Insurance Core Modernization: Transforming Legacy Systems for a Digital Future

Explore the essentials of insurance core modernization—key drivers, benefits, and challenges—plus how iorta can support insurers in upgrading their systems.

The insurance industry has been undergoing a transformation driven by technological advancements, making it essential for insurers to modernize their core systems.

Core systems—central to insurance operations, such as policy administration, claims processing, and underwriting—are crucial in managing customer information, policies, and transactions.

Yet, many insurers continue to operate with legacy systems, which, while dependable, are often slow, costly, and inflexible.

Modernizing these core systems can help insurers keep pace with changing customer expectations, boost operational efficiency, and maintain competitiveness.

In this article, we’ll explore what core modernization entails, its key drivers, the benefits it brings, and the challenges insurers may encounter during the process. Then, we’ll go through how iorta can help insurers with modernizing their core systems.

Understanding Insurance Core Modernization

Core modernization involves upgrading an insurer’s essential systems—such as policy administration, claims processing, and underwriting—without fully replacing them.

This approach allows insurers to support faster, more customer-friendly operations that meet today’s business demands.

The key drivers for core modernization include the following:

Rising Customer Expectations

Today’s customers want efficient and convenient digital interactions with insurers, whether it’s applying for a policy, checking coverage details, or making a claim.

They expect quick responses and seamless services across online and mobile channels. 

However, many insurers still rely on outdated legacy systems that are slow, inflexible, and limited in their ability to offer digital options.

For instance, legacy systems often process tasks slowly due to outdated programming and rigid infrastructure. They may lack the ability to integrate with mobile apps or digital platforms, leading to long wait times and a lack of personalized service.

By modernizing core systems, insurers can implement digital features like online claims submissions and automated policy renewals.

For example, with a modernized claims system, insurers can process claims in real-time, giving customers instant updates on their claim status, which improves satisfaction and retention.

Increased Competition and the Need for a Competitive Edge

The insurance industry is becoming more competitive as both traditional and digital-first companies race to attract and retain customers.

Gaining a competitive edge requires innovative, efficient, and customer-centric services. However, legacy systems can slow down innovation, making it difficult for insurers to stand out.

Legacy systems limit flexibility and adaptability, making it challenging for insurers to introduce new products or respond quickly to market trends.

These systems are often rigid and complex, requiring lengthy development times for even minor updates, which can delay insurers in bringing innovative solutions to market.

Modernizing core systems allows insurers to quickly introduce and test new products, add features, and adjust pricing strategies to stay competitive. 

For example, with a modern core platform, an insurer can rapidly deploy a usage-based insurance product, where customers pay premiums based on their actual usage, a model that is increasingly popular among younger customers.

This ability to adapt swiftly to customer preferences helps insurers stay competitive.

Regulatory and Compliance Needs

Insurance is a highly regulated industry, with insurers needing to comply with local, national, and international regulations.

These regulations require detailed data reporting, security measures, and transparency in operations. While necessary, these requirements can be complex and time-consuming, especially when working with legacy systems.

Legacy systems often lack integrated reporting tools and security features that meet modern regulatory standards, which can lead to time-intensive manual work, higher compliance risks, and potential penalties.

Upgraded systems streamline compliance by automating reporting and integrating built-in security measures that align with current regulations.

For instance, a modernized system could automatically generate regulatory reports and flag any compliance gaps, ensuring that the insurer stays ahead of legal requirements and avoids costly fines.

Each of these drivers underscores the growing need for core modernization.

By addressing the limitations of legacy systems, insurers can improve their ability to compete, meet customer expectations, and maintain regulatory compliance, all while laying a foundation for long-term growth.

Benefits of Core Modernization for Insurers

• Improved Customer Experience: By upgrading core systems, insurers can process claims faster, issue policies quickly, and provide personalized services. This streamlined experience enhances customer satisfaction and loyalty.
• Operational Efficiency: Modernized systems reduce redundancies, improve workflows, and simplify processes, which minimizes errors and saves time. Automating routine tasks allows employees to focus on more valuable work, boosting productivity across the organization.
• Enhanced Agility and Flexibility: With modern systems, insurers can rapidly introduce new products or adjust existing ones to adapt to market demands. This flexibility is essential for staying competitive in a rapidly changing industry.
• Data Integration and Insights: Modern core systems integrate data across the organization, allowing for better analysis and insights. Insurers can leverage this data to improve risk management, underwriting accuracy, and customer service.
• Scalability and Cost Reduction: Upgraded systems reduce maintenance costs and allocate resources more effectively. They can also scale with the organization’s growth, making them more cost-effective in the long term.

Challenges with Core Replacement for Insurers

For insurers, replacing core systems entirely—known as core replacement—can be tempting as it offers a fresh start with the latest technology.

However, full replacement often comes with many challenges, making core modernization (upgrading existing systems rather than replacing them) a more practical option.

Here are some reasons why core replacement can be difficult and why modernization is usually a better choice.

• High Costs: Replacing core systems requires a significant upfront investment. The cost of purchasing, implementing, and training employees on a completely new system is high, especially for large insurers with complex operations. A full replacement also demands more resources, like IT staff and consultants, making it expensive and challenging to manage.
• Business Disruption: Core replacement often disrupts daily operations since it involves moving all processes onto a new system. This transition can take months or even years, during which insurers may experience delays, downtime, and productivity issues. Handling customer requests and claims efficiently becomes difficult, which can lead to customer dissatisfaction.
• Data Migration Challenges: Moving data from an old system to a new one is complex and time-consuming. Insurers handle massive amounts of sensitive customer information, policy details, and claim records that must be accurately transferred to the new system. Mistakes in data migration can lead to data loss, security risks, and compliance issues.
• Employee Training and Change Management: Adapting to a completely new core system requires extensive employee training. Employees may find the new processes confusing or difficult, especially if they have been using the legacy system for years. It can also lead to resistance from employees who are reluctant to change.

In essence, core replacement is often too costly, complex, and disruptive, making it a challenging option for insurers. Core modernization offers a balanced approach, allowing insurers to enjoy the benefits of updated technology without the high risks and disruptions associated with full replacement.

"Core modernization isn’t about replacing everything insurers rely on; it’s about updating those core systems to be more agile and customer-focused. This approach makes it possible to adapt quickly to new demands without the disruption and costs of a complete overhaul. For many insurers, it’s the feasible, future-ready path to stay competitive." – Himanshu Gupta, Chief Operating Officer, iorta Technology Solutions

Approaches to Core Modernization at iorta

At iorta, we believe that every insurer's modernization journey should be as seamless as possible.

Our turnkey solution covers every step, from initial consultation and planning to smooth implementation and ongoing support.

Depending on your business needs, budget, and risk tolerance, we offer three distinct approaches to core modernization: Lift and Shift, Augment and Layering, and Rewriting.

Each approach is designed to help insurers modernize their systems at their own pace, allowing for an upgrade that matches their unique goals and available readiness.

Approach 1: Lift and Shift

The Lift and Shift approach is ideal for insurers looking to quickly move their legacy systems to the cloud with minimal changes to the existing architecture.

This method involves transferring the entire system "as-is" to a cloud environment, typically with some data migration but without significant changes to the system's structure.

• Minimal Changes to Architecture: This approach focuses on moving the existing system without altering its foundational structure. It’s a straightforward option that preserves current operations while taking advantage of cloud benefits.
• Quick Cloud Migration: Since there’s no need to redesign or rebuild any parts of the system, Lift and Shift enables a swift transition to the cloud, allowing insurers to leverage cloud storage, processing speed, and access without a long implementation period.
• Lower Risk, Less Disruption: By keeping the system architecture intact, Lift and Shift minimizes risks and disruptions. Employees can continue using familiar tools, and customer-facing services remain stable during the migration.
• Data Migration: While the core structure remains unchanged, data migration is still a necessary step to move the system to the cloud. However, this is typically less complex than in approaches that involve complete system rewrites or re-architecture.

For example, if an insurer wants to reduce IT infrastructure costs and improve system accessibility without changing core functionalities, Lift and Shift offers a quick solution. The system’s functionality stays the same, but by hosting it in the cloud, the insurer can reduce physical server maintenance and benefit from more secure data storage.

Approach 2: Augment and Layering

Augment and Layering is perfect for insurers looking to enhance their legacy systems with new capabilities without making major changes to the existing architecture.

This approach involves adding an interface layer, such as an API, to enable advanced features and better integration with modern applications, all while preserving the core system.

• No Major System Architecture Changes: Like Lift and Shift, this approach retains the main structure of the legacy system. It enhances the system instead of overhauling it, making it ideal for insurers seeking incremental upgrades.
• Adding a New Interface Layer (API): In the Augment and Layering approach, we add an API layer to connect the legacy system with modern applications. This allows insurers to introduce new functionalities—such as digital customer portals or mobile apps—while keeping the existing system intact.
• Data Management: While the core system remains largely unchanged, some level of data integration or migration may be required to ensure smooth connectivity between the legacy system and new features. However, this is typically less complex than in approaches like Rewriting.

For instance, imagine an insurer wants to add a self-service customer portal to meet increasing digital demands. With Augment and Layering, we can create an API layer that connects the legacy system with the portal, allowing customers to check policy details, file claims, and make payments online—without requiring a complete system overhaul.

Approach 3: Rewriting

Rewriting (essentially replacing) is a complete overhaul of the legacy system, ideal for insurers who need a custom-built system designed to support future growth and innovation.

This approach involves rebuilding the system from the ground up, creating a more flexible, scalable, and secure solution with modern architecture and features.

• Complete Overhaul of Legacy System: Unlike other approaches, Rewriting completely replaces the old system with a new one. Built using advanced technologies, the new system is optimized for future business needs, providing more flexibility and scalability.
• Data Migration: As the system is being fully rewritten, migrating data from the legacy system to the new platform is necessary. This process ensures that data is accurately transferred and remains compatible with the new system.
• Customized System Architecture: Rewriting allows for a fully customized design that addresses the insurer’s unique needs. The new system can integrate advanced features such as automated underwriting, AI-driven decision-making, and advanced data analytics, making it well-suited for future growth and technological advancements.

Suppose an insurer wants to implement a fully digital, AI-driven claims process. The Rewriting approach enables them to build a new system that incorporates AI for automating claims approvals, assessing risk in real time, and making smarter decisions. This provides the insurer with a highly customizable and future-ready system.

Choosing the Right Modernization Approach

Each of these approaches—Lift and Shift, Augment and Layering, and Rewriting—offers unique benefits depending on an insurer's goals and readiness for change.

Lift and Shift provides a fast, low-risk option, while Augment and Layering adds new capabilities without disrupting existing systems.

Rewriting, though more complex, offers a transformative solution ready for future challenges.

At iorta, we help insurers assess their needs and recommend the best approach to modernize their core systems efficiently and effectively.

Whether an insurer is looking for a quick cloud migration, added digital capabilities, or a custom-built system for tomorrow’s market, we ensure a smooth journey toward modernization.

Ready to explore the best modernization approach for your organization? Contact iorta at hello@iorta.in for a personalized consultation on how we can help elevate your core systems to drive growth and enhance your competitive edge.