The fast track to new business

In 2009, a life insurer in Asia approached Munich Re with a problem: it consistently launched new and successful products only to see them copied by competitors within just a few months. Operating in a price-driven market dominated by independent brokers, the insurer saw no way of setting its new covers apart from the many “me too” products that followed on their heels. After a detailed analysis by our Munich Re experts, we identified two key objectives: to protect products and sales processes from easy imitation by competitors and to achieve a stronger position in the context of independent sales channels. The insurer was equipped to develop innovative products, yet its sales processes followed conventional practices, allowing little room for competitive differentiation.In order to secure a competitive edge, the client’s continuously updated range of covers needed the support of a highly attractive new business process.

Together with brokers and agents, a new point-of-sale solution was found which allowed the agents to assume more underwriting functions. They would not only be able to give final quotes, but also to offer alternatives in cases where loadings, exclusions or declined covers made the original product unsuitable. A smoother sales process and reduced processing times made the solution much more attractive to customers and agents. An Allfinanz Interview Server in conjunction with a comprehensive set of Munich Re underwriting rules and an Allfinanz Business Analytics software was implemented as the POS underwriting system. The system was up and running within the space of a few months. This solution, unique in the life insurer’s marketplace, significantly enhanced the insurer's attractiveness among the independent agents. A key factor in achieving this was the greater speed and efficiency with which policies could be issued – and thus commissions earned.

The project is just one example in the wide spectrum of automated underwriting scenarios. A bancassurance sales situation, for instance, has a different set of demands: POS systems can be counterproductive in bancassurance, as applicants are often uncomfortable giving detailed and personal health information to bank staff. An effective alternative in bancassurance can be tele-underwriting, which connects applicants with trained experts in an anonymous telephone interview situation. Finding the ideal approach or combination for a given company means connecting its unique mindset, demands and workflows with proven technologies and processes. You can find the full article with other ways of using automated underwriting in the latest issue of Topics Magazine (1/2012).