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Harnessing Technology to Narrow the Insurance Protection Gap

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e.g. through telematics or wearables. By integrating <strong>the</strong>se<br />

elements, insurers can build a proposition which offers<br />

much more value <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> cus<strong>to</strong>mer than traditional insurance<br />

policies. Through innovative marketing techniques, insurers<br />

can also address a major weakness compared with o<strong>the</strong>r<br />

industries—<strong>the</strong> current relative paucity of client interaction<br />

(see Figure 8). In distribution, insurers will have <strong>to</strong> respond<br />

<strong>to</strong> cus<strong>to</strong>mers’ desire for multiple channels, both digital<br />

and non-digital. Existing channels will have <strong>to</strong> be digitally<br />

empowered in order <strong>to</strong> boost agent or broker productivity<br />

as well as cost-effectiveness and cost-efficiency. Based on a<br />

powerful digital multi-channel proposition, insurers are well<br />

positioned <strong>to</strong> fight disintermediation and disruption from<br />

new competi<strong>to</strong>rs operating in digital ecosystems.<br />

Last but not least, ‘digital’ will have an impact on insurers’<br />

‘moment of truth’, <strong>the</strong> settlement of claims. Self-service<br />

applications can go a long way in improving <strong>the</strong> cus<strong>to</strong>mer<br />

experience, whilst reducing operating expenses at <strong>the</strong><br />

insurer’s end. At <strong>the</strong> same time, digital technologies<br />

increase <strong>the</strong> scope for fighting insurance fraud, which,<br />

in non-life insurance, devours almost 10 per cent of <strong>the</strong><br />

insurance premium pie. 20<br />

Major potential for efficiency gains<br />

Figure 9 demonstrates that, contrary <strong>to</strong> a widespread belief,<br />

<strong>the</strong>re is not necessarily a trade-off between distribution<br />

cost and persistency levels. The example from India’s<br />

life insurance industry shows that digital distribution<br />

can achieve both drastically lower sales costs and more<br />

persistent client relationships (here measured in months).<br />

Fur<strong>the</strong>r <strong>to</strong> <strong>the</strong> data presented in The <strong>Protection</strong> <strong>Gap</strong>:<br />

Size, Nature and Root Causes (p. 10), Figure 10 illustrates<br />

an estimate of <strong>the</strong> large-scale cost efficiencies <strong>to</strong> be<br />

potentially captured from digitising <strong>the</strong> insurance<br />

value chain.<br />

Figure 9: Persistency and cost of distribution in Indian life insurance<br />

Highest persistency amongst channels<br />

Lowest direct sales cost amongst current channels<br />

90<br />

80<br />

80<br />

62<br />

70<br />

60<br />

% BY PREMIUM<br />

60<br />

50<br />

40<br />

28<br />

39<br />

40<br />

30<br />

20<br />

Physical channels<br />

Digital<br />

13th 25th 37th 49th 61st<br />

20<br />

0<br />

11<br />

Digital<br />

13<br />

Bancassurance<br />

Brokers<br />

Corporate<br />

agents<br />

Agency<br />

Source: Shah and Dadachanji (2014).<br />

20 World Economic Forum (2015).<br />

<strong>Harnessing</strong> <strong>Technology</strong> <strong>to</strong> <strong>Narrow</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Insurance</strong> <strong>Protection</strong> <strong>Gap</strong><br />

19

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