Many insurers are only beginning their data journey, which is to say they almost certainly possess substantial troves of data, but not yet a strategy to guide its directed use. Across every organization, it’s helpful to assess the degree to which a data strategy has been established, shared, and understood by all stakeholders. Whether at the initial implementation or advanced scaling stages, there’s always more work that can be done to better leverage internal and external data.
Data maturity enables analytics maturity
Most often, data is taken into account during periods of post-performance review and reflection. But this kind of descriptive analytics can only answer the question of what happened over a given time frame. Companies further along in their data journey consider diagnostic analytics to understand why their data is what it is, and even more advanced teams lean on predictive analytics—what will happen—and prescriptive analytics—how can something specific be made to happen—to drive future success.
Insights for more effective data strategies in personal and commercial lines
As an example, a close look at personal and commercial lines illustrates how approaches to data and the opportunities they yield can differ depending on the line of business. While the principles of being data-driven are largely the same, there are key distinctions between personal and commercial lines in terms of focus areas:
- Risk Complexity
While complexity exists in personal lines, the diversity of commercial risks brings additional challenges to capturing the necessary data points for assessing a particular customer. - Channel Nuances
Small commercial customer shopping has made headway in the direct-to-consumer space, but nowhere near the extent that a massive tranche of the personal lines market has. - Price Communication
Comparative rating debuted in the personal lines marketplace more than a decade ago and is a concept that continues to permeate consumer expectations. In recent years, commercial insurance, too, has begun a shift toward comparative rating, a trend that is only likely to increase. With simpler exchanges for data and risk appetite, carriers and their agency partners can better target more favorable business. - Third-Party Data Maturity
From driver and household information to contributory databases, personal insurance is the noteworthy leader of third-party data maturity, but advancements in commercial data are continuing to change that landscape. - Demands for “Frictionless”
Regardless of market, end-insured customers and agency partners alike expect quick and intuitive ways of doing business. To continuously improve workflows and experiences across the value chain, carriers must collect, analyze, and make improvement decisions with thorough, accurate information.
To learn more about these and other data topics, watch this webinar below and explore Vertafore’s proven analytics solutions for data-driven insurers.
