• Piers Williams, Global Insurance Manager at AutoRek


• 27.09.2024 07:45 am
#PaymentProcessing #Insurance

Efficiency is a necessity in the intricate world of insurance but unfortunately for program administrators, complexity is an unavoidable reality.

Program administrators, including brokers, managing general agents (MGAs) and managing general underwriters (MGUs) play a vital role in facilitating and distributing insurance products. Success lies in the ability to manage insurance premium payments effectively but also complex workflows which include handling bulk payments, timing differences, diverse data sources and intricate distribution models which can lead to inefficiency. These complexities create room for errors and when it comes to premium payment processes - also commonly known in corporate industries as account receivable and payable processes - these errors cannot exist. This is because premium payment processes are essential financial control processes that directly impact the performance of insurance businesses. 

Traditionally, the management of insurance premium payments has been carried out manually, often leading to unresolved outstanding debts and large balances of unallocated cash. If not effectively managed, these issues can result in substantial financial losses. When combined with the growth in delegated/program businesses (over 30%+ in the last 3 years) and the ever increasing policy volumes and multiple Excel sheets, the system becomes overcomplicated and inefficient, leading to an operational environment that is prone to errors and delays.

This article will explore the specific pain points that premium processing systems address. We will delve deeply into the transformative benefits of automation and discuss actionable strategies that will enable program administrators to optimise the management of insurance premium payments for greater efficiency and effectiveness in their financial operations.

The future of insurance: automation in premium payment processing

The future of insurance lies in automation - this is where premium payment processing comes in. Automation enables businesses not to erode margins through write-offs but accelerate cash flow and protect revenue. The primary goal is to accelerate premium reconciliation and allocation by implementing an automated straight-through process, minimising the need for human intervention to ensure that minutes – not hours – are spent on the reconciliation process.

By leveraging automated systems and advanced data integration, premium payment processing has the potential to offer a more streamlined, accurate and effective insurance ecosystem. Automation minimises the likelihood of human error and delays in transaction times; ensuring that precision is at the forefront of the financial processes. This shift towards automation addresses one of the key challenges faced by the insurance industry – eliminating inefficiencies which can lead to costly mistakes and unnecessary delays.

Consolidation of key financial data 

Program administrators are confronted with a multitude of pain points in their day-to-day operations. Given that program administrators handle a significant amount of insurance policies across multiple binders/programs in the market, considerable admin effort is required to process a vast number of internal and external data sources as well as payments and policy data. As a result, program administrators risk losing valuable time and resources – giving them less time for value-added tasks, like resolving breaks, addressing downstream issues, and creating better partnerships with insurance partners.  

The impact of such operational inefficiencies can impact not only accounts receivable, collections and credit control processes but also business profitability, binder/program performance, competitiveness and reputation to name a few. Without the adoption of more advanced technologies like automation, program administrators are increasingly at threat of not being able to produce scalability in a competitive market.

Whilst automation offers huge efficiency upside for businesses there are also many benefits delivered by simply having a single premium data control platform. One of the most notable challenges with premium payment operations is the often-large numbers of internal and external data sources that must be managed and processed. This data needs to be continuously processed to ensure reporting is up to date and management has a comprehensive view of outstanding premiums, allocated premium and cash positions at any point in time. The management of this data, if not performed within a platform, presents a huge risk from a control perspective, as often premium payments will not be allocated for 30, 60 or 90 days, therefore needing a solution to keep track of all data automatically to ensure efficiency and control to ensure. 

The opportunities premium payment platforms unlock not only when reconciling and allocation premium but also from a financial data control, consolidation and audit perspective, can be transformative. When this is further combined with the new reporting that is unlocked and streamlined operations using features like workflows leads to a drastically enhanced and often very different operating model. This model, however, enables businesses to work in near real-time, enhance relationships and most importantly remain competitive. 

Why investing in technology is crucial for success

Streamlining processes often starts with strategic investments in modern technology. Automating manual processes addresses operational efficiency which allows program administrators to focus on improving financial gain rather than administrative tasks that are proven to be time-consuming and distract from high-level decision-making. 

As the insurance industry continues to evolve with the latest technological advancements and shifting market dynamics, the adoption of premium payment processing will be crucial to stay competitive. Automation offers not only speed but also accuracy and scalability which is a necessity for program administrators. Legacy systems, once the backbone of insurance operations is unable to meet the demands of a data-driven, regulated market because they are outdated. To better align with the needs of both clients and stakeholders, digital transformation must be embraced to improve services that no longer depend on inefficiency.

Ultimately, the efficiency and accuracy offered by leveraging automated systems and advanced data integration contribute to the long-term success of the entire complex insurance ecosystem.