Insurers Must Combine Tech Agility & Intelligence

LAS VEGAS--Learning from rapid landscape changes that occurred through the financial crisis, insurers are looking for agile systems that can change with the marketplace, but carriers also must incorporate customer intelligence into their technology decisions, analysts said.

Speaking at an analyst panel discussion during the ACORD/LOMA Insurance Systems Forum here, Craig Weber, senior vice president with Celent's insurance practice, said the insurance industry has a "swagger" about it as companies believe they are ready to move forward from the financial crisis.

He said many of Celent's clients feel they have weathered the storm of the recession, and are now looking to be successful in new ways. "We've battened down the hatches," he said, describing insurers' sentiments, "let's take the assets we have and do something."

Matthew Josefowicz, director, Insurance with industry analyst Novarica, said insurers saw how quickly things can change in the financial services sector during the crisis, and now understand the critical importance of agility in technology. "[That] message has gotten through over the last few years," he said.

But Kimberly Harris-Ferrante, a vice president and distinguished analyst at Gartner Research, said agility as a technology concept must be balanced by customer intelligence--understanding who the customers are and what they want--otherwise insurers will simply have great new ways to make the same old products. "Just being agile doesn't work," she said.

Mr. Weber said some carriers overplay agility as a short term need. Companies pay a lot of money for agile systems, he said, but he questioned how much value these insurers will get from those systems within six months.

Even with a "Ferrari system," he noted, the realities of the business mean it still takes time to get products into the marketplace.

Mr. Josefowicz said some executives will always believe it is "cheaper to do nothing," but he said companies should look beyond the short term or else it will be the "same drill" when they are unable to bring products to the marketplace faster going forward.

He also said the industry should begin to examine whether it can take all of the information it has about loss prevention and turn that into perceived value for customers. Consumers have a negative view of the industry, he said, because insurers are only visible when something bad happens.

Ms. Harris-Ferrante said a client of hers in Florida has made strides in this area.

She said as a hurricane approaches the region, the carrier pulls up its clients in the storm's path and calls them to discuss mitigation. The insurer also attempts to find clients deals for mitigation efforts at home improvement stores in the area.