Under the Scope

With the combined talents of the business units and IT, the best of today’s business analysts bring a broader skill set to the job. With a deep understanding of insurance and technology, they are able to focus exactly on whatever is needed for projects to succeed.

November 1, 2008
By ROBERT REGIS HYLE

Why do projects fail? A reason often cited by analysts involved in project post mortems is bad requirements. And the reason most often cited for bad requirements is a lack of harmony between the business units and IT. Whether the technologists don’t understand the business needs or the business units don’t listen to the IT professionals, the job of solving the issues often rests on the shoulders of the group of professionals with an understanding of where each side is coming from—namely, business analysts.

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Peel Back the Onion

November 1, 2008
By ROBERT REGIS HYLE

Is business process management (BPM) underappreciated in the insurance industry? The answer is most certainly yes, according to Marek Jakubik, cofounder and managing director of the Insurance Technology Group. “It’s like anything else you and I do in life,” he says. “When we automate something and we repeat it, it has two effects—it becomes easier and more efficient. So, it’s a double win.”

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Pass It On

November 1, 2008
By MICHAEL P. VOELKER

Remember that game of “telephone” you played when you were a kid? You whispered a message to someone, who passed it to another person, who passed it to another, and so on? Finally, the player at the end of the line called out your message, and invariably it was completely different from how it had started because of misinterpretation and miscommunication.

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Business Process Management There is a place for everything and everything in its place in the business world, and business process management ensures th...
Business/Financial Tools Financial reporting and other accounting-related functions have caused carriers to turn to the IT department for help to make...
Document/Content Management Make content one of your biggest assets. Whether focusing on document, content, or records management, successful systems mus...
Underwriting and Rating Regardless of market conditions, insurers must improve underwriting to ensure value and produce the best rates possible—key t...
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