Dustin Marson, Author at EIS https://www.eisgroup.com/author/dmarsoneisgroup-com/ Digital Insurance Platform Wed, 14 May 2025 05:58:19 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.8.1 https://www.eisgroup.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/04/cropped-favicon-512-3-32x32.png Dustin Marson, Author at EIS https://www.eisgroup.com/author/dmarsoneisgroup-com/ 32 32 Is Your Insurance Tech Stack Secretly Sabotaging You? https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/05/14/is-your-insurance-tech-stack-secretly-sabotaging-you/ Wed, 14 May 2025 05:58:19 +0000 https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/05/14/is-your-insurance-tech-stack-secretly-sabotaging-you/ One comprehensive scoresheet to identify weak spots Let’s be honest: if your core system was a direct report, would you give it a performance bonus, or put it on a PIP?  Insurance technology can either be your biggest enabler, or your sneakiest saboteur. It’s rarely neutral.  The thing is, if your company is trying to… Read More »

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One comprehensive scoresheet to identify weak spots

Let’s be honest: if your core system was a direct report, would you give it a performance bonus, or put it on a PIP? 

Insurance technology can either be your biggest enabler, or your sneakiest saboteur. It’s rarely neutral. 

The thing is, if your company is trying to make strategic bets on growth, efficiency, and improved customer experience, using a tech stack that’s out of date with current technological abilities could be working against you. 

But… before diving down a panic spiral of planning a digital transformation project that’s more about buzzwords than utility and results, know there is a smarter way. 

Using a guide to see exactly where your current tech stack is dragging you down and where it’s rightfully holding its own is an essential first step… which is why we’ve put together these scoresheets for insurers to see what improvements would matter most to them. 

Why a scoresheet instead of a shopping list?

Tech vendors love to rattle off endless feature lists like it’s a game of insurance software bingo. But smart, ambitious insurance isn’t about who can show off the shiniest pieces of technology… it’s about who can deliver the actual outcomes. 

These scoresheets flip the script. 

They’re not about checking if your core system has feature X or integration Y. They’re about whether your tech stack actually gives you the leverage you need to achieve the agility, speed to market, customer loyalty, and operational efficiency that you, your stakeholders, and your customers desire. 

They’re a diagnostic tool that helps you evaluate where your core system stands in six high-impact areas, including: 

  • Fast, frictionless, and personalized customer experiences
  • Agility to launch new products quickly
  • Empowering product developers to innovate without IT intervention
  • Engaging with customers whenever & however they choose
  • Providing value beyond insurance policy terms & ecosystem readiness
  • Worry-free operations & less tech debt

It helps you score yourself in each area based on clearly defined criteria, so you know exactly where you stand. 

A reality check that doesn’t sugar-coat or feamonger

What makes these scoresheets so helpful is their honesty. 

They’re not fearmongering: they don’t assume you’re doomed if you haven’t completely re-platformed to the coolest technology out there. They acknowledge that some core systems are doing just fine for now. 

However, if your core system is lacking somewhere, they will show you. They’ll also help you realize that if you’re too far behind in one particular area, you could end up with expensive, fragile workarounds and a customer experience that’s one typo away from a retention disaster. 

How do they work?

This isn’t just a “rate yourself on a scale from 1-10” exercise. The scoresheets have clear definitions of what each score requires, and a well-structured point system. 

Beyond that, they give you language to talk about transformation with your executives, product teams, and IT in a way that’s grounded and actionable. 

Based on your scoring, you’ll get clarity on:

  • What’s working (so you don’t have to bother fixing what isn’t broken)
  • What’s weak (so you can stop applying duct tape to legacy problems & craft a smarter strategy)
  • What needs to be prioritized (so you don’t get behind in the market and/or don’t get distracted with shiny marketing promises of one technology or another)

Download your copy & give your tech its annual performance review

If you’re not sure if or how your tech stack is sabotaging you — or if you want to know where the most critical points of improvement are ‌ — ‌ you need one of these scoresheets. 

They’ll tell you whether your tech is helping you move faster and smarter, of if it’s quietly holding you back with bloated processes, patchwork fixes, and features that sounded great in 2012. 

Think of it as an annual performance review for your technology:  Honest, unbiased, and will  help you both be more productive in the future. 

Download the scoresheet for your line of business using the buttons below:

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Good User Portals Aren’t a Luxury. They’re a Lifeline. https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/04/29/good-user-portals-arent-a-luxury-theyre-a-lifeline/ Tue, 29 Apr 2025 16:57:59 +0000 https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/04/29/good-user-portals-arent-a-luxury-theyre-a-lifeline/ Have you ever tried to navigate an insurance portal that felt like it was designed by someone who hates technology?  We have. And unfortunately, so have many other insurance customers, brokers, and support staff. Bad portals aren’t just annoying; they’re expensive too (even if they are cheap to make). Let’s talk about what’s really going… Read More »

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Have you ever tried to navigate an insurance portal that felt like it was designed by someone who hates technology? 

We have. And unfortunately, so have many other insurance customers, brokers, and support staff. Bad portals aren’t just annoying; they’re expensive too (even if they are cheap to make).

Let’s talk about what’s really going on when your digital experience is stuck in the dark ages.

Bad portals are annoying… 

When poorly designed and poorly-integrated user portals are deployed, it doesn’t take long for users to get incredibly frustrated with them. 

  • Customers can’t figure out what their coverage includes, so they call your service center.
  • Service center staff have to flip through multiple screens on customer info and policy coverages to find the information the customer is requesting. (This can take a long time, especially if the customer has a complex question that requires tracking down multiple pieces of information from different systems.)
  • Brokers can’t track down billing issues, policy information, or customer history without opening ten tabs.
  • Your claims adjusters are toggling through three systems to do one thing.

Clearly, this is really inefficient. 

Customers who have a bad experience will swear themselves to a different company come renewal time. Brokers will start recommending insurers who have better portals — both for their sake and the sake of their customers.

Then, with enough critical mass of bad user experiences, your TNP score takes a hit, and reputation is damaged in the market by horrible word-of-mouth stories. (Making even the “cheapest” portal solutions really costly in the long run.)

… and expensive. 

Yes, they do get costly. 

Confusing screens without the required information trigger support calls. 

Missing data integrations on the backend take up time doing dull manual work that could be used doing something of higher impact. 

Individual customers will churn, and frustrated brokers will start recommending their books of clientele to other insurers. 

The hidden costs behind incoherent user portals rack up quickly: higher call volume, slower sales cycles, and mounting inefficiencies for IT to deal with. 

Further, modern legacy platforms on the backend only make things worse. They’re not made to support the real-time, data-fluid, instant-answers-at-your-fingertips that customers today expect.

Modern Portals Should be Intelligently Connected & Work for Everyone

The best insurers know portals aren’t just a customer perk. They’re the backbone of the insurance experience. Done right, they make everyone’s lives easier:

  • Customers get fast, clean access to what they need.
  • Brokers feel empowered instead of annoyed.
  • Internal teams stop playing digital hopscotch with systems that don’t talk to each other.

EIS Portals are designed for this. We build for real personas with real responsibilities, and we don’t stop at making it look pretty. Our portals actually connect to the data and tools your people need. In real time. Seamlessly.

It’s not just a UI upgrade. It’s a better way of doing business.

Here is an EIS portal for claims adjusters showing our fraud prediction model at work. Real-time data integrations continually adjust the fraud score as information comes in regarding the claim, making it easy for claims adjusters to see all the facts in one place.

EIS Portals: Where real-time data meets a seamless experience

EIS Portals plug directly into EIS OneSuite, but they also play well with others, if you use another system for policy or billing information, for example. 

So whether you’re managing a group benefits enrollment or a property & casualty claim, everyone‌ — ‌from the broker to the policyholder to the claims rep‌ — ‌gets the right view, with the right information, at the right time.

EIS Portals let insurers build personalized, seamless experiences for everyone across the insurance value chain. They’re configurable, persona-based interfaces that connect directly with EIS OneSuite, meaning users get what they need, when they need it. 

This results in fewer frustrations, faster service, and a boost in customer satisfaction and loyalty. 

Because let’s be real: your digital experience is your brand. If your portals are difficult, your customers don’t know why they’re difficult; they just leave and look for something easier.

If you’re ready to stop losing time, money, and customers to clunky experiences, see what EIS Portals can do for you.

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What a Greenfield Project in Group Benefits Actually Looks Like: Pacific Life and Wellfleet Share Their Stories https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/04/15/what-a-greenfield-project-in-group-benefits-actually-looks-like-pacific-life-and-wellfleet-share-their-stories/ Wed, 16 Apr 2025 02:58:03 +0000 https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/04/15/what-a-greenfield-project-in-group-benefits-actually-looks-like-pacific-life-and-wellfleet-share-their-stories/ Most of the noise around digital transformation in insurance focuses on replatforming legacy systems, but that’s not the route these two insurers took.  Pacific Life and Wellfleet both launched new group benefits businesses as greenfield projects, from the ground up.  They both wanted to be truly innovative, and didn’t want tech debt or baggage from… Read More »

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Most of the noise around digital transformation in insurance focuses on replatforming legacy systems, but that’s not the route these two insurers took. 

Pacific Life and Wellfleet both launched new group benefits businesses as greenfield projects, from the ground up. 

They both wanted to be truly innovative, and didn’t want tech debt or baggage from a legacy tech stack holding them down. Instead, they moved with agility from the traditional insurance products they historically offered, and started with a blank slate and a mandate to build something new, fresh, and modern for the group benefits space.

In this Q&A hosted by LIMRA and EIS, leaders from both carriers shared what it really takes to stand up a greenfield operation in today’s insurance environment, and why the decisions they made early on — especially around core technology — are paying off for them now.

Wellfleet: Fast Execution with Clear Intent

As a Berkshire Hathaway company with deep experience in health and accident plan administration, Wellfleet entered the employee benefits space with a clear point of view: if they couldn’t offer a better experience for employers and employees, there was no point in entering at all.

That meant building a fully digital, omnichannel platform to support quote-to-claim workflows across four key products. They called it Lighthouse. With a small, agile team and a cloud-native, API-driven core platform, they launched in just 11 months — issuing their first coverage for a January 1 effective date.

In the full Q&A, Wellfleet discusses: 

  • Why they chose to prioritize a digital, omnichannel quote-to-claim workflow from day one
  • How they launched Lighthouse — their group benefits platform — in just 11 months
  • The critical role of a cloud-native, API-first architecture in enabling agility and integration
  • How a lean team successfully supported four initial products at launch: accident, critical illness, hospital indemnity, and short-term disability
    How digital-first design helped create a more intuitive experience for brokers, employers, and employees
  • Their approach to enrollment data, platform flexibility, and real-time quoting

Pacific Life: Designing for Brokers, Employers, and Employees

Pacific Life also didn’t want to try to adapt old systems for a new business model. As a legacy insurer in the life insurance space, they started clean, with a customer-first approach designed specifically for group benefits.

This meant building event-driven architecture, enabling automation where it saves manual effort, and reserving human interaction for where it matters most. From enrollment to billing to claims, the platform supports real-time collaboration across all users, with flexibility baked in to meet the needs of different client types.

In the full Q&A, Pacific Life discusses: 

  • How they approached enrollment as a core driver of experience and efficiency
  • Why they embraced event-driven architecture and automation (and where they chose not to automate)
  • The importance of balancing digital tools with human empathy in claims and service interactions
    How they handled broker expectations around tech capabilities and platform transparency
    Real-world lessons from billing challenges — and how flexibility made the difference
  • What it takes to maintain confidence in a new platform as adoption grows

Why the Full Q&A Is Worth Your Time

This Q&A isn’t a case of two carriers just tweaking what already existed — or going to the opposite end of the spectrum and deploying a full-on rip & replace transformation. 

These are greenfield builds designed by smart, ambitious insurers to compete in a modern, high-expectation market. Both companies are open about what worked, what was harder than expected, and what they’d recommend to others.

If you’re building something new, or thinking about how to set your next line of business up for success, their insight is refreshingly direct and useful.

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EIS Joins the MACH Alliance: What It Means for Insurers https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/04/04/eis-joins-the-mach-alliance-what-it-means-for-insurers/ Fri, 04 Apr 2025 17:58:21 +0000 https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/04/04/eis-joins-the-mach-alliance-what-it-means-for-insurers/ The post EIS Joins the MACH Alliance: What It Means for Insurers appeared first on EIS.

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Insurance companies are working to catch up with the times, and they’re facing a big question: How do you stay agile in a market where customer expectations, regulations, and risks shift faster than ever? 

The answer lies in technology built for change: flexible, scalable, and designed to integrate seamlessly into a broader ecosystem. 

That’s why EIS has joined the MACH Alliance, becoming the first and only insurance core system provider in this community of technology leaders who’re always keeping an eye on the future.

So, what does this mean for insurers? Let’s break it down.

First, What Is MACH?

MACH stands for Microservices-based, API-first, Cloud-native SaaS, and Headless architecture. In simpler terms, it’s about creating a modular, composable tech stack that lets businesses assemble the best solutions for their needs without being locked into rigid, monolithic systems.

  • Microservices-based: Insurers can build and deploy individual services independently, making it easier to innovate and scale.
  • API-first: Seamless integration with third-party data sources, distribution partners, and insurtechs.
  • Cloud-native SaaS: Automatic updates, improved scalability, and lower infrastructure costs.
  • Headless: The ability to decouple backend systems from front-end experiences for more flexibility.

Many industries, like retail, healthcare, and banking, have already embraced this approach. Insurance, with its historically complex and siloed systems, has been slower to adapt, but that’s changing.

What is the MACH Alliance?

The MACH Alliance is a group of tech companies that champion an open, best-of-breed technology ecosystem built on MACH principles. Members must meet strict technical standards, so being part of this alliance is a signal that your tech is modern, modular, and built for growth.

Their mission is to promote future-proof enterprise technology that gives businesses control, speed, and flexibility. 

For insurance executives, this means a shift away from monolithic systems that slow down transformation and toward platforms designed for rapid innovation and integration. 

What are the MACH Principles?

According to the MACH Alliance’s website, the MACH principles provide a framework for all companies — from MACH-curious to MACH-pro — to help create flexibility and transparency for technology and the people using it. 

They are: 

  • Composable: Composable systems let businesses move fast and stay flexible by adding only the tech they need, while avoiding the trap of all-in-one software that slows them down with rigid architecture and features they don’t want.
  • Connected: Connected, MACH-based systems use headless APIs to enable automation, interoperability, and better user experiences. They do away with the outdated, siloed tech that slows decisions, increases errors, and wrecks the customer experience.
  • Incremental: Incremental, API-first development delivers value faster and reduces risk through small, testable releases, instead of big-bang projects that are rigid, high-risk, and prone to failure.
  • Open: Open means building technology and teams around transparency, interoperability, and shared access to data and functions. This enables organizations to scale, collaborate, and innovate without the friction of closed, siloed systems.
  • Autonomous: Using intelligent, automated processes and adaptable systems allows companies to respond in real time. This frees teams from manual work to focus on continuous improvement and strategic goals.

Why Does All This Matter for Insurance Companies?

For insurers across all lines of business, the shift toward MACH principles isn’t just a “nice to have.” It’s quickly becoming essential for survival in a digital-first world. Here’s why:

1. Faster Innovation, No Core Replacements Required

Historically, modernizing an insurance system meant a painful rip-and-replace project that took years and carried massive risk. MACH principles make it possible to innovate without tearing down everything at once. With an API-first approach, insurers can add new capabilities‌ — ‌like embedded insurance, AI-driven underwriting, or real-time fraud detection‌ — ‌without overhauling their entire core system.

2. Seamless Ecosystem Integration

The days of operating in siloes are over. Whether it’s connecting to distribution channels, digital brokers, or insurtech partners, insurers need open systems that integrate effortlessly. MACH’s emphasis on APIs makes this possible, allowing insurers to connect with best-in-class solutions rather than being stuck with whatever their legacy system provides.

3. Future-Proofing Against Market Shifts

New regulations? Emerging risks? Changing customer expectations? A MACH-aligned core system helps insurers respond to these shifts quickly by adopting new technologies as they emerge, rather than being stuck in lengthy development cycles dictated by a monolithic vendor roadmap.

4. Improved Customer Experiences

Insurance customers expect digital experiences that are as seamless as their favorite apps. Headless architecture allows insurers to build dynamic, personalized experiences across web, mobile, and other digital channels without being constrained by backend limitations.

What This Means for Forward-Thinking, Ambitious Insurers

By joining the MACH Alliance, EIS is aligning itself (and its customers) with the future of enterprise technology by prioritizing flexibility, openness, and rapid innovation. 

For ambitious insurers, this means there is a core system they can rely on to evolve as fast as the market demands, without the weight of older technology stacks holding them back.

“This certification validates what we’ve always believed,” said Mike Dwyer, CTO of EIS, “which is that rigid systems don’t belong in a world that changes daily. We built EIS OneSuite to give insurers the freedom to move fast, integrate easily, and never get boxed in by their tech stack. MACH isn’t just a label for us‌ — it’s how we future-proof our customers.”

Insurance is at a turning point. The question isn’t whether insurers need to modernize, it’s about how they can do it without disrupting their business. MACH provides this blueprint, and as the first insurance core system provider in the MACH Alliance, EIS is committed to making this approach a reality for insurers who want to lead the way forward.

The future of insurance is modular, connected, and cloud-native. 

See the MACH Alliance’s announcement of EIS joining their ranks here

See here: EIS Joins MACH Alliance

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Winning Brokers, Winning Business: How Carriers Can Attract & Retain Broker Partnerships https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/03/25/winning-brokers-winning-business-how-carriers-can-attract-retain-broker-partnerships/ Tue, 25 Mar 2025 19:59:33 +0000 https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/03/25/winning-brokers-winning-business-how-carriers-can-attract-retain-broker-partnerships/ The post Winning Brokers, Winning Business: How Carriers Can Attract & Retain Broker Partnerships appeared first on EIS.

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The Broker’s Dilemma: Why Aren’t More Carriers Stepping Up Their Game?

In today’s voluntary benefits market, brokers aren’t just simple matchmakers between carriers and employers. They’re expected to be trusted advisors, strategists, and tech-savvy problem-solvers to advise employers on the best offers — financially and technologically — for their company.

As a result, they’re scrutinizing carriers like never before. 

So, if your technology is doesn’t serve the purposes needed, your processes are sluggish, or your enrollment is a headache, brokers will recommend a competitor who makes their life easier.

The days of clunky spreadsheets and paper trails are over. Brokers and employers are tired of dealing with core systems that require endless manual work to enroll employees, fix data errors, and process claims. They want carriers who can integrate seamlessly with their HR and payroll platforms, deliver seamless, digital self-service experiences, and automate administrative tasks. 

This is why it’s not enough to have “good enough” products; you need to make them easy to sell, implement, and manage… which is where your technology comes into play.

The MACH Advantage: Why Brokers Love MACH-Based Core Systems

Carriers who want to dominate the voluntary benefits market need to be passionate about going digital. This goes way beyond giving people an online sign-in and letting people fill out enrollment forms on a screen instead of on paper.

Brokers and employers want benefits providers that embrace digital to the point that the basics of HR and payroll system integrations are child’s play, and they’re delighting both them and their employees with modern, personalized digital experiences where policies are easy to access and use.

Managing an individual’s record information or filing a claim should be easy, and not have to involve manual labor from an HR employee.

At EIS, we help insurers shed the constraints of outdated legacy systems with future-proof platform built for the real-time, interconnected world brokers and employers operate in.

Here’s why it matters, following each cornerstone of MACH architecture:

Microservices: Traditional, monolithic systems mean that even a small change, like adjusting an enrollment process, can take weeks. With microservices, each function operates independently, allowing for real-time updates without disrupting the entire system. Brokers and employers get a frictionless, responsive, always-improving system to work with.

API-First: Naturally, HR professionals must handle multiple platforms: from HR to payroll to benefits. An API-first approach ensures seamless integration, meaning they don’t have to deal with broken data flows, delays, or manual workarounds.

Cloud-Native: Scalability and speed are essential. Unlike on-prem systems that struggle to handle peak enrollment periods, a cloud-native system scales effortlessly, ensuring brokers and employers never deal with slow processing times or system crashes during periods of high activity, like enrollment.

Headless Architecture: Customization is key. Whether brokers need a branded portal, a specific employer integration, or real-time dashboards, headless architecture (an optional functionality) makes it possible to adapt the user experience without rebuilding the entire backend.

What This Means for Brokers & Employers

When carriers upgrade to modern core technology like EIS OneSuite, brokers get exactly what they need to confidently recommend a carrier:

  • Fast, hassle-free implementation — No more weeks (or months) of integration headaches. APIs make data exchange smooth and reliable, and the Census and Enrollment Intake enhancement available from EIS makes everything even easier.
  • Real-time data transparency — Brokers can instantly access policy details, billing updates, and claims status, reducing back-and-forth inquiries. They also get transparent reporting on their commissions, helping them make better business decisions as well.
  • Frictionless enrollment and administration — Employers can onboard and manage benefits easily, increasing satisfaction and reducing churn.
  • Seamless connectivity with HR platforms — No more manual data uploads; everything flows between systems effortlessly.

Go from Outdated to Outstanding: The Better Your Tech Stack, The Stronger Your Competitive Edge

The voluntary benefits market will soon only be good for carriers who can meet the rising expectations of brokers, employers, and employees. 

A modern, cloud-based, API-driven platform isn’t just a nice-to-have; it’s the price of admission for insurers who want to win and retain broker partnerships.

At EIS, we make it easy for carriers to deliver seamless, future-proof experiences that brokers love. If you’re ready to make your technology your biggest competitive advantage, let’s talk.

Want to dive deeper into why better carrier admin technology is crucial for success with brokers?

Check out the white paper we published with Voluntary Advantage: The Importance of Carrier Admin Technology. It helps educate brokers on what to look for with carrier technology and functionality, and why it’s so important.

In today’s world, carriers who empower brokers win more business.

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Unifying Customer Data: The Superpower Every Insurer Needs https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/03/12/unifying-customer-data-the-superpower-every-insurer-needs/ Wed, 12 Mar 2025 06:59:10 +0000 https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/03/12/unifying-customer-data-the-superpower-every-insurer-needs/ The insurance industry has spent decades chasing the holy grail of customer-centricity. But let’s be real‌ — ‌without unified, accessible, and actionable customer data, true customer-centricity like today’s leading tech giants can provide (Netflix, Amazon, etc.) is little more than a pipe dream. Why Traditional Customer-Centric Data Strategies Fail Most insurers are sitting on mountains… Read More »

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The insurance industry has spent decades chasing the holy grail of customer-centricity. But let’s be real‌ — ‌without unified, accessible, and actionable customer data, true customer-centricity like today’s leading tech giants can provide (Netflix, Amazon, etc.) is little more than a pipe dream.

Why Traditional Customer-Centric Data Strategies Fail

Most insurers are sitting on mountains of customer data, so lack of data isn’t the issue. 

The problem is that their data is:

  • Siloed across different policy admin and CRM systems
  • Outdated or incomplete due to manual processes
  • Difficult to integrate across digital and traditional touchpoints

These limitations make personalization, proactive customer service, and efficient operations nearly impossible.

EIS CustomerCore: The End of Disjointed Data

However, with EIS CustomerCore™, insurers can finally turn fragmented customer information into a seamless, real-time, 360-degree view of every policyholder. It’s the backbone of smarter decision-making, deeper engagement, and operational efficiency that doesn’t just match today’s expectations but sets a new standard for the industry.

Think of it as the central nervous system for your customer intelligence. It helps insurers who use it:

  • Centralize customer data from multiple (internal and external) sources into one, unified system
  • Enrich and optimize customer information in real time for accurate, actionable insights
  • Integrate customer data seamlessly with policy, billing, claims, and CRM systems
  • Can provide hyper-personalization at scale, helping engaging with their customers like never before

How does CustomerCore do this?

CustomerCore doesn’t just collect data‌. As a part of EIS OneSuite™, it orchestrates customer data across the whole insurance lifecycle to give insurers a living, breathing view of every customer, and to increase customer satisfaction at every touchpoint. Here’s how it works:

  • Real-Time Data Integration: CustomerCore ingests and unifies data from policy, billing, claims, CRM, and external sources, ensuring no data lives in a vacuum.
  • Event-Driven Architecture: Because EIS OneSuite has an event-driven architecture, certain updates in CustomerCore can trigger workflows elsewhere across the insurance lifecycle, enriching the customer experience, making insurance less annoying to interact with, and helping the insurer keep cleaner data records.
  • Seamless Ecosystem Connectivity: With open APIs and pre-built integrations, CustomerCore syncs effortlessly with existing digital tools and touchpoints, from self-service portals to call center platforms.

Together, these capabilities don’t just provide a better data‌ set — ‌they unlock smarter decisions, more personalized experiences, and faster responses to every customer need.

Your Unified Customer Data Strategy Starts Now

If you’re tired of wrestling with outdated customer management systems and data silos, EIS could be right for you. We’ve been the go-to foundation for many ambitious insurers trying to improve operational efficiency and increase customer satisfaction.

To get the full breakdown of how it all works, download our comprehensive guide, Unifying Customer Data with CustomerCore.

 

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Why Inefficient Leave Management Is Costing Insurers & Employers Big Time (And What to Do About It) https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/02/25/why-inefficient-leave-management-is-costing-insurers-employers-big-time-and-what-to-do-about-it/ Tue, 25 Feb 2025 18:58:57 +0000 https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/02/25/why-inefficient-leave-management-is-costing-insurers-employers-big-time-and-what-to-do-about-it/ Let’s face it: leave management isn’t exactly the most glamorous part of insurance operations.  But it’s a quiet powerhouse that can make or break employee satisfaction, HR efficiency, and compliance success.  The AbsenceSoft 2025 State of Leave and Accommodations Report makes one thing abundantly clear: leave management isn’t just an HR headache anymore‌ — ‌it’s… Read More »

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Let’s face it: leave management isn’t exactly the most glamorous part of insurance operations. 

But it’s a quiet powerhouse that can make or break employee satisfaction, HR efficiency, and compliance success. 

The AbsenceSoft 2025 State of Leave and Accommodations Report makes one thing abundantly clear: leave management isn’t just an HR headache anymore‌ — ‌it’s an operational battleground where insurers can either thrive or fall behind.

(Spoiler alert: If your leave management systems still run on manual processes, you’re losing. Big time.)

Here’s what the numbers say — and what insurers can do to fix the cracks in their absence operations before they become chasms.

Leave Requests Are Piling Up‌ — ‌And HR Is Drowning

According to the report, 57% of organizations reported an increase in leave requests over the past year. Of those, a staggering 53% saw requests climb by more than 21%

Add to that an equally sharp increase in accommodations requests, and HR teams are busier than ever. Unfortunately, many are still relying on outdated manual processes that can barely keep up.

For insurers, this is a critical red flag. Manual processes mean:

  • Longer approval times: Nothing says “frustration” like an employee waiting weeks for their leave request to be processed.
  • Higher error rates: Compliance mistakes in leave policies are lawsuits waiting to happen.
  • Overworked HR teams: With the higher leave and accommodation requests, HR teams have a lot on their plate, and are starting to burn out from the overload of manual work involved.

Employee Leave Frustrations Can Be Expensive (Really Expensive)

Employees who feel unsupported during their leave process are more likely to jump ship. When they do, it costs companies 33–50% of an employee’s annual salary to replace them.

Let’s do some math:

  • A company with 5,000 employees and a 10% turnover rate loses 500 employees annually.
  • If inefficient leave management contributes to just 5% of that turnover, that’s 25 employees leaving unnecessarily.
  • At an average replacement cost of $20,000 per employee, that employer is looking at half a million dollars down the drain every year.

And that’s before factoring in the hidden costs: lower morale, lost institutional knowledge, and the damage to your reputation as an employer of choice.

Compliance Nightmares Lurking in the Shadows

Federal, state, and local leave policies are getting more complex by the year, and manual systems simply can’t keep up. From parental leave to caregiver benefits, employers are adding new types of leave at a record pace, but those shiny new benefits mean nothing if they’re not applied correctly.

And as an insurer responsible for payouts to cover certain types of leave, you could face non-compliance fines, reputational damage, and a loss of trust with policyholders if you and their HR departments don’t have your house in order. 

By helping HR departments make sure they’re filing leaves correctly — and that their employees have the right expectations around leave types and insurance payouts — you can save yourself from all kinds of compliance issues and customer experience headaches.

How Group Benefits Insurers Can Turn Leave Chaos into Leave Confidence

Here’s the good news: fixing leave management isn’t rocket science. It’s just a matter of upgrading your tech stack to handle the complexity.

At EIS, we’ve cracked the code with our Absence Management enhancement in partnership with AbsenceSoft that integrates seamlessly into EIS OneSuite™. Here’s how we can help:

  • End-to-End Automation & Real-Time Data Syncing: From leave requests to compliance checks, we eliminate manual workflows and reduce the risk of errors.
  • Compliance Tracking: Stay on top of federal, state, and local regulations without breaking a sweat.
  • Unified Portals: Give employees, HR teams, and insurers a single platform to manage the entire leave process, from request to payout.

The result? HR teams get their time (and sanity) back, employees feel valued and supported, and insurers improve retention while reducing compliance risks. Everybody wins.

A Smarter Future for Leave Management

The 2025 report paints a clear picture: the days of cobbling together leave policies with duct tape and hope are over. Insurers that invest in smarter, integrated solutions won’t just save time and money‌ — ‌they’ll also position themselves as champions of the employee experience.

Interested in improving your leave management processes? Discover how EIS can improve operational efficiency, support your employees, and give your company a competitive edge.

The post Why Inefficient Leave Management Is Costing Insurers & Employers Big Time (And What to Do About It) appeared first on EIS.

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EIS Hackathon 2024: Pushing Boundaries with AI and Innovation https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/01/28/eis-hackathon-2024-pushing-boundaries-with-ai-and-innovation/ Tue, 28 Jan 2025 18:58:32 +0000 https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/01/28/eis-hackathon-2024-pushing-boundaries-with-ai-and-innovation/ At EIS, ambition and innovation are in our DNA, and the 2024 EIS AWS Gen AI Hackathon proved it.  This event wasn’t just a challenge‌ — ‌it was a celebration of creativity, teamwork, and the endless possibilities of AI-driven insurance solutions. With 26 teams, over 135 participants, and groundbreaking projects, we turned ideas into actionable… Read More »

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At EIS, ambition and innovation are in our DNA, and the 2024 EIS AWS Gen AI Hackathon proved it. 

This event wasn’t just a challenge‌ — ‌it was a celebration of creativity, teamwork, and the endless possibilities of AI-driven insurance solutions. With 26 teams, over 135 participants, and groundbreaking projects, we turned ideas into actionable developments. 

The Backstory: A Journey Fueled by Passion for Insurance Technology

The hackathon emerged from a mix of necessity and opportunity. 

With survey feedback highlighting innovation gaps, AWS partnered with us, offering immersive AI workshops to ignite our team’s creativity. Over 300 employees voluntarily attended these sessions, gaining a crash course in cutting-edge AI technology.

From ideation to execution, the hackathon showcased collaboration at its finest. Participants worked across time zones, forming dynamic teams, submitting 26 projects, and blowing our judges out of the water.

The Judging Framework: A Fair, Rigorous Process

The projects submitted from the hackathon were just judged‌ through a multifaceted lens:

  • Complexity: How challenging was the problem tackled?
  • Innovation: Did the idea push the boundaries of what’s possible?
  • Presentation: Was the business value of the project clear and beneficial?
  • Execution: How complete and functional was the project?
  • EIS Technical Fit: How well did it align with our technology ecosystem?

Judges included our CEO, Alec Miloslavsky, our CTO, Mike Dwyer, and SVPs from heads of our product teams. 

The Winners Circle: Game-Changing AI Innovations for Insurers

It was a hard choice, but ultimately three projects won:

  • 🥇 First Place: Dream Team — Smart Quote Generator 
    • This tool generates competitive quotes by extracting insights from competitor policy documents. This innovative solution demonstrates the power of AI in streamlining the quoting process and improving competitiveness.
  • 🥈 Second Place: Panda Team — AI Demand Management Optimization Tool for Business Analysts 
    • This tool empowers business analysts with AI-driven analysis, generating INVEST-compliant user stories to streamline demand management.
  • 🥉 Third Place: Billing Olympus — BillBrain AI Co-Pilot 
    • A smart assistant that revolutionizes the billing setup process with natural, chat-based interactions.

Best in Category Winners: Innovation Across the Board

Because the projects delivered were so impressive, our judges decided to also award best in category along with the top three:

  • SaaS: An AI assistant to validate test environments, recommend further analysis when needed, and assess deployment states post-regression, performance, or batch testing.
  • Business Impact:This project aims to develop an AI-driven solution that autonomously adjusts insurance rate factors, using a chatbot to analyze data and update factors in OpenL.
  • Ready to Use: An AI-driven tool that provides contextual UI guidance and tips based on user profiles, enhancing learning, onboarding, and product knowledge with document and wiki integration.
  • Developer Tooling: A chatbot using NLP and semantic search to simplify API discovery, enabling users to ask plain-language questions and receive precise, relevant documentation.

Beyond the Hackathon: What’s Next?

The event wasn’t just a one-off celebration. It was a springboard for integrating AI-driven solutions into EIS OneOneSuite. Under the guidance of Stephen Price, our new AI architect, these ideas are being evaluated for potential implementation into our roadmap, giving a brighter, more innovative future for our technology and our customers.

A Final Word

The 2024 EIS Hackathon was more than a competition‌ — ‌it was a testament to what happens when you dedicate the power of smart minds to figure out the best way to harness new technologies. (In this case, AI.) With AWS’s support, our team’s dedication, and a company-wide culture of ambition, we’re redefining the possibilities of insurance technology. 

Ready to see what comes next? Stay tuned!

 

 

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How Wellfleet Harnessed EIS to Redefine Voluntary Benefits Insurance https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/01/14/how-wellfleet-harnessed-eis-to-redefine-voluntary-benefits-insurance/ Tue, 14 Jan 2025 19:58:30 +0000 https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/01/14/how-wellfleet-harnessed-eis-to-redefine-voluntary-benefits-insurance/ When Wellfleet Insurance, a seasoned player in health and accident benefit plans, decided to enter the voluntary benefits market, the challenge was clear: stand out, or risk blending into the noise of competitors. Their vision? Build a benefits platform that prioritizes seamless, digital-first experiences for employers and employees alike. And they turned to EIS to… Read More »

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When Wellfleet Insurance, a seasoned player in health and accident benefit plans, decided to enter the voluntary benefits market, the challenge was clear: stand out, or risk blending into the noise of competitors.

Their vision? Build a benefits platform that prioritizes seamless, digital-first experiences for employers and employees alike. And they turned to EIS to bring this vision to life.

Read the case study

The Challenge: A New Playing Field

Voluntary benefits insurance is a vastly different game from traditional group health coverage. For example, in the area of claims handling, speed, accuracy, and customer communication are critical to building trust and loyalty.

Success depends not only on pleasing brokers and employers but also on engaging directly with consumers. Wellfleet knew it needed a strategy‌ — ‌and technology‌ — ‌to juggle these competing priorities.

They knew legacy systems weren’t going to cut it. They wanted a foundation that could integrate effortlessly with enrollment platforms, eliminate data silos, and power a user-friendly quote-to-claim workflow — a critical factor for customer satisfaction in voluntary benefits.

Why Wellfleet Chose EIS 

Wellfleet partnered with EIS to build “Lighthouse,” a custom benefits administration platform designed to redefine voluntary benefits experiences. With EIS OneOneSuite™, they gained access to:

  • Limitless integration capabilities: Lighthouse seamlessly connects with third-party systems for unmatched data fluidity.
  • Operational efficiency: Streamlined claims and enrollment processes empower Wellfleet’s team to serve clients better and faster.
  • A customer-centric approach: By focusing on the user experience, Wellfleet turned an operational necessity into a competitive differentiator.

Customer-Centric Results That Speak for Themselves

Since implementing EIS, Wellfleet has revolutionized its claims process, achieving an average turnaround time of just one day

This speed and efficiency have made their claims handling one of the most customer-friendly in the industry.

As Erik Gray, Wellfleet’s Digital Integrations Practice Leader, put it:

“EIS helped us stay true to our mission of delivering customer-centric insurance solutions. This partnership enables us to provide superior support, setting us apart in the market.”

By choosing EIS, Wellfleet didn’t just transform their operations‌ — ‌they reshaped how customers interact with and perceive their insurance provider.

The Takeaway for Ambitious Insurers

What Wellfleet accomplished isn’t just a case study — it’s a blueprint for insurers ready to embrace modern technology architecture to meet customers and employers where they’re at, and subsequently establish themselves as the go-to insurer in their respective markets.

With EIS, the possibilities are endless: faster claims, happier customers, and a coretech platform that evolves as you do.

Let’s talk about how EIS can help you make it happen. Contact us today.

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InsTech.ie Insights: Key Ingredients to Successful Digital Transformation https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/01/08/instech-ie-insights-key-ingredients-to-successful-digital-transformation/ Wed, 08 Jan 2025 19:59:27 +0000 https://www.eisgroup.com/2025/01/08/instech-ie-insights-key-ingredients-to-successful-digital-transformation/ No two insurers’ digital transformations are ever exactly alike.  That said, when ambitious insurers complete successful transformations, they do tend to have some things in common. The expert panelists at “Designing for a Successful Transformation,” co-sponsored by EIS and InsTech.ie, discussed what some of these things are. We’ve recapped the critical takeaways and have the… Read More »

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No two insurers’ digital transformations are ever exactly alike. 

That said, when ambitious insurers complete successful transformations, they do tend to have some things in common.

The expert panelists at “Designing for a Successful Transformation,” co-sponsored by EIS and InsTech.ie, discussed what some of these things are. We’ve recapped the critical takeaways and have the panel video for you to watch below:

 

 

Webinar Transcript

00:00:00:00 – 00:00:31:05
Unknown
I was a bit perturbed when I saw Patrick’s slides, because I thought maybe it was a snapshot of my career going back some of those very early points and remembering some of those times I’ve worked since Jesus was a child in insurance. and, I rejoined bank robberies in Bank of Ireland when I set up the bank insurance company first, and which is very exciting.

00:00:31:05 – 00:00:58:15
Unknown
And I’ve kind of ricocheted between change and operational roles over, terribly long career. And, I rejoined Bank of Ireland. And you are in specifically at the start of the transformation, going back 4 or 5 years ago, actually. And that transformation really was probably looking to bring maybe slightly Under-invested insurance company really up to date with digital transformation, Replatforming operational transformation.

00:00:58:17 – 00:01:38:15
Unknown
And I suppose were a good way along that journey now, but probably moving into other sectors I play along, I’d like more than halfway and what sort of things we’re looking at here. Advisor portals, customer portal. Yes. So Replatform, you know, so our business is the full waterfront of broad waterfront products, you know, protection, pension savings and investments, you know, individual products, corporate products, and it’s been that mix of working with fintechs and working with maybe more established providers, particularly that have experience maybe across different sectors and exactly to that point, Jerry, I mean, we’ve invested in digital advice.

00:01:38:17 – 00:02:10:11
Unknown
We’ve invested in an advisor portal with ignition. Yeah, we invested in, advisor and customer portal, which has been with Salesforce, and they’ve brought sort of multi-sector experience into that. We’ve invested and migrated on to, really leading edge pensions platform. Smart, smart pension. Exactly. Yeah. And we have then within that sort of overall tool set that we’ve built up over the last number of years, been putting together different component parts and protection being an example.

00:02:11:06 – 00:02:42:00
Unknown
you know, our journey actually started off with a new underwriting rules engine. Really way back at the start. But with the things that we’ve put together and automations we put together, I can have now, protection. Right. First time digital application straight into first and foremost are know your customer verification bit of robotics. Putting it in there straight then into the underwriting rules engine and actually standard rates or with the rating can go live with zero touch.

00:02:42:00 – 00:03:04:10
Unknown
And as an operational leader, zero touch is the nirvana and you’re the essentially the business customer and all this. So yeah, I mean, what’s your role? Well, Chief Operating Officer yeah, I’ll give us a real robot, but let’s take a look. It’s across customer operations primarily, both sort of individual and retail, but it is also across business insurance, which is really important.

00:03:04:13 – 00:03:26:11
Unknown
And managing certain of our key suppliers push. Absolutely. Working really closely with our technology partners and our technology teams in sort of bringing our solutions to life for our customers. Excellent. So we’ll pass that one there. Ryan will come to you. And, thanks for, you’re going to win prize for best rates today. Yeah, I’ve got a client.

00:03:26:11 – 00:03:49:16
Unknown
Appreciate you coming to Ireland. And, the tie. Great. tell me a little bit about one family. So. Yeah. So one family is a mutual in the UK. It’s been around for nearly 50 years. It celebrates its 50th birthday next year. In fact, history is really as an investment business. and particularly in child trust funds, which were a big investment product for, for children in the UK.

00:03:50:18 – 00:04:11:14
Unknown
a couple of years ago, it acquired a company called Beacon Street, which is a protection brand in the UK. and really that’s that was almost the the starting point or part of a bigger transformation that the is going through, which is a pivot from being an investment business to being an investment and scale protection business. So you’re on the protection side of the business.

00:04:11:14 – 00:04:36:10
Unknown
I’m on the protected entity. So 250,000 850,000 protection customers. Yeah. So I mean the business has been on a transformation journey for 3 or 4 years. starting off a tech transformation. So, the business has grown over a number of years through M&A, and that meant that we had a lot of legacy systems. We had about 13 legacy systems, a couple of years ago.

00:04:36:12 – 00:05:02:06
Unknown
And we started off to inject tech transformation faster, moving that onto a single platform. And in the middle of 2023, we actually migrated about 75% of the customers on a single platform. And so when this transformation is complete, what what what’s the benefit to the business going to be from that? Well, I’m going to sort of pick up on Rory, I think, because I think he said earlier it was a value chain driven model, and it’s all about operational efficiency and distribution growth.

00:05:02:06 – 00:05:25:13
Unknown
And I think those are the two things that this transformation predominantly drives. I will pick up on one thing. I was chatting to Lana earlier during the break and, the notion of transformation being finished, I think probably doesn’t exist. I think transformations continue, actually, and it will continue to evolve. This will facilitate sort of channel development 100%.

00:05:25:13 – 00:05:50:07
Unknown
Yeah. So the big thing for us, because we as a brand has been tech constrained historically. So the UK protection market is about 90% intermediated and we don’t play in that market at all today. We play in direct and we play in aggregators. our growth plans are very heavily structured around moving into intermediary. And the replatforming that we’re currently doing allows, allows us to do that.

00:05:50:09 – 00:06:19:23
Unknown
And it’s not a coincidence they hired you to manage the transformation. You a bit of a track record here. I’ve definitely spent quite a lot. I mean, am I externally 25 years old degree here this from the number of, scale system builds and transformations that I’ve done. So yeah, I’ve done a couple of startups, one of which became AIG life, which was sort of evil, last year for 400 and something million, also built a business called up particularly for especially if you’re years ago or.

00:06:20:01 – 00:06:39:17
Unknown
Yeah. I mean, you don’t create a lot of scale kind of transformations and system built a whole lot there for the moment. Alana, you’re very welcome. Do I need that as well? You do. Yeah. Okay. So, Alana. Yes, I say you’re very welcome. I think you’re welcoming us. Appreciate you. That’s really good. Okay. So you actually your career start in banking, is that right?

00:06:39:19 – 00:07:05:17
Unknown
It did. Yeah. I started my career, with HSBC Bank. I held a number of roles, from working in the branch network in central London, which was interesting, dealing with customers, managing sales and service teams before moved, moving into propositions management. And then finally, as a global customer experience manager. So that role entailed working with our local markets to, deliver transformation, but then also at a global scale as well.

00:07:05:21 – 00:07:28:13
Unknown
So what’s interesting here in the panel, we’ve got like Maureen and Ryan are in the depths in their own company. In your role, you’re working with companies sort of across the market. Yeah. So so what are the sort of things that you see. Yeah. So I switched to consulting, back in 2015. So for the last nine years I’ve been working with organizations across all sectors, deliver customer centric transformation.

00:07:29:01 – 00:07:47:13
Unknown
I lead our customer and digital practice here in KPMG Ireland. And, I think there’s, I think what I can share today, and I’m excited to explore more based on the questions that we’re going to be going through, is, you know, what are some of the key ingredients for success? We mentioned? Lots of transformations fail. Or maybe it’s just that they never end.

00:07:48:02 – 00:08:06:12
Unknown
but also, you know, what are the pitfalls to maybe watch out for? and I think I can bring a lens of, you know, multi-sector because I think those really translate across all areas. And, and there’s probably three teams I think you have is one is about getting the vision right, get the delivery right, and then the partnership and collaboration.

00:08:06:17 – 00:08:22:15
Unknown
That’s a sort of key team. So yeah. So whenever we would, you know if we were working start to finish with with clients, you know, we meet them wherever they are in the transformation journey, whether that is at the start line or partway through, because they’re not seeing the results they want. You know, we would go through a process of discovery and vision setting.

00:08:22:15 – 00:08:44:00
Unknown
And I think we spoke earlier about Intel and making sure you’re basing your vision off, you know, what your customers want now, but then what they might want in five years time based on where the market’s going and market trends. and making sure your transformation vision is about that end customer, and how you’re going to get more value for your business and deliver more value to the customers is really key.

00:08:44:02 – 00:09:10:21
Unknown
And then in the kind of development and delivery, there’s definitely things to to look out for, whether that’s governance, whether that’s bringing your people on the journey through, you know, strong communications, choosing the right technology partners, etc. there’s lots of different learnings that, you know, most of which we’re going to cover, right? So I will open it up for questions or should be a few question, but I 1 or 2 I wanted to kick off on and I have asked the panel to be as undiplomatic as possible here, if that’s okay.

00:09:10:23 – 00:09:44:22
Unknown
And, I’m going to go to you first, Maureen, because, look, transformation is a partnership between the business and I.T.. Now, talk me through the relative roles, responsibilities, and how this works. so there’s a few things that work drive me bananas. And people talking about I work in business, or it drives me bananas. So when somebody says that at the start of trying to work together, particularly when they say, you know, I work in it, you know, what about the business?

00:09:44:22 – 00:10:20:17
Unknown
What’s the business take my usual thing is, well, we’re all in the business. So, you know, that’s you’re never going to get off on a good footing with me if you start. And that’s. So we have to correct that straight away. And, you know, we did talk about it I think in the in the last discussion a little bit is, is actually about, you know, people with technology skills, you know, understanding operations and understanding customers having to work really closely together, push, you know, a little bit sort of worried me in the last earlier conversation where we’re talking about data is, yes, you can understand your a lot about your customer from data, but

00:10:20:17 – 00:10:43:03
Unknown
you have to listen to your customer people too. And you know, bringing be a technology partners or some of our own technology people and to hear what our customer people have to say and what our customers have to say firsthand, I think is really, really important. and just maybe a little bit going back in time, quite this split between business and technology and business.

00:10:43:03 – 00:11:12:19
Unknown
And it kind of infuriates me as Eric, quite early on in my career in the Financial Services Industry Association, developed a program which I was lucky enough to go on to, to do a degree in Trinity College on, which was absolutely designed around business and IT people getting qualification together because it was important that I can speak their language and they can speak my language, and we’re all meeting in the middle now, that’s probably improved a bit over time because, you know, there’s lots of digital native people.

00:11:12:19 – 00:11:38:13
Unknown
I’m definitely a digital immigrant. people probably understand that a little bit better now, but it’s really important that it’s not seen as two different things, and it’s absolutely that close. Collaboration and business and customer understanding is really integral to it for me. And I think the other thing I would just say, you know, the it’s an organization vision for transformation is it’s not a business vision that excludes tech.

00:11:38:13 – 00:11:58:00
Unknown
It’s all one together. And that would definitely be a huge pitfall or key ingredient for success is the business and the tech working together from the start. So even in envisioning, evening news, setting the, you know, where do you want to go? What do you want to achieve? What are our KPIs? Tech have to be involved in that conversation.

00:11:58:00 – 00:12:15:08
Unknown
So when you come to the so that’s the what. But then when you come to the how tech are already on that journey, you don’t have to go and you know reeducate around business or business requirements, but you know that they’re all in it together. So yeah, tech will then be more advanced in their thinking about, you know, the how after that.

00:12:15:18 – 00:12:30:19
Unknown
and I think it’s about just you’re all one team. You’re working together. But be humble to the strengths and weaknesses and bring the different parts of that in at the right time. So, you know, upfront, you know, maybe more business led, but then tech and the how are we going to get there? I need to check in with one of you.

00:12:30:19 – 00:13:00:07
Unknown
Are you native? Are you an immigrant? Am I think I’m an American as well? Probably. I’m of an age. I remember when digital first came in, I remember the first, external email computer coming into the department. So I’m that old, 25, 40 years ago. I would just echo what was said there. I mean, I think one thing I would say about, trying to create the single vision is ensuring that the the school of transformation is driven by a business objective.

00:13:00:09 – 00:13:20:14
Unknown
So not just making technology change, for example, for the sake of technology change industry, and ensuring that the, the school is actually set by the business, you know, the business objectives are, are demonstrated. Yeah. I just want to go back to the point. The more you made it, one of the most effective bits of transformation management I saw with a my time in our.

00:13:20:14 – 00:13:35:17
Unknown
So if we had, the manager of a call center every week, he’s put together a 20 minute tape of the top 5 or 6 calls. And everybody in the senior leadership team, at least of them in in the car on the way home and just listening to even verifying the idea of the client or how people get frustrated.

00:13:35:17 – 00:13:52:11
Unknown
It just was that was just sort of massive. But you mentioned scope, right? And so think about changes. One of the big decisions you’re going to make in the transformation is how big do you go? You can go grand slam here. You know, you can go bet the ranch on it or you can do something really tiny that doesn’t move the needle.

00:13:52:11 – 00:14:12:03
Unknown
So how do you figure out how much is enough? Right? I mean, what’s the because I’m sure this is I mean, as you say, it’s it’s a continuous process. You take those things, you could fix em. So I think for us, I mean, the transformation journey we’re on at the moment is driven by a desire for growth, and it’s designed to give us access to additional distribution.

00:14:12:03 – 00:14:36:08
Unknown
That’s the fundamental the certain pain that. So that was quite clearly defined the wider journey that the one family’s been on over the last four years. I struggle to think of any someone lovely sized insurers in the UK that would have done all of the same things that they’ve tried to do at the same time. So I think it’s been a really, really ambitious project in terms of its scale and a network for them, and it’s worked.

00:14:36:09 – 00:14:58:09
Unknown
And the amazing thing is it’s set us up. It’s given us a foundation to really significantly grow the business. Now, had it gone wrong. So I think they had bet at the farm as somebody who for all time has bet a mutual society in the UK going for a major transformation and sort of bet in the ranch, or what was it about the organization that allowed it to succeed in that?

00:14:58:09 – 00:15:17:06
Unknown
Because I would have said it was odds against, well, I think one of the things was it was it was very kind of cut capital rich. So it had it had some scope to make some mistakes, if I can put it that way. I think it was also facing into the fact that its major products, it was about to run off.

00:15:17:06 – 00:15:38:10
Unknown
So by 2029, I think all the trust funds will be going towards the survival. So there’s a survival dimension to it as well. Okay. Any and any further thoughts on this, sir? Well, I think you know, absolutely. If you’re going on your transformation journey, it has to be linked to sort of that strategic vision, but also to your purpose.

00:15:38:10 – 00:15:57:15
Unknown
You know, our purpose is helping you to thrive. So you’re you’re putting in and, you know, changes that are going to help our customers to thrive and how you deliver on that. And then clearly, from a growth perspective, you’re if you’re an organization that’s growing, you want to manage your operational costs. So you know enough growing and growing the same amount of costs.

00:15:57:20 – 00:16:18:20
Unknown
So they’re two really, important imperatives, I think when you’re trying to stretch, set the, the, the target around, what you’re trying to do transformation wise. And, you know, I think we’d all be where you’re, you know, you don’t you don’t shrink your way to greatness. So it is about sort of investing in it. But I think there are definitely, you know, insurance companies have been around for a long time.

00:16:18:20 – 00:16:46:13
Unknown
Some of our technology has worn out and has been wearing out. So I think, you know, necessity also drives a little bit of as we’ve, you know, our next phase is really going to be about consolidation and simplification. We’ve built some really good new platforms we’ve wrapped and really cool stuff around them. But now to leverage all the benefits, we probably want to leave behind some of that old tech now and get into that, get office, save money into the future, kind of consolidate and really drive efficiency.

00:16:46:16 – 00:17:08:16
Unknown
So, you know, to that point around how how far are you doing? transformation, you know, it is sort of evolving. You kind of we did a lot of, a lot of build, a lot of buy. and it probably less in favored the build at this stage. It is more kind of like what you can work with a partner to do and then into consolidating on those things to drive the most value out over a slightly longer window then.

00:17:08:22 – 00:17:31:11
Unknown
So any thoughts? But in particular like, you know, let’s say it’s a transformation. It’s three years. It’s very hard to wait three years to see benefit. So how do you how do you sort of break it down. So so people can see that we’re making progress? I mean, I guess your thoughts on that? yeah. So I think just to reiterate, reiterate what the guys have, I said here the business case up front is, is so key to say, where are we at today?

00:17:31:11 – 00:17:48:03
Unknown
Where do we want to get to, what value is it going to drive. so it’s a number one paint in that picture really clearly. And then you know, you can test the appetite in the business for how big we want to go. And sometimes organizations want to be leading. They want to really push the boat out, really transform, invest a lot of money.

00:17:48:05 – 00:18:11:12
Unknown
But others, it might be a case of, okay, we don’t want to lead, but if we don’t act or if we don’t change, what happens and what’s the risk? and I think a business case that can I take those really well is important. So what happens like you’ve agreed the you’ve agreed the objectives and then a year in something happens in the market and somebody has another great idea and decides, you know, us in addition to everything else we’re doing, why don’t we do this as well.

00:18:11:12 – 00:18:27:04
Unknown
So how do you how do you manage the pressure of that? I mean, I need to I need to look, I was just going to say as well from the you mentioned earlier, like, do you just go with a three year plan and nothing happens before the three year plan, but you have to have kind of clear milestones on the way.

00:18:27:10 – 00:18:48:11
Unknown
Be proving value as the organization as a whole will get, disheartened with the change because if they don’t see benefits and they’re just hearing about this big transformation that’s happening, that’s also going to cause an issue. And I think at the milestones that you should also have check point. So if you have a 3 to 5 year plan every year, you should be reassessing your strategy and saying, is this still relevant?

00:18:48:11 – 00:19:03:06
Unknown
What bits do we need to keep? What bits do we need to get rid of? Now obviously that’s going to be big decisions on platforms and things you can’t change. I’m interested between Ryan and Maureen, who would make Ryan you take that over. Who would make those? Because can imagine that’s a lovely piece of tech comes out and some people would love that.

00:19:03:06 – 00:19:27:09
Unknown
Or how do you what’s the what’s the pressure point there? I mean, I think it’s an interesting one. I think so for us, I mean, we did exactly that. So we were midway through a transformation and then they bought another business, another the complete new phase, into the middle of it. So, I do think, you know, the the way it goes is often dictated by events, dear boy.

00:19:27:09 – 00:19:49:15
Unknown
I guess as as someone said, the opportunities come up in the market, there’s legislative change or there’s regulatory change or whatever. Midway through. And that will drive a lot of the decisions that you make. not even decisions that just the driven by necessity. so you’re quite a business. It’s on on somebody else’s tech platform. You’ve got to get it off that that drives your scope sometimes as well.

00:19:49:17 – 00:20:10:22
Unknown
I, I think, you know, the luxury of having a 3 to 5 year plan and that stays like that is probably something that we don’t have in front of us anymore. And so I think it’s exactly to that opportunity comes along. I think, you know, for example, with our digital transformation and pensions, why we want to set out to do it.

00:20:10:22 – 00:20:30:12
Unknown
We didn’t see AIOps coming. Quite. It’s taken fast as it is. Thank you. John. I know it wasn’t quite your fault. but, you know, we all have to pick up those changes and pivot around them. And I think, you know, it is the job of the leadership team to say, well, here’s sort of a new opportunity is fallen across a desk or a legacy.

00:20:30:12 – 00:20:48:01
Unknown
Changes come along and sort of shape that valuation and obviously bring it to forwards or whatever to say, look, here’s our options now, because I think in business we’re always weighing up different options to try and decide where to go next. We can’t jump on all of them. But I think, you know, the natural filtering process should be bringing those important ones.

00:20:48:01 – 00:21:06:10
Unknown
Either I must do because regulation change or here is a great opportunity that that, you know, is come up in front of us. So that brings me to the the lovely phrase governance and governance in agile. And that don’t really mix, I guess. But you know, you didn’t regulated financial services organization board is allocated, you know, significant amount of money.

00:21:06:12 – 00:21:35:19
Unknown
And I suppose it’s like the Goldilocks approach in this where you don’t want to too much, but you have to what. So what would be the principles structure plan actually, one could you go first and then line here. Yeah. So I think it’s really fundamental that there’s a strong transformation steering group that is executive sponsored and has represented from across the business both, you know, your your business functions, but then also your central service functions as well.

00:21:36:19 – 00:21:52:09
Unknown
but the key thing to think about with that governance is that has to be an enabler of transformation. It cannot be another tollgate that you have to try and get through. And then the transformation delivery team are constantly thinking about, okay, well, how do we get this passed? The governance and how do we, you know, prepare this pack?

00:21:52:09 – 00:22:10:03
Unknown
It has to be an enabler. So it has to be set up in a very agile way. And the transformation delivery team need to know that the governance is on their side, helping them, you know, challenging in a productive way, but not challenging for the sake of challenge. that’s really key. Yes. You can see one additional thing to that.

00:22:10:03 – 00:22:33:02
Unknown
So I completely agree with, about having a strong steer core, etc. maybe other things like as you get closer to implementation, increasing regularity, make a lot of tail steer, cause as you sort of surface final issues towards the end. The other thing I would say is it’s really important to have formal and informal mechanisms. So yeah, listen to what the steer corporates telling you.

00:22:33:02 – 00:22:51:18
Unknown
Listen to what the transformation team are saying, but also talk to your own SMEs about what they’re seeing on the ground. and you’ll get the full picture of what’s actually going on in the project. So I think that’s been pretty critical. But yeah, I mean, you know, again, my experience as well, a go no go for actually a formal meeting to say, are we ready?

00:22:51:20 – 00:23:13:12
Unknown
I think that galvanizes people a little bit, the the role of compliance in all of this because, you know, like that has to be managed memories. You want to. Yeah I, I actually think that that’s evolved. But certainly in our organization I think that’s evolved over the last number years. I remember it’s had a very on and transformation and we were setting up agile teams and it was like, oh, you know, what about compliance?

00:23:13:12 – 00:23:38:01
Unknown
What about second line. Oh, we’ll embed them in the teams. That didn’t really work to be honest. But I think it has been more actually about working in partnership with, compliance colleagues. You know, a lot more things in regulated organizations are designed in, you know, data protection, impact assessments, you know, various of those kind of considerations. So I think, you know, actually that synergy is a lot better than it might have been before.

00:23:38:06 – 00:24:02:10
Unknown
And I think when you talk to go, no, go, you know, frequently will have sort of second line opinion. Are we go no go or have we designed everything in versus sort of what management are saying. You know very gung ho. So I think that that is involved quite a lot certainly in our organization. And it’s not about really maybe compliance coming along late in the day.

00:24:02:12 – 00:24:34:17
Unknown
You know, it’s a lot more iterative. You have to bring them in, pull them in. Again, it’s like not having this second line or compliance and technology and business. It’s everybody’s in together to deliver the solution. I think it’s really important right. Thank you. Yeah. And I think having a strong presence for risk on this call. I think one of the things we found to be something very strong from a core, and they’re not there to win any popularity contests so that the person who will always ask the difficult question, and I think that’s really helpful, in terms of getting the results.

00:24:34:19 – 00:24:54:21
Unknown
Yeah, I actually love the phrase somebody very strong. So I because what you don’t want is a risk person who’s just frightened, like, you want somebody who can ask a hard question, make a challenge, work, and then say, actually, okay, if we do it that way, I’m okay now, you know that that’s what you want. But yeah, yeah, I was just going to say, I think early engagement with whether it’s compliance, risk, nature is so critical.

00:24:55:12 – 00:25:13:18
Unknown
because I think sometimes people could be scared to show them things too early because there might be too much challenge. But, just as an example, is working on a big transformation. it was an insurance client. It was a financial services client. But, in banking, one of it was a big contact center transformation. Lots of insourcing, outsourcing.

00:25:14:12 – 00:25:38:08
Unknown
there was a lot of effort to bring H.R on the journey up front because, you know, they weren’t really familiar with the tech and the process, things that we were talking about. So we spent a lot of time with H.R upfront, but that paid off hugely when it came to union negotiations to navigating two requirements that that upfront investment in time, bringing them on the journey, telling them iteratively what the transformation vision is and getting their support all the way through.

00:25:38:14 – 00:25:59:06
Unknown
Hugely important. If we had just gone to them at the time that we needed to navigate TPA, whatever it was, they wouldn’t have had any idea how to help us and that would have been much more difficult and enabled a much smoother transformation. So my last question before I throw it open to the audience, you know, there’s a concept, back in my day that somebody said there’s a pitcher and a catcher.

00:25:59:08 – 00:26:21:08
Unknown
So the pitcher is the person throwing the ball, and that tends to be the transformation team. Or, you know, it’s the IT people are business people. And then the catcher is the business. It’s Loreen or whoever, you know. So it’s important the ball is cast. So the relative roles of I’m gonna start with morning because I my understanding is in your role, you were in charge of blue.

00:26:21:08 – 00:26:40:16
Unknown
Yep. And you are the ultimate customer of whatever was being built. So. Yeah. What can we what’s it like from your end? You’re hearing all this stuff and. Yeah. So, I’m definitely the catcher. and, you know, I’ve to deliver business benefit of, you know, efficiency, etc. of things that are delivered to me. So that’s always challenging.

00:26:41:20 – 00:27:05:01
Unknown
I was speaking at something recently, and I use the analogy when you’re running the business and change is going on at such ferocious pace around you, it’s like driving a race car around a track. Not only do you not get the opportunity to go in for a pitstop, because they change stars as you’re trying to drive, but often the engine is getting changed at the same time as well, and that’s really difficult operationally, it’s really difficult for the teams operating to keep delivering for customers at the same time.

00:27:05:03 – 00:27:27:02
Unknown
And then you have, you know, senior stakeholders going, but like, you know, why are we not like reduce cost by like, you know, so much. So you have to try and be really pragmatic, calm, bringing your team along with you, but also interface and really well with those change people and trying to make sure we do it well.

00:27:27:04 – 00:27:51:06
Unknown
I think definitely topic in our organization has been around business readiness and making sure we have enough churn, and that’s for sure. I think we’ve been learning a lot on that over the last while and actually investing in that capability. So, you know, operationally, you want it to be successful, like you really want it to be successful. And you probably want to t not quite so big bang, but smaller incremental bits that are just a little bit easier.

00:27:51:06 – 00:28:14:04
Unknown
There’s one tire at a time, rather than the whole lot as you’re hurtling along. Would be my sensors, right? Yeah. I think the point about business readiness, I think, and having that of a very clear plan for that as part of the overall project plan from the start, I think I’ve seen lots of projects in the past where people start thinking about it kind of two months before implementation, and there’s no time to train everyone in the new systems and that kind of stuff.

00:28:14:04 – 00:28:48:13
Unknown
So I think making sure that that’s built in from the start absolutely critical as well. Yeah. Olivia. Yeah, just to reiterate that point, like, I can’t count the amount of systems that I’ve seen be implemented in organizations and not used. so, yeah, sure. Your people are geared up and ready to use it, understand it when it lands, and know the purpose of it is is key.

 

Don’t Rush In — Be Ready for Transformation.

Every panelist addressed the dangers of jumping into digital transformation without planning and preparedness:

  • “It’s like driving a race car … and [you don’t] get to go in for a pitstop [but] they’re changing the tires as you’re trying to drive.” ‌‌‌— Maureen Breslin, COO, New Ireland Assurance
  • “I’ve seen lots of projects … where people [only] start thinking about [transformation] two months before implementation, and there’s no time to train people on the new systems.” — Ryan Griffin, Protection Director, One Family
  • “I can’t count the amount of systems that’ve been implemented in organizations and not used.” — Lana Briggs, Director, Customer & Digital Lead, KPMG Ireland

Business readiness and not rushing in to a transformation helps solve these problems. 

All stakeholders should understand the gist of the technology you’re adopting — e.g., knowing digital coretech is more efficient than legacy systems — and be trained to use it based on their roles and responsibilities.

Transform With a Plan (and Plan for the Unexpected)

Expressing a clear vision for any digital transformation’s goal(s) is essential to success. 

Lana Briggs noted that this vision must center around maximizing value for customers: Focus on what they want now and plan for their future needs based on industry trends and economic factors. (For example: Current millennial customers might just want faster auto claims processing. Tn three years, though, they might want personalized protection coverage.)

While the plan should have stages and periodic milestones (so your team sees tangible results), also consider the unplanned. (As Ryan Griffin put it, “The way transformation goes is often dictated by [unforeseen] events,” alluding to new market opportunities or regulatory shifts.) 

Have regular check-ins on the transformation plan’s progress whenever you achieve certain milestones (i.e., migrating a certain share of your business book to a new digital platform). If regulations, sales trends, demographic shifts, or other factors make your current plan untenable, adjust the roadmap before resuming your transformation.

Collaboration, Collaboration, Collaboration

Above all, the panel highlighted the importance of organizational collaboration. No insurer can successfully digitally transform by solely relying on IT expertise or laser-focusing on bottom-line business gains. 

The organization must unite behind this technological evolution, with key stakeholders (operational SMEs, IT leaders, risk analysts, etc.) working to ensure every update to the tech stack addresses a concrete business purpose. Similarly, be sure to choose technology partners who’ll meet you where you’re at in your transformation and support you accordingly.

Ready to Pursue Your Transformation Vision?

For more expert insights into successful digital transformation, watch the full video above.

If you’re ready to get the ball rolling on transformation, reach out to learn how EIS can support your transformation journey into the future of insurance.

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How Event-Driven Architecture Benefits Protection Insurers & Their Customers https://www.eisgroup.com/2024/01/18/how-event-driven-architecture-benefits-protection-insurers-their-customers/ Thu, 18 Jan 2024 21:14:33 +0000 https://www.eisgroup.com/2024/01/18/how-event-driven-architecture-benefits-protection-insurers-their-customers/ In the world of protection insurance, event-driven architecture is an absolute game-changer.  Unlike outdated legacy systems, this architecture helps overcome data silos and pave the way for agile, personalised customer interactions linked to significant life events. In turn, this gives you the power to redefine how you do business, increase customer loyalty, and reduce churn.… Read More »

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In the world of protection insurance, event-driven architecture is an absolute game-changer. 

Unlike outdated legacy systems, this architecture helps overcome data silos and pave the way for agile, personalised customer interactions linked to significant life events. In turn, this gives you the power to redefine how you do business, increase customer loyalty, and reduce churn.

Not-So-Modern Legacy Systems

Despite their name, “modern” legacy platforms offer antiquated customer experiences. 

In these systems’ policy-centric setups, data is stored in silos, making it difficult for data to pass from one silo into another, or to be used across different functional areas. This makes it difficult for customer data collected in one area to improve or personalise customer experience in another area, unless it’s somehow inputted a second time. 

While modern legacy platforms technically cover insurers’ admin bases for policies and insureds, they’re far from being event-driven, and rarely allow for rich personalisation or agility.

Event-Driven Architecture: A Game-Changing Platform Capability

Monolithic systems may be able to send out annual notices with links to coverage information and premium prices to meet FCA requirements, but they can’t serve up the automations and personalisations consumers need as they go through life changes; or suggest policy upgrades based on data held in the system.

But with modern coretech like EIS OneSuite, the architecture is event-driven and centered around the customer as the main record type. This seemingly simple difference in setup makes for drastic improvements in customer experience.

Rather than sending out cold, annual notices, an event-driven platform can act nimbly on data that’s newly entered or picked up by third-party suppliers. 

For instance, if an income protection customer gets married, has a child, or buys a house, your system can detect that life event and automate a personalised communication with a congratulatory message and a special offer for a higher coverage amount.

On the other hand, if a customer doesn’t experience anything life-changing in a given year, you can automate an annual notice thanking them for their trust and reminding them of their product coverage, sums assured, and associated premiums.

High Tech = Higher Customer Satisfaction

When it comes to the capability disparity between platforms like EIS OneSuite and modern legacy platforms, event-driven architecture is just the tip of the iceberg.

A core platform like EIS helps you personalise and improve customer experiences, increasing satisfaction and retention.

Still exploring your options? Sign up for our bite-size newsletter to learn how to nitpick the best coretech for your business without the influence of biased opinions.

 

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Insurance Innovators US 2024 https://www.eisgroup.com/2024/01/16/insurance-innovators-us-2024/ Tue, 16 Jan 2024 17:12:55 +0000 https://www.eisgroup.com/?p=679326689 The post Insurance Innovators US 2024 appeared first on EIS.

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