March 2020 – Large commercial brokers continue to consolidate their business, to gain scale and efficiency as well as to address growing client needs for products and services across geographies. Large commercial brokers are investing in technology to differentiate themselves in a competitive marketplace using AI, analytics, distribution API, and digitized communications technologies.
This report provides an overview of large commercial brokers’ business and technology issues, data about the marketplace, and nine examples of recent technology investments by large commercial brokers.
Topics
- Recent market and financial trends
- Active broker landscape
- Technology issues, priorities, and examples by functional area
- Top technology priorities for 2020 and beyond
Key Points and Findings
Digitized communications remain the number one problem brokers face. There has been a significant improvement in the last year through a new class of solution providers that offer automation to support new and renewal business.
Brokers are investing heavily in analytics, business intelligence, and (more recently) AI and related technologies. Brokers are using any tool possible to grow their business profitably and to provide a differentiated customer experience from customer acquisition to customer service.
Insurers are actively investing in portals for brokers, but are also building distribution APIs, especially in small commercial. Broker demand continues to grow for insurers to provide straight-through processing portals for small commercial business, while activity in building direct connections with brokers grew substantially in 2019.
About the Author
Datos Insights
We are the advisor of choice to the banking, insurance, securities, and retail technology industries–both the financial institutions and the technology providers who serve them. The Datos Insights mission is to help our clients make better technology decisions so they can protect and grow their customers’ assets.
Other Authors
Steven Kaye
Steven Kaye is Head of Knowledge Management at Datos Insights, and lead editor of the firm’s Business and Technology Trends in Insurance series. He has managed a wide range of research projects since joining the firm in 2008. Previously, Steven worked for Accenture as an insurance researcher focused on the U.S. life and property/casualty markets. He also served in both knowledge management...