and Pie Insurance all said they were letting people go. Thimble, NEXT, Lemonade, and Root were some of the insurtechs that cut staff last year.

Understanding the role of a Managing General Agent

Without having to incur the usual costs of expansion, MGAs can provide insurers with an affordable way to enter new or niche markets.

What is a managing general agent? This piece will focus on giving a clear definition of managing general agents (MGAs) instead of going into detail about their uses, history, and growth.

The following list of factors determines whether a person or thing is an MGA:

1. Anyone or any group that manages all or part of an insurance company’s business, such as the restricted administration of an insurance company’s division, department, or underwriting office; and

2. Acts as an agent for that insurer by doing the three things below, either by themselves or with other companies; this is true no matter what the agent’s title is (e.g., “agent,” “MGA,” etc.) or whether the MGA is authorized by the insurer to do these things.

A. Writes gross direct premiums equal to or greater than 5% of the insurer’s policyholder surplus (as shown in the insurer’s most recent annual statement for any given quarter or year); or

B. Underwrites gross direct premiums equal to or greater than 5% of the insurer’s policyholder surplus (as shown in the insurer’s most recent annual statement) in any given quarter or year; or

C. Either

i. Changes or pays out claims worth more than $10,000 each; or

ii. Negotiates coverage on behalf of the insurer.

In general, look at MDL 225, which is the NAIC Managing General Agents Act.

In short, an MGA is a person who oversees how an insurer does business, writes some of the insurer’s business, settles or adjusts some of the insurer’s claims, and either works with the insurer to arrange reinsurance or brings in new business. Things aren’t always so simple, though.

Unique aspects of each state

All 50 states, the District of Columbia, and the Virgin Islands may have different rules and thresholds than the Model Act. This is because the above summary is based on the Managing General Agents Act (the Model Act) of the National Association of Insurance Commissioners (NAIC, id., § 2(D)).

Based on California law’s description of MGA, for example, it looks like a person or business can be considered an MGA just by negotiating reinsurance (Cal. Insurance Code §769.81(c)). On the other hand, Texas law has a very different—possibly more literal—definition of an MGA. It only looks at whether the person or organization can accept or process policies made and sold by other agents and whether they have control over an insurer’s local agency and field operations (see §19.1202(3) of the 28th Texas Administrative Code). Surprisingly, though, the New York rule sticks much more closely to the Model Act’s description of MGA, with no clear differences – check out N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 11, §33.2 – it lowers the amount of money that can be paid out for adjusting and changing claims from $25,000 to $10,000, which is what the Model Act said.

Exceptions. Obviously, the Model Act lets some people and groups off the hook from being seen as MGAs when they might otherwise be qualified for exemptions. To give you a quick rundown of these exceptions:

1. An employee of the insurance company,

2. A U.S. branch manager stationed in the U.S. of an overseas insurance company,

3. An associated underwriting manager who oversees all or part of the insurance company’s contractual activities and whose pay is not based on the number of written premiums; or

4. An attorney-in-fact for a reciprocal insurer or interinsurance exchange subscriber acting under power of attorney.

Because of the large amount of underwriting and production that would usually be too much for one person, many MGAs are businesses rather than people. Because of this, some states, like New York, have done away with the first clause and replaced it with the third one. As for the holding company act protection, it applies to all affiliates, no matter what services they provide to the insurance company (N.Y. Comp. Codes R. & Regs. tit. 11, §33.4(a)). This move gives captive agencies and the insurers that work with them a little more room to breathe. These companies do cost-effective underwriting and claims management in-house. It was likely partly caused by the huge rise in the number of hostage agencies that have been set up and used over the years.

License terms and responsibilities

What does it mean if you’ve proven that you meet the legal standards to be an MGA in at least one state? MGAs need to keep their licenses up to date in the state where the risk is located or where the insurance is based (NAIC Managing General Agents Act, MDL 225, §3).

Granting licenses

The rules for getting a license may also be different in each state. Most of the time, the MGA will need to keep another license in addition to its production license. It might even be necessary to have extra IDs for everyone who works for the MGA. Some states, like New York, don’t have a specific type of license. For example, an MGA’s producer license gives it a license. This means that the insurer is mostly responsible for any extra registration requirements, like making sure that the right MGA-specific appointments are set up and forms are filled out and sent in (see the OGC Opinion from December 18, 2002, and the Department of Financial Services’ Managing General Agent Appointment and Termination).

Responsibility

Becoming an MGA can mean taking on a lot of duties, such as more attention from regulators, binding contracts, and reporting obligations. These may be more important than any new license standards that might or might not need to be met.

As per the Model Act, “the MGA’s actions are taken to be those of the insurer for whom it is acting… an MGA may be examined as if it were the insurer,” (see NAIC Managing General Agents Act, MDL 225, §6. To be clear, that quote is all of Section 6 of the Model Act). It basically tells MGAs that officials will take their duties very seriously. As many who have helped producers through regulatory examinations at the insurer level can tell, these exams are not right for the average producer.

Also, the Model Act has a lot of complicated rules that must be written in every contract that controls the MGA’s services, even though it is the insurer, not the MGA, that is mostly responsible for reporting.

Key points

There are without a question many good reasons to become an MGA. For starters, MGAs can be a good option for insurers that want to get into a new or niche market because they don’t have to pay the normal fees. This means that any MGA that has the tools to let the insurer enter the market in question (for example, having previously approved goods) is in a very good position to make a lot of money.

Because of this, an agent who only brings in business would never want to be seen as an MGA unless they really do the things that a state’s MGA guidelines say they should do. This is why many people are told to get rid of the words “managing general agent” or “MGA” from their insurance policies. That word doesn’t seem to change the fact that someone or something is an MGA, so why even bring up the idea that you might be providing services that are only available to MGAs?

This increases danger and scrutiny from regulators for no reason, even if it’s small. For example, if a regulator looks at an agreement with the wrong title while looking at an insurer, the regulator may investigate the producer’s responsibilities and license status. Also, using the terms incorrectly could lead to confusion about the services covered by the insurance contract when there shouldn’t be any confusion at all.

You should think about this: “Do I underwrite insurance, adjust or pay claims, negotiate reinsurance, or even just manage elements of an unaffiliated insurer’s business?” If the answer is “yes,” you should look over the laws about handling general agents in each state where you have a producer license.

Unlocking the potential of big data: Transforming the landscape of insurance and insurtech

Within the quickly developing insurance and insurtech industries, “big data” is becoming a widely used term. Professionals in the insurance sector examine how it is spurring innovation and its ramifications for risk assessments, policy pricing, and client relations.

Huge amounts of organized and unstructured data that are gathered from many sources and, upon analysis, can yield insightful information that helps inform business choices and boost operational effectiveness are referred to as “big data.” However, what does it signify for the sector and how is it changing the way that insurance is traditionally provided?

Insurance companies view big data as a treasure trove. It is derived from a variety of sources, including risk information, social media interaction, internet behavior, claim histories, and client demographics. Even real-time data from networked devices, such as automobile telematics and smart home systems, is included.

The ability of the sector to gather, handle, and analyze this data on a massive scale is radically changing how insurers evaluate risk, set policy prices, and communicate with clients.

According to industry reports, big data is rapidly changing the insurance sector by facilitating more precise risk assessment, enhancing customer experience, expediting the claims handling process, and improving underwriting and pricing.

Innovative domains

There are various applications for big data. Managing risks is one of the main applications.

Insurance companies can obtain a better knowledge of the risks connected to various coverage options by evaluating vast volumes of data from numerous sources. Insurance companies may be able to better manage the risk exposure in their portfolios and price insurance with greater accuracy thanks to this.

Unfortunately, conventional data processing methods are often unable to readily process and interpret these massive amounts of data because of their complexity and vastness. This data is being analyzed by insurance companies using sophisticated analytics technologies.

The examination of this data aids insurers in customizing their policies by providing a deeper understanding of the risks connected to various business kinds. Big data helps insurers to manage risks more efficiently, make data-driven choices, and improve customer service—especially in the context of cyber insurance. There will likely be more creative applications of big data in the insurance sector in the future as machine learning and data analytics advance.

Others concur that big data, which is being used in a variety of insurance-related sectors like pricing, underwriting, claims administration, risk reduction, and fraud detection, can assist insurers in making better decisions and streamlining their operations.

Big data is being used, for instance, in pricing and underwriting to more precisely assess risk and spot trends that can influence future claims. Underwriters are in a better position to assess various risks when they have access to more data.

Big data can be utilized in claims management in other contexts to detect fraudulent claims and enhance the effectiveness of claims processing. With the ability to handle claims more quickly and precisely, operational efficiency has increased, and customer satisfaction has increased.

AI unleashed: Is the genie out of the bottle?

As per the analysis of industry experts, the insurance sector must remain inventive and adaptable as client demands change. Among these is the effective use of big data.

Big data’s importance has grown in tandem with technological advancements. The importance of data in insurance, for instance, has been and will continue to be influenced by major technical developments such as distributed ledgers. Any additions or modifications made to a distributed ledger are instantly duplicated to all participants, as it is a database that is shared and synchronized across numerous sites, institutions, or geographical locations. The technology they employ is the same as blockchain technology.

A typically analog sector will also be shaped by immutable data ledgers. By ensuring that the data is accurate from the start, this will pave the way for more efficient risk transfer and improve the client experience.

The craze surrounding ChatGPT is a prime example of the industry’s recent surge in interest in and application of generative AI. Insurtechs have been reported to be able to power better client experiences already thanks to AI, especially in terms of expediting access and guaranteeing a more tailored experience for each customer.

In terms of generative AI utilization and implementation, the last quarter was undoubtedly a “genie in the bottle,” and as businesses and the industry grow accustomed to privacy and security, generative AI will probably find its way into a wide range of use cases.

Experts in the field of cyber insurance pointed out that, in the face of a sharp increase in cybercrime worldwide, technological advancements have played a critical role in the use of big data. The insurance industry as a whole is striving to adopt new technologies in order to control the cyber risks associated with its insureds, as both insurers and brokers are finding it difficult to keep up with the quickly growing cyber vulnerabilities.

Large volumes of data can be processed and analyzed rapidly and effectively by new technologies like machine learning and AI-powered tools. This gives insurers and brokers access to insights and the ability to spot trends that would be challenging and time-consuming to find using conventional approaches.

Next frontiers in the realm of big data

The insurance sector has found new prospects for growth and improvement thanks to the use of big data. Future decisions about risk underwriting and transfers are expected to be further solidified by it, according to industry sources.

In the realm of cyber insurance, insurers will be better equipped to assess and price risk thanks to big data risk analytics’ capacity to handle vast amounts of data and identify trends and patterns. This will create a more stable and long-lasting cyber insurance market by giving insurers quick access to actionable threat intelligence.

Regarding the use of big data in insurance going forward, many more encouraging opinions have been voiced. Large data has the promise of enhancing consumer experiences, streamlining processes, and enabling even more precise risk assessment. The insurance industry is expected to grow further as insurtechs search for fresh data sources and techniques for delivering it to insurers.

In terms of data, technology, and transparency, the insurance sector may lag the larger financial services sector, therefore innovation and digitization are highly anticipated in this space. That means there’s a great chance to improve the consumer experience by addressing inefficiencies and fostering growth.

As we move forward, many businesses would like to see more insurtechs and insurance companies work together so that the latter can take advantage of the latter’s vast industry knowledge and state-of-the-art, potent technologies.

Many believe that the insurance sector should make greater investments in data analytics and technology. More connectivity and collaborations across insurtechs would help alleviate the outdated systems that continue to hold back a lot of participants.

Ensuring a compelling digital workplace is vital for attracting the next generation of insurance professionals

About 70% of youthful workers said that if their expectations for the digital experience were not fulfilled, they would think about quitting the organization.

Policyholders are not the only ones who want the simplicity and ease of use that come with cutting-edge digital experiences and communication equipment. The next generation of insurance professionals will be drawn in large part by innovative digital experiences, according to a survey by Riverbed Technology LLC that surveyed 92% of executives in the financial services and insurance sectors.

A significant portion of CEOs (92%) surveyed stated that investment in digital experiences (DEX) will be a key priority over the next five years due to the expanding significance of this field.

If DEX expectations were not realized, about 70% of millennials and Gen Z employees said they would think about quitting their firm. The same proportion of respondents claimed that a company’s performance, reputation, and productivity may all suffer if these expectations weren’t met. In fact, according to Riverbed, a smooth DEX was valued higher than free coffee and snacks and monthly office happy hours as a workplace bonus.

The cloud and artificial intelligence, according to about half of survey participants, are the most significant technologies that will grow more and more “business-critical” during the next 18 months. App and network acceleration, DEX management solutions, and automation tools are other technologies that Riverbed claims are becoming more and more important.

These days, as more and more digital natives join the FSI workforce, it’s imperative that strong DEX solutions are in place. This is not just to maintain the productivity of Gen Z and millennial employees, but also to reduce risk, automate procedures, guarantee the efficiency of client financial transactions, and enable top talent to work with greater strategy.

Furthermore, it is observed that although delivering enhanced digital experiences is getting harder, it is good to see that most industry leaders understand the value of DEX and are investing to fix any flaws.

Regarding obstacles impeding DEX advancements, 36 percent of executives stated their organization has sufficient observability tools, while 34 percent cited financial limitations and 32 percent stated they had an excessive amount of data to analyze. Another 29% claimed they lacked the necessary SaaS apps or cloud services to provide a flawless DEX.

While businesses are trying to enhance DEX, 34% of CEOs reported that they are having trouble finding IT staff. Since 94% of survey participants stated that IT is now more accountable for business innovations than it was three years ago, this is impeding business modernization.

Additionally, 45% of decision-makers in the financial services and insurance industries stated that while they have IT personnel to make changes, they lack the requisite skill sets to put improved digital tools into practice. But according to 85% of study participants, they have set aside money for employee retraining.

The vital importance of personalization for P&C insurers

Personalized messaging, offers, and experiences at scale are becoming more than simply an unprecedented opportunity for P&C insurers due to mounting competition and rising customer expectations. Any carrier hoping to take a sizable lead over competitors may find it to be strategically necessary very soon.

Digital channels have witnessed a major transformation in recent years, affecting far more industries than only insurtech. The current environment has made users more in need of tender affection and care; thus, they are now demanding a high degree of personalization from all businesses, including P&C insurance.

They actually demand it, that is how much they value it. More than seven out of ten customers increasingly demand personalization as a given when interacting with businesses, and over seventy-six percent become irritated when they don’t, according to McKinsey. Personalization can have enormous benefits as well. Revenue improvements of 10% to 15% are possible for businesses that excel at customization; best-in-class performers can see rises as high as 25%.

Although this movement was started by industries other than P&C insurers, it is now the responsibility of the industry’s companies to keep up if they want to stay relevant in a very competitive market.

For many insurers, putting these solutions into practice—which send clients individualized messages including coverage options, policy recommendations, and all the related policy documentation—can be intimidating.

This is even more true when you take into account that this degree of personalization is available via text messages, emails, in-app offers, call centers, and more—across both digital and human channels—at every stage of the consumer experience.

Are these radical adjustments, though, worth it? Is it better for P&C insurers to take a risk? Why introduce such a system and what would be the benefit?

First, compared to the ongoing usage of mass, one-size-fits-all communications or discrete campaigns employing simple segmentation or personas, customization can help reduce client acquisition expenses by 50%.

Additionally, it can support insurers in maintaining and growing their portion of current industry earnings. According to McKinsey, for example, U.S. auto insurers might benefit an extra $5.5 billion if they use customization to hold onto just 10% of the $55 billion in direct written premiums that are transferred annually between carriers.

The true difficulty lies in perfecting personalization at scale throughout the insurance life cycle, but these evident cash flow benefits will undoubtedly have carriers on the lookout for change.

In order to do this, carriers with a contemporary, cloud-based insurance platform have an inherent advantage. In the absence of a bespoke system, you are forced to switch between fragmented systems, which prevents true scalability.

For instance, the Guidewire Cloud Platform provides omni-channel, tailored customer communications for the billing, claims, and policy processes.

For scalable, customized communications, Guidewire has partnered with Smart Communications, a market leader in conversation management platforms.

Everything is managed by a single, cloud-expandable platform, which means that there is no need to maintain different systems and that scalability is unlimited as needs for channels, storage, and other resources increase.

Incorporating a more customized strategy into their present systems can yield a swift return on investment for P&C insurers with the appropriate solutions in place. The personalization necessity isn’t limited to P&C insurance, as devices like Guidewire have already assisted carriers in launching personalized communications at scale in over 100 installations globally in a timely and economical manner. The time has come.