Five tips for successful modernizing

Wright's strategy demonstrates how insurers can modernize quickly and affordably. Here are five tips based on their experience:

1. 1. 1. Define your goals. For Wright, those were broker retention and controlled expenses.
    2. Know your obstacles and make a business commitment to address them. If you know you have a cultural shift ahead, make supporting that a priority.
    3. Choose a vendor with industry experience (ask your network for recommendations) and a history of meeting deadlines. They should listen well and have a grasp of all business drivers and goals.
    4. Commit to investing time for face-to-face communication between your stakeholders and vendor to identify and prioritize needs. Include the people who are going to be using the technology, not just management.
    5. Embrace outside perspective from your tech partner. It can lead to surprising and creative solutions.

Patrick Barton is a business development specialist with Infinity Software Development, Inc. in Tallahassee, Florida. The opinions expressed here are his own. To reach this writer: BartonP@infinity-software.com

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