Outsourcing Helps Australian Insurers Mount Obstacles

Insurance companies are working with service providers to compete in a changing industry while facing rising claims, ISG Provider Lens� report says

SYDNEY–(BUSINESS WIRE)–#ERP–Insurance companies in Australia are turning to business process outsourcing (BPO) providers to overcome recent major challenges, meet changing consumer expectations and remain competitive, according to a new research report published today by Information Services Group (ISG) (Nasdaq: III), a leading global technology research and advisory firm.

The 2022 ISG Provider Lens™ Insurance Services report for Australia finds that the nation’s insurers face competing pressures to fulfill escalating claims, control costs and modernize their technology for the digital consumer age. BPO providers play an important role in helping companies meet these needs, though growth in insurance BPO services has been soft in the last two years as both insurers and providers overcome disruptions caused by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Insurance companies in Australia had an especially difficult year in 2022, on top of the upheavals occurring across the global insurance industry,” said Jarrod Magill, director, ISG Australia. “Even so, they are initiating the kinds of changes needed to meet emerging requirements.”

Insurance claims soared in Australia in 2022 as a result of two major disasters, the report says. A flood across two states in February and March became the third-costliest weather event in Australian history, and the telecom company Optus was hacked in September, leading to 10 million customer records being breached and a wave of claims. This came after victims of cybersecurity incidents had reported losses of A$33 billion in 2020 and 2021.

At the same time, established insurance companies in Australia are being forced to revamp their technology and delivery models to meet the needs of customers that expect around-the-clock digital service and personalization, ISG says. Facing competition from digital-native insurtech startups that are transforming unwieldy traditional processes, insurers are modernizing customer experience using new types of data and analytical tools.

Service providers are easing the strain on insurers with the resources to quickly respond to major events like the recent floods, ISG says. In a tight market for IT expertise, outsourcers can make available tens of thousands of professionals with insurance and digital technology experience. Insurers are beginning to outsource not just transactional functions but also high-skill processes such as underwriting. In addition, providers are expanding their services beyond traditional BPO to include strategy, consulting and digital transformation.

“Australian insurers need outsourcing and new technologies to meet current and future demands,” said Jan Erik Aase, partner and global leader, ISG Provider Lens Research. “Together with service providers, they are preparing for fundamental change.”

The report also examines several other trends in the Australian insurance services industry, including the increasing use of outcome-based provider engagements and the role of AI and machine learning in important new capabilities.

The 2022 ISG Provider Lens™ Insurance Services report for Australia evaluates the capabilities of 15 providers across two quadrants: Life and Retirement Insurance BPO Services and Property and Casualty Insurance BPO Services.

The report names EXL, Genpact and Wipro as Leaders in both quadrants. It names TCS, TSA and WNS as Leaders in one quadrant each.

In addition, TCS and WNS are named as Rising Stars — companies with a “promising portfolio” and “high future potential” by ISG’s definition — in one quadrant each.

A customized version of the report is available from WNS.

The 2022 ISG Provider Lens™ Insurance Services report for Australia is available to subscribers or for one-time purchase on this webpage.

About ISG Provider Lens™ Research

The ISG Provider Lens™ Quadrant research series is the only service provider evaluation of its kind to combine empirical, data-driven research and market analysis with the real-world experience and observations of ISG’s global advisory team. Enterprises will find a wealth of detailed data and market analysis to help guide their selection of appropriate sourcing partners, while ISG advisors use the reports to validate their own market knowledge and make recommendations to ISG’s enterprise clients. The research currently covers providers offering their services globally, across Europe, as well as in the U.S., Canada, Brazil, the U.K., France, Benelux, Germany, Switzerland, the Nordics, Australia and Singapore/Malaysia, with additional markets to be added in the future. For more information about ISG Provider Lens research, please visit this webpage.

A companion research series, the ISG Provider Lens Archetype reports, offer a first-of-its-kind evaluation of providers from the perspective of specific buyer types.

About ISG

ISG (Information Services Group) (Nasdaq: III) is a leading global technology research and advisory firm. A trusted business partner to more than 800 clients, including more than 75 of the world’s top 100 enterprises, ISG is committed to helping corporations, public sector organizations, and service and technology providers achieve operational excellence and faster growth. The firm specializes in digital transformation services, including automation, cloud and data analytics; sourcing advisory; managed governance and risk services; network carrier services; strategy and operations design; change management; market intelligence and technology research and analysis. Founded in 2006, and based in Stamford, Conn., ISG employs more than 1,300 digital-ready professionals operating in more than 20 countries—a global team known for its innovative thinking, market influence, deep industry and technology expertise, and world-class research and analytical capabilities based on the industry’s most comprehensive marketplace data. For more information, visit www.isg-one.com.

Contacts

Press:
Will Thoretz, ISG

+1 203 517 3119

will.thoretz@isg-one.com

Julianna Sheridan, Matter Communications for ISG

+1 978-518-4520

isg@matternow.com