Disruptive Technology and Insurance Policy Administration Systems (PAS)

As 2017 rolls relentlessly on, disruption seems to be the biggest buzzword out there. Besides political systems and global relationships, it applies equally to insurance, and especially insurance technology. At Oxbow Partners they’ve produced a handy guide to Policy Administration System investment and purchase.

Oxbow Partners’ conclusion is surprising to many, but not those who follow insurance technology. Their advice, essentially, is to check what is available from third party suppliers before going down the (usually very expensive) route of building your own. Their justification for this can be expressed in three simple steps.

1. Requirements
Before building or buying software, it is best to know what you want it to do, and be able to express this clearly. If you don’t know what you want, it is highly likely that what you eventually select will be a huge disappointment. For example, in the UK, the BBC embarked on a project to create a digital media management platform, DMI. After five years of over-run and changes, and investment of nearly GBP100 million, the project was quietly scrapped; by then there were much better, and cheaper,  off-the-shelf alternatives available.

2. Review and Refine
Once requirements are decided upon and possible solutions tabled, it’s important to review everything to make sure there is still a good fit. If not, refine your scope further.

3. Proof of Concept
It’s not just enough to hear that a proposal will work for you. Smart businesses will demand to see proof of concept so that they know their purchase is fit for purpose.  Failure to do this can be costly, as the Swedish government found out with their armed forces logistics system, which is still partly unusable, after expenditure of USD470 million over eight years.

At InsuredHQ we have packaged our innovative offering to Insurers and Brokers in three different ways, so that you can choose which works best for you. Our belief in customization, so that one size doesn’t have to fit all, puts you in control. Contact us today to discuss your requirements, and we’ll be pleased to demonstrate our proven, cost-effective systems.