The good news from the recent PCI Tech Conference is that futurists like Vivek Wadhwa give the insurance industry at least three to five years before it is disrupted beyond recognition by data, analytics, the internet of things, self-driving cars, 3D printing, hyper-aggressive technology companies, and essentially free energy.
The bad news is, many large insurers are still planning five-year technology transformation initiatives to shed their legacy burdens and take advantage of today’s technology.
Insurer CIOs understand the challenge. They need to mitigate the effects of yesterday’s inheritances. They need to address today’s business needs, and they need to prepare the organization for tomorrow. They need a deep understanding of all three timelines, and the ability to help others understand.
This requires a new set of skills and new kinds of relationships. As one speaker put it, CIOs need to be communicators and story tellers as well as effective managers. They need visionary business executive partners who are willing to embrace the opportunities that technology creates in their ability to deliver innovative products to changing markets. CIOs also need technology partners who will not just deliver today’s solutions but co-evolve with them to meet tomorrow’s challenges.
“I will invest in any technology initiative that increases our agility,” said one insurer CEO who understands. But far too many CEOs are still at a loss as to how to quantify the value of technology and continue to manage their technology investments as if spending more than 5% of premium on IT were a greater sin than letting the future pass them by.
Meanwhile, while the conference was in session, Google Ventures announced an investment in innovative health insurer Oscar. The clock is ticking in insurance, and it’s not counting down anymore. It’s counting forward.
