Disasters represent a moment of truth for P&C insurers tomake good on their promise to policyholders while fostering goodwill. Successful fulfillment of this obligation is contingent uponthe performance of claims organizations, which must in turn rely onimpeccable disaster response protocols, as well as the proficiencyand self-possession of individuals comprising catastrophe adjustingteams.

A mastery of logistics, appropriate vendor partnerships, andstaffing—hiring and nurturing the right talent—is only half thebattle. To emerge from a large-scale loss such as Sandy with bothreputation and policyholder loyalty intact, insurers must commit tomodern, flexible claims technology.

Arrested Development
However, agiletechnologies obviously require an earnest managerial commitment aswell as a monetary one, and if the findings of a late-yearAccenture survey of 50 P&C insurance companies serve as anyindication, this is a difficult proposition. When asked whethertheir companies lack the flexibility to address consumers' evolvingneeds, by and large, claims execs said "yes." In fact, 85 percentof survey respondents admitted to this organizational deficit.