P&C insurance companies today are in a highly competitive situation as customers have more options and purchasing power than ever.

Consumers have access to an enormous amount of information through online research and social media recommendations, and can obtain quotes and buy policies without ever talking to an agent. In fact, Deloitte surveyed small-business consumers and found that one in five would be very likely to buy insurance direct from carriers over the Web if given that opportunity.

Increased competition and policy shopping online have decreased customer loyalty, making customer communications and engagement more important than ever. Also, consumers now demand real-time, personalized customer service and support. To embrace this evolution, P&C insurers are increasing efforts to digitize and automate customer-related business processes.