Life insurance in the digital age – Swiss Re Sigma Report
Article Synopsis :
Technological advances are changing the way life insurers interact with consumers; they’re also improving the assessment and pricing of risks.
Swiss Re’s latest Sigma study “Life insurance in the digital age: fundamental transformation ahead” is an in-depth look at key technology developments impacting life insurers, potential impacts on the life insurance industry itself, strategic implications, and arising new challenges.
This is a comprehensive report, with analysis and points-of-view in the following areas:
- Data analytics
- Artificial intelligence and cognitive computing
- New medical technologies
- Wearable devices and digital health (including eHealth)
- Internet of Things
The digital data revolution will fundamentally change the business of insurance. According to Sigma, the near-term challenge for insurers is to optimise data management capabilities and practices to best engage consumers. New technologies and digital data also provide insurers with opportunities to consider new operating models, options for which include:
- Specialising in a part of the insurance value chain
- Creating a fully digital platform for the whole value chain
- Providing non-traditional services as part of the insurance package
With the opportunities, Sigma also explores the risks associated with new technologies. Life insurers will need to implement new risk management procedures, for example around consumer data protection. They’ll also need to monitor and adapt to regulatory changes with respect to the use of digital data and analytics in underwriting. Pros and cons are discussed in detail along the following categories:
- Data protection and privacy
- Keeping consumers onside
- Digital distribution and regulatory concerns
- Broader cyber risks
- Anti-selection
Useful data around FinTech startups and insurance carrier investments is also provided in the report. Non-traditional players, namely the likes of Google, Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Alibaba, and Overstock, and their current and potential future involvement in insurance are also discussed.
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Digital Insurer's Comments
The entire life insurance value chain is being impacted by technology and data analytics.The digital consumer has different expectations, which life insurers can capitalise on by investing in a fundamental rework of their operating and IT systems, and specialist talent.
Accessing and analysing new data sources, obtaining a unified view of the customer, and offering a consistent experience across consumer touch points all require ongoing innovation, which, in our view, may be best achieved by partnering with established and/or start-up technology vendors. External innovation fused with internal strengths around compliance and risk management leverages the strengths of both worlds.
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