This put up is a part of a collection sponsored by AgentSync.

The Southwest Airways disaster that rounded out 2022 could have been a nightmare for everybody concerned, however there was one optimistic that got here out of it. The debacle helped begin a bigger dialog on a subject we’ve been speaking about for fairly a while now: the issue with outdated expertise. As we start the brand new 12 months, we anticipate professionals throughout all industries taking a better take a look at the cracks of their technological infrastructure and legacy techniques.

Legacy expertise and the insurance coverage trade usually go hand in hand

The insurance coverage trade is not any stranger to outdated expertise. As a legacy trade, legacy tech is par for the course. It wasn’t till the COVID-19 pandemic started inflicting enterprise shutdowns that many insurers had been mainly compelled to replace their processes and softwares to be able to proceed working beneath new security pointers.

In some ways, the COVID-19 pandemic was the catalyst for the insurance coverage trade’s digital revolution. However, numerous carriers and businesses are nonetheless counting on the outdated manner of doing issues. Why is that?

The reply isn’t easy. Some could also be apprehensive about the fee whereas others are extra involved with the problem of changing legacy techniques. Some are simply afraid the change might be an excessive amount of for workers and that it’ll trigger extra enterprise disruption than it’s price. Nevertheless, if Southwest’s breakdown taught us something, it’s that no excuse is price risking the harm that outdated expertise may cause to your group, staff, and clients.

So, with out additional ado, listed here are seven methods your legacy system could also be inflicting your insurance coverage enterprise extra hurt than good.

**We’ll be exploring these issues from an insurance coverage perspective (as that’s our experience), however many of those issues apply to companies in any trade that also depend on outdated expertise.

1. Legacy expertise is cost-heavy

One of many extra widespread roadblocks we hear from insurance coverage specialists who’re nonetheless working their enterprise on outdated techniques is {that a} new resolution is simply not within the price range. Whereas it’s true that the upfront prices of including extra fashionable instruments to your tech stack could also be substantial, they’re nothing in comparison with the price of sustaining legacy techniques. Selecting to maintain doing issues the way in which you’ve at all times completed them as a result of it appears simpler (or cheaper) now is called technical debt. And like most money owed, they finally come due.

The older techniques get, the extra they price to take care of. Plus, legacy expertise might be consuming away at an organizations’ backside line in different, much less apparent methods. For instance, an outdated company administration system (AMS) or buyer relationship administration system (CRM) won’t have the ability to supply the options or ease of use that staff, producers, shoppers, and downstream distribution channel companions are in search of. If these clients, staff, and companions aren’t happy with their experiences, they could take their enterprise (and their expertise) elsewhere, looking for a extra fashionable expertise.

2. Legacy expertise can hurt your status

You’re employed arduous to take care of a optimistic status in your insurance coverage enterprise. A poor status may lead your shoppers straight into the arms of your opponents and negatively influence your backside line. We noticed first hand how outdated expertise managed to tug Southwest Airways’ status by the mud in a matter of days.

In terms of insurance coverage, there doesn’t essentially should be a large breakdown or error together with your legacy system to negatively influence how present and potential clients and staff view your organization. It will also be the day-in-day-out tedium of outdated expertise that lastly will get to individuals. If you happen to proceed utilizing legacy expertise, staff, prospects, and shoppers could view your organization as being behind the instances. And in case your technological infrastructure seems prefer it’s caught up to now you’ll have a more durable time convincing anybody of your future spot out there.

3. Legacy expertise might get you in regulatory bother

A significant downside of legacy expertise is its incapability to combine with newer software program. Insurance coverage professionals want techniques that may talk with one another and paint an entire image of their knowledge to be able to make knowledgeable enterprise selections. The complexity of the insurance coverage trade’s state-by-state regulation system means it’s essential for all techniques to be built-in and up to date in actual time to keep away from compliance violations.

Updating to an automatic built-in compliance resolution (like AgentSync) can create important compliance administration price financial savings and guarantee steady producer and company compliance – with out the guide effort that you simply’d want to make sure the identical stage of compliance immediately.

4. Legacy expertise can inhibit development at your company, service, or MGA/MGU

Legacy techniques are hardly ever scalable. Trendy issues want fashionable options and legacy expertise is usually unequipped to handle present wants. Due to this, legacy techniques is usually a main barrier to a company’s development and innovation.

The longer an company waits to replace its legacy techniques, the more durable it will likely be to handle present market wants and acquire new market share. If you happen to’re not able to fully overhaul your group’s legacy techniques, there are different choices that may assist you to dip your foot within the pool of innovation.

5. Legacy expertise fuels inefficient workflows

Legacy techniques can block your group from realizing its full potential. With outdated expertise, it’s doubtless your employees is spending an excessive amount of time on guide, repetitive, and non-revenue-generating duties. Not solely is that this a waste of expertise, but it surely additionally will increase the possibility of human error and non-compliance.

With out up to date insurtech, processes like producer onboarding and compliance administration eat up much more time and assets. Keep in mind earlier once we talked about that legacy techniques don’t normally combine simply with different expertise? This lack of communication can create knowledge and workflow silos that block data from flowing between groups and finally decelerate processes.

6. Legacy expertise might make you extra susceptible to cyber assaults

Hackers are continually discovering new methods to sneak previous a company’s cyber safety measures and entry its safe knowledge. As software program ages, it might not have the defenses wanted to guard towards newer cyber threats. Cyber safety is a giant concern for insurance coverage businesses and carriers which frequently retailer huge quantities of delicate consumer data. Outdated software program might make that knowledge extra susceptible to an information breach, bringing you proper again to earlier factors about reputational hurt and arduous greenback prices.

7. Legacy expertise might negatively influence hiring efforts

We’ve mentioned it earlier than and we’ll say it once more – the insurance coverage trade is within the midst of a hiring disaster. Mass retirement and a shrinking expertise pool means high-quality candidates have extra energy to decide on the place they’d prefer to work. And in the event you suppose the possibility to work with software program that predates their grandmother is an efficient promoting level then oh boy do we have now information for you.

Right this moment’s job-seekers are in search of fashionable firms which can be utilizing the newest expertise to enhance each the client and worker expertise. Providing producers a high-tech expertise with much less time spent on guide, repetitive, time-consuming duties might assist as you proceed to compete for expertise.

The time to modernize your insurtech is now!

The very best by date in your insurtech has come and gone and it’s time to rethink the “if it ain’t broke, don’t repair it” mindset you might have beforehand held concerning your legacy techniques. In actuality, it’s a lot better to repair the issue earlier than a serious malfunction (once more, you simply have to have a look at Southwest Airways for proof). Clearly, outdated expertise can do much more hurt than good on the subject of your company, service, or MGA.

Don’t be like Southwest and wait till the harm is already completed. The time has come to throw out your legacy techniques together with the issues they’re inflicting your insurance coverage enterprise. If you happen to’re able to declare your independence from outdated tech and processes see how AgentSync may help you attain your full potential.

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