Mid-term endorsements are often a bottleneck for insurers. Lengthy manual processes can frustrate customers, overburden staff, and drive up operational costs. In this case study, we explore how RST partnered with a mid-sized insurer to streamline its endorsement workflow, resulting in a dramatic 50% reduction in processing time. Here’s how we did it—with a little help from OutSystems.
1. The Challenge
Lengthy Manual Processes
The insurer relied on a legacy system that required underwriters to manually approve every endorsement—ranging from small address changes to adding new drivers. This involved printing documents, emailing forms, and extensive back-and-forth between departments.
High Error Rates
Because multiple teams handled the same data in different tools, inconsistencies and duplications were common. Policyholders often received delayed or inaccurate updates, denting customer satisfaction.
Poor Visibility & Tracking
The insurer’s leadership team had no real-time view of how many endorsements were in process, which ones were delayed, or where errors occurred. This lack of oversight made it impossible to accurately measure productivity or identify root causes of slowdowns.
2. Our Approach
- Assessment & Discovery
- Conducted stakeholder interviews to map the current endorsement process from initial request to final approval.
- Identified bottlenecks, redundant tasks, and potential integration points with existing systems.
- Designing an Automated Workflow
- Used OutSystems to create a visual, drag-and-drop workflow for endorsements.
- Applied role-based permissions so only relevant teams had editing or approval access, reducing errors and handoff delays.
- Integrating with Core Systems
- Established API connections to the insurer’s policy administration, billing, and CRM platforms.
- Ensured real-time data flow so that any policy change automatically synced across all systems.
- Building Business Rules
- Incorporated conditional logic for different types of endorsements—minor requests were auto-approved, while high-value or complex changes triggered underwriter review.
- Configured data validations (e.g., address checks, risk scoring) to catch inaccuracies before final submission.
- User Training & Rollout
- Conducted brief training sessions to ensure that underwriters, agents, and customer support teams felt comfortable using the new system.
- Phased rollout: started with one product line before expanding to others.
3. Results
- 50% Reduction in Processing Time
- Automated workflows and instant data validations replaced time-consuming emails and manual tasks.
- Simple changes now take minutes instead of hours to process.
- 40% Decrease in Error Rates
- Role-based permissions and real-time data integrations significantly cut down on duplications and inconsistencies.
- Underwriters could trust data accuracy, focusing on high-level decision-making.
- Improved Customer Experience
- Policyholders received faster endorsements, boosting satisfaction scores.
- Fewer back-and-forth communications led to a more professional, efficient service.
- Enhanced Visibility
- OutSystems’ dashboards provided at-a-glance reporting on endorsement volume, processing times, and user activity.
- Management could quickly spot trends and address any emerging bottlenecks.
4. Key Takeaways
- Automated Workflows Yield Quick Wins Even modest process improvements can result in significant efficiency gains when harnessed through low-code automation.
- Real-Time Integrations Are Game-Changers Connecting core systems reduces rekeying and ensures everyone operates from a single source of truth.
- Role-Based Permissions Prevent Overload By segmenting tasks and approvals, teams handle only what’s within their purview—eliminating confusion and duplication.
- User Adoption Is Critical Clear training and phased rollouts ensure staff can adapt smoothly to new processes and technologies.
Conclusion
For this insurer, cutting endorsement processing time by 50% wasn’t just about technology; it was about rethinking their workflow and empowering teams to work smarter.
Leveraging OutSystems allowed us at RST to deliver rapid, low-code solutions that integrated seamlessly with the existing tech stack—resulting in improved efficiency, happier customers, and measurable ROI.
Interested in achieving similar results?
Contact RST today to learn how we can optimize your mid-term endorsement workflows and deliver tangible business outcomes using OutSystems. Let’s transform how you handle policy changes—one automated workflow at a time!
