What if the insurance industry stopped asking customers to navigate processes and delivered instant solutions?

The insurance industry could vastly improve its claim processing with the latest tech Image: Photo by Usman Malik on Unsplash
- Instead of providing relief when it is needed most, the insurance industry frequently adds to the frustration by delivering processes rather than solutions.
- The insurance industry has a unique and transformative opportunity to rethink how it operates by embracing ultra-personalized platforms that put the customer at the centre.
- Emerging technologies are our chance to revolutionize the customer journey – removing friction, exceeding expectations and transforming how people perceive and interact with insurance.
We can all feel overwhelmed by the furious rate at which new technologies come at us – a pace that exceeds any time in history. Floundering in this complexity, customers want simplicity and reliability. Yet, what they too often receive is a patchwork of disconnected systems, cumbersome processes and reactive responses that fail to solve their needs in critical moments.
Instead of providing relief when it is needed most, insurance frequently adds to the frustration by delivering processes rather than solutions. But it doesn’t have to be this way. I believe the insurance industry has a unique and transformative opportunity to rethink how we operate by embracing ultra-personalized platforms that put the customer at the centre.
This is not an incremental change – it is a radical shift. It’s about removing friction from people’s lives, delivering real solutions and positioning insurance as a force for good for society. The stakes couldn’t be higher. Without this transformation, our industry risks irrelevance and stagnation in a world where customer expectations are rising dramatically.
Today’s customers are accustomed to getting what they want instantly, intuitively and with a single click. With on-demand services at their fingertips, they expect businesses – including insurers – to anticipate their needs and provide seamless, ultra-personalized, 24/7 support.
Yet for many insurers, innovation struggles to go beyond the pilot stage. Legacy IT systems have proven a stubborn obstacle, making the leap from experimentation to meaningful transformation costly and complex. While efficiency and user experience have improved in isolated areas, these incremental gains fall well short of delivering the connected, customer-first platforms that delight end users.
What if peace of mind were a click away?
Imagine this: your long-planned family holiday is disrupted by a health emergency. Instead of scrambling for help, your insurer steps in immediately, arranging medical support, securing hotel accommodations and updating your travel plans – all without you lifting a finger.
Or imagine being warned of an incoming heatwave or flood, with your insurer providing proactive advice and practical tools to protect you, your loved ones and your home. How would your perception of insurance change if it offered this level of ultra-personalized care across any channel you choose?
This is not a far-off dream. With the right balance of technology and human expertise, peace of mind can be a click away.
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The promise of connected platforms
To deliver on this vision, insurers must adopt fully customer-centric platforms. These platforms leverage emerging technology, integrating data and services across touchpoints to create seamless, ultra-personalized experiences. With AI-powered communication and real-time data sharing across devices and service providers – from healthcare to travel and motor repair – connected platforms can redefine how individuals and businesses interact with insurers.
If you look at the record of traditional insurers, scepticism is understandable. The industry is known for outdated legacy IT, complex processes and regulatory complexity – hardly a recipe for seamless or delightful service. But this reputation does not have to define our industry’s future. By leveraging emerging technologies to power ultra-personalized platforms, we can delight customers by exceeding their expectations, earning their trust and delivering exceptional value while doing so.
Successful platforms are designed with flexibility at their core. They rely on agnostic IT infrastructures, AI-driven data-sharing capabilities and a multi-purpose design that integrates internal teams with external stakeholders. With a global footprint and harmonized products and processes, these platforms provide consistency, efficiency and an unparalleled customer experience – ensuring every interaction is as smooth and dependable as it is impactful.
Take, for example, how Allianz’s platforms manage a car accident. Automatic detection technology recognizes the incident in real time and triggers immediate assistance from Allianz Direct, Allianz Partners and Solvd, an independent, market-neutral company specializing in end-to-end motor claims and repair management solutions.
A well-being check ensures the customer is unharmed, while roadside repair and rental services are dispatched proactively. For minor damage, customers can upload photos, receive repair estimates instantly and book appointments – or opt for cash settlements in under 60 seconds. Need medical advice? Our clients can remotely check their symptoms with Allianz Partners’ telehealth services.
This is the promise of connected platforms: removing friction, simplifying lives and delivering on what matters most to customers in times of crisis.
A unique opportunity for insurance
In a world of uncertainty, customers demand simplicity. They seek partners who will protect them and empower them. For the insurance industry, the opportunity to lead is unprecedented – but it is also fleeting. Our future hinges on embracing this challenge and delivering platforms that make people’s lives safer, simpler and easier. If we fail to act boldly, we risk becoming irrelevant, losing the trust of customers and forgoing growth in a landscape increasingly full of disruptors.
I am optimistic about our ability to reinvent the insurance experience and make peace of mind just a click away. By embracing ultra-personalized platforms, we can deliver instant risk management expertise and technical excellence, protecting what matters most to our customers. Emerging technologies are our chance to revolutionize the customer journey – removing friction, exceeding expectations and transforming how people perceive and interact with insurance.
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Leila Toplic
February 6, 2025