How Insurance IT Leaders are Cutting 35% of Tickets and Saving Millions

This article is by Simon Salloway, Director, Solution Architects EMEA & APAC at Lakeside Software

Insurance IT leaders are under intense pressure to boost digital performance, reduce operational risks, and control costs. Yet, many insurers are losing millions annually due to reactive IT support models that fail to address hidden inefficiencies. Leading insurance firms are now adopting proactive, data-driven IT strategies, leveraging Digital Employee Experience (DEX) platforms to slash ticket volumes, uncover waste, and align IT with business goals. This article explores how insurers are transforming IT to enhance efficiency, compliance, and customer satisfaction.

The cost of reactive IT in insurance

Reactive IT models, which address issues only after they disrupt operations, are particularly costly in the insurance sector, where digital platforms are critical for customer interactions and internal workflows. Slow policy management systems, login delays, or application crashes can delay claims processing, impede underwriting, or disrupt customer service, leading to lost revenue and eroded client trust. Allianz Global ranks business interruption, including IT outages, as the top risk for insurers. Industry estimates suggest that 55% of IT budgets are spent maintaining operations, leaving only 19% for innovation.

Proactive IT, powered by DEX platforms, is changing this. By collecting real-time data from endpoints – every device across the IT estate – insurers gain visibility into system performance and user experience. This data, enhanced by AI, reveals inefficiencies and enables automation, reducing ticket volumes and saving millions. For instance, a global insurer reduced incident tickets by 35%, preventing 30,000 issues monthly by targeting VPN failures and reboot hygiene. Another caught a CPU-draining bug (20% usage) before it impacted staff, avoiding productivity losses during peak customer service periods.

Uncovering hidden waste with endpoint data

DEX platforms use sensors to collect thousands of data from endpoints every few seconds, providing a clear view of device performance, application usage, and user experience. This helps insurers identify waste, such as over-provisioned hardware or unused software licenses. A financial services firm saved £7.2 million by using real usage data to avoid unnecessary laptop refreshes, while another eliminated £3.2 million in software waste by tracking license usage. In insurance, similar insights ensure IT resources align with the needs of underwriters, claims handlers, and customer service teams, preventing costly over-investments.

High-quality data is critical. Gartner estimates poor data quality costs insurance organisations £9.7 million annually. For insurers, comprehensive, real-time, and detailed endpoint data ensures reliable decision-making, avoiding miscalculations like replacing assets unnecessarily or overlooking optimisation opportunities.

Catching issues before they disrupt with AI

Real-time insights from DEX platforms enable IT teams to catch issues before they impact employees or customers. Traditional monitoring often misses user-level friction, such as slow policy management systems or login delays, until complaints arise. DEX platforms track metrics like memory, latency, and application crashes, allowing instant intervention. For example, a global insurer identified a Group Policy Object (GPO) spawning two cmd.exe instances that consumed 20% CPU across multiple machines. The issue was fixed before users noticed, saving thousands in lost productivity. This proactive approach ensures seamless digital experiences, critical for claims processing and customer interactions during peak periods.

AI-driven analytics identify risks before they escalate, such as servers nearing overload or bandwidth-heavy updates. For example, an insurer can catch a CPU issue early, while another resolves a problematic update affecting 200 devices before users experience slowdowns. These capabilities are vital in insurance, where system stability is essential for compliance with regulations like the FCA’s guidelines, which demand oversight of operational disruptions. Predictive intelligence ensures IT teams stay ahead of risks, protecting productivity and customer trust.

Scaling efficiency with automation

Automation resolves repetitive issues at scale, reducing IT workload and costs. Tasks like password resets, software stalls, or update delays consume significant resources. A healthcare insurer automated 1.1 million sensor-driven actions over 30 days, addressing system hygiene issues like slow search times and cutting ticket volumes. Another financial services firm automated responses to 800 tickets monthly, saving over £150,000 annually and reducing Mean Time to Repair (MTTR). In insurance, automation ensures compliance by enforcing policies at login and streamlines service desk operations, allowing IT staff to focus on strategic tasks like digital transformation.

Aligning IT with business strategy

Proactive IT aligns investments with business strategy and customer expectations. By eliminating waste –  £7.2 million on laptops, £3.2 million on software –  insurers can redirect funds to innovation, such as cloud transitions or AI-driven customer service tools. DEX data optimises IT asset management, creating role-based environments for underwriters, claims adjusters, and customer service reps, preventing revenue loss from failed policy quotes or delayed claims.

According to a recent survey by Cytora, 79% of global insurance firms cited prioritised investment in digitisation technologies over the next two years, enabling improved service to brokers and customers. The survey also highlighted how the growing insurance industry’s demand for streamlined processes, automation, and advanced analytics is reflected in the level of financial investment being made.

Supporting digital transformation and compliance

DEX platforms support digital transformation initiatives, such as operating system migrations (e.g., Windows 11) or cloud transitions, by providing granular insights into system performance and user readiness. For example, one major insurer improved incident management and reduced IT interruptions across its call centres, achieving a 35% drop in downtime during its busiest period. DEX also strengthens compliance by ensuring endpoint data meets regulatory requirements, reducing the risk of disruptions that impact critical services like claims processing.

The integration of AI and machine learning will further enhance proactive IT strategies. As insurers move toward data-driven models, continuous monitoring and seamless integrations will be essential to manage digital transformation without disrupting user experiences. DEX platforms will remain critical for maintaining compliance and driving innovation, positioning insurers to anticipate the demands of a rapidly changing market.

For insurance IT leaders, the shift to proactive, data-driven IT is transformative. By leveraging DEX platforms to uncover waste, catch issues early, anticipate risks, automate resolutions, and align IT with business goals, insurers can cut 35% of tickets and save millions. This approach enhances operational efficiency, ensures compliance, and boosts employee and customer satisfaction. As the insurance sector evolves, proactive IT will be essential for turning IT from a cost centre into a catalyst for innovation and growth.

To view case study samples, visit: Lakeside-Software_Journey-to-Proactive-IT-White-Paper_April-2025-2.pdf