| Information Technology is now being used in every | | | | and the second set is about the tools implemented |
| walk of life. Insurance Service Organizations are | | | | to apply the techniques. |
| among the biggest users of IT. It is a challenge for | | | | For example, Business Intelligence (BI) is useful in |
| Insurance Companies to keep their manpower | | | | almost all the functions of an Insurance organization. |
| updated on IT knowledge so that they can make | | | | For this, the organization implements some Business |
| best use of IT deployment. It is often seen that | | | | Intelligence software. To make effective use of it, |
| huge amount of money is spend on implementing a | | | | first a person needs to know about various BI |
| technology and at a later time found that either this | | | | techniques such as clustering, association rules etc. A |
| was not the one needed or it remained under utilized. | | | | user need not know the algorithm used in these |
| If we try to categorize the use of Information | | | | techniques, but he should be aware of the meaning |
| technology in Insurance service, we can put various | | | | and use of them. Learning the features available in |
| uses in following three categories -- Document and | | | | the software implemented for this purpose is |
| Knowledge Management, Workflow automation, and | | | | relatively easy and can be learned easily by use. But, |
| Analytics and Business Intelligence. Let us map these | | | | if one only learns the software and the features |
| with some of the important Insurance functions such | | | | available in that and thinks that he can use BI with |
| as Underwriting, Product Design, Product packaging, | | | | that knowledge, then it doesn't work. |
| Policy Administration, Claims Management, Customer | | | | In Insurance Organizations, IT Project |
| Relationship Management etc. | | | | implementations are regular activities. Project |
| Activities like Underwriting risks and Product design/ | | | | Management techniques such as CPM/ PERT (Critical |
| packaging depend a lot on Knowledge management, | | | | Path Method/ Program Evaluation and Review |
| powerful analytics and Business Intelligence | | | | Techniques) helps the project team manage the |
| techniques. Every Insurance Organization must be | | | | project better. There are more failure stories in IT |
| having some software for Knowledge management | | | | Implementation Projects than success stories. IT |
| and Business Intelligence or if not so, they must be | | | | personnel in the organization have to work as |
| implementing them in near future. For making best | | | | interface between the internal users and technology |
| use of knowledge management and business | | | | partners. Knowledge of project management |
| intelligence techniques, users must have sufficient | | | | techniques and skill to interpret data to convert to |
| knowledge about when and where what technique | | | | smart decisions play important role in success of IT |
| can be useful. | | | | projects. |
| At the same time, they also need sufficient working | | | | To summarize, the IT training needs for Insurance |
| knowledge on the software/ tool implemented or to | | | | professionals fall under two categories-One related to |
| be implemented in the organization. This knowledge is | | | | techniques and the other related to tools deployed to |
| software dependent. If the software is changed in | | | | use those techniques. Training on Business Intelligence |
| future, the screens and options will change and users | | | | techniques, Workflow design, project management |
| will need to be trained again on the new software. | | | | techniques, document and knowledge management |
| However, the first set of knowledge that is about | | | | techniques etc. are necessary. Tool specific training is |
| the techniques itself is not dependent on software. | | | | generally provided during implementation. There |
| This knowledge keeps getting enriched with use and | | | | should be some plan to train more number of people |
| experience and make user more powerful in applying | | | | on tools by those who are already trained. These |
| them in practice. | | | | tools can be best learned by using and practicing. |
| Policy Administration and Claims Management are | | | | However, these can be of use only when the user |
| such activities where document management and | | | | understands the techniques to workable level. |
| workflow automation techniques are mostly | | | | In addition to these topics, everyone should be fully |
| deployed. Customer Relationship Management | | | | aware of the information security issues and IT |
| requires good analytics and Business Intelligence | | | | policy of the organization. With properly designed |
| techniques as well. In all such implementation and | | | | training based on above considerations, an Insurance |
| applications, we find that two sets of knowledge are | | | | Organization can make best use of Information |
| required at users level to make best use of them. | | | | Technology. |
| First set of knowledge is about the techniques itself | | | | |