For Rebecca Amoroso, national insurance industry group leader for Deloitte, her "Global Insurance Industry Outlook" comes down to three issues: the growth imperative, leveraging analytical tools, and managing the complexities of compliance. In her report, subtitled "Issues on the Horizon 2007," she writes: "To succeed in the coming years, companies will need to shorten the time it takes to turn strategy into action and implement their programs with high levels of precision and efficiency."

Amoroso views the emphasis on growth in the industry as organic. "A lot of companies are looking within their organization to determine how they can gain a competitive edge in the marketplace," she says.

One area worthy of attention involves innovations in customer service. Amoroso contends carriers recognize their customers are not just policyholders but also producers–agents and brokers–who sell those policies to the general public. "Carriers must understand what the needs are of the distribution force," she says. "I think a lot of it has to do with being an organization that's easy for agents to work with." This means carriers having the right tools and technology in place to allow agents to better serve and satisfy the policyholder and to write the most business as quickly as possible.