Main menu

Pages

Technology is a big puzzle to solve: CIO of Cincinnati Insurance

featured image

Kerington has been CIO for 12 years at Cincinnati Insurance, an insurance company that generated $6.8 billion in net premiums written in 2021. The company employs nearly 5,200 of his people and operates in 46 states. It offers business, residential, auto and life insurance, as well as reinsurance and Lloyd’s businesses.

As Head of Technology, Kerington’s responsibilities include everything related to the information systems and technology platforms the company uses with its agents. Internally, it also oversees the security and functionality of the division’s infrastructure.

He said the job has changed a lot in the last 12 years as technology becomes more and more important to keep insurance companies growing and prospering.

“Technology in general … is an insurance factory,” he said. “It is the environment that creates what we sell. We create our policies and deliver our services. Technology underpins it.”

Kerington’s perspective was shaped by previous work. He was ACORD’s senior vice president and was responsible for developing industry standards in areas including information technology.

Broad portfolio of applications

Kellington explained that Cincinnati Insurance uses key core systems to support separate functions such as policy, billing, billing, and data warehousing. Additionally, Kellington and his team base technology selections on the needs of the company’s independent agency base (approximately 1,848 across the United States).

“We are looking at many ways to serve our agencies, and one of the ways we have been doing it is through artificial intelligence and machine learning,” said Kerington. I’m here.

These technologies come into play, for example, when an agent sends an email requesting an automated policy change.

“We have software that can read an email, capture the intent of that email, pull the data out of the email, and launch robotic steps to process the transaction,” Kerington said. I’m here. “This is probably one of the simplest things an agent can do for him.”

Using machine learning and AI-based natural language processing for agent transactions makes sense, Kellington said. Because this technology was already available in multiple clouds on his platform.

“We thought this might be a unique implementation method. [had it in] It’s been in production for a while now,” he added.

Cincinnati Insurance has started using this technology for both drivers and vehicles.

“You can move on to more general requests like adding or changing vehicles for commercials or changing drivers. [policy],” he said. “Many of these transactions are done automatically.”

The long-term use of this technology could be much more pervasive in Cincinnati Insurance’s operations.

“We are currently making policy changes and there is no reason why we cannot quote it. [apply it] to publish,” Kerington said.

Outcome

Technological advances during Kerington’s tenure cover all areas.

Kellington and his team have more than 60 projects in their Enterprise Dashboard, topped by the company’s small business platform, which is now rolling out nationwide. There will also be the launch of Personal Line Overage and Surplus Line products, and the implementation of a new billing system.

Additionally, Kellington and the technical team continue to focus on simplifying enterprise systems. Cincinnati Insurance also now has an operational data store that underlies its CRM product, which is used to facilitate agent downloads and a simple portal. The company’s engineers continue to focus on leveraging each of the company’s technological advancements in multiple ways.

“I don’t know many organizations that have a more talented technical team than ours. Incredibly impressive,” said Kerington. “Just take the shackles off of them and let them build things where they should. It’s proven to be very effective.”

do you like it fun

Insurance systems are often very complex, but Kellington said the challenge of improving the technology that drives the industry is worth the effort. He said it can be a difficult but fun puzzle to solve.

“We have the ability to invest in it and make it effective and relevant, so it’s an opportunity for software engineers and anyone in the tech space who wants to join an insurance company,” he said. “It’s a great environment to work in.”

Of course, information technology engineers must consider the customer’s use of the technology, and Kellington says there are important nuances involved. Customers and technology He users may not like technology per se, but they do like what technology produces. Insurance tech professionals rely on making their experience as trouble-free and comfortable as possible.

“We serve independent agents, right? They are not technical experts and have no interest in being technical experts. We want the most frictionless environment possible in how we get accurate and accurate data in the most seamless and effective way,” says Kerington. I am trying to build a

.

Comments