Transforming insurance with data and AI
The results of our migration to BigQuery and Vertex AI has been transformative for Definity. We’ve seen exceptional user satisfaction, with the SDP achieving a remarkable Net Promoter Score (NPS) of 9.9 out of 10. The move has also saved us millions on our annual spend on non-strategic technologies and delivered a roughly 75% reduction in planned downtime for our digital platforms.
Performance has also dramatically improved, with processes to gain insights that once took days now completing in an average of 4.5 hours. Moreover, migrating to Google Cloud has helped us increase agility and innovation. We’re now able to double our business releases per year — achieving a 30% increase in testing automation, a 63% improvement in deployment time, and a 10x faster infrastructure setup.
By combining structured and unstructured data in BigQuery, we’ve unlocked new analytical possibilities and improved price-performance. This unified data foundation has empowered our business intelligence tools with richer, more comprehensive data, leading to more informed business decisions. The seamless integration with Vertex AI has enabled us to develop, deploy, and scale AI models, driving innovation in areas like fraud detection, automated intake, and personalized call center experiences. At the same time, we benefit from Google Cloud’s strong commitment to data security and privacy, helping us to strengthen our security posture and keep our customers safe.
As our VP of Data, Ron Mills, said:
“BigQuery’s serverless architecture has been a game-changer. The ‘nothing to manage’ approach is a huge differentiator. For enterprises like us that are migrating from on-prem clusters constantly running at 80% capacity, it’s like night and day.”
Lessons learned from our migration journey
Migrating a core data platform is a significant undertaking, and we’ve learned a lot along the way. For other organizations considering the same journey, here are some key takeaways from our experience:
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One team, one goal: Foster a collaborative environment where technology and business teams, vendors, contractors, and consultants work together seamlessly towards a shared objective.
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Leadership trust and commitment: Executive leadership trust in the delivery team’s decision-making is crucial for maintaining momentum and navigating challenges.
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Be bold: Don’t be afraid to think outside the box, make timely decisions, and be prepared to adapt quickly to unforeseen setbacks.
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Plan for the unknown: Anticipate potential roadblocks and have a core team dedicated to developing alternative solutions and addressing unforeseen issues.
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Strong business partnership: A trusted relationship with business teams is essential for smooth user acceptance testing, change management, and avoiding unnecessary disruptions during the migration.
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Balanced governance: Independent governance should provide guidance and support calculated risk-taking, acting as a partner in problem-solving rather than a blocker.
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Motivated team: Cultivate a team-oriented environment where ownership of the project extends beyond leadership to every team member.
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Transparent communication: Maintain open and consistent communication among all stakeholders (in our case, over 250 people) to ensure everyone is aligned and informed.
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Fast fail and incremental delivery: Avoid a “big bang” approach. Embrace incremental releases (we aimed for 2-5 daily releases) to learn quickly, adapt, and iterate.
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Parallel run: Plan for a parallel run of your systems on both the legacy and target cloud platforms to ensure a smooth transition and validate the new environment.
A data-driven future with limitless potential
Our migration to BigQuery and Vertex AI is just the first step in Definity’s data transformation journey. With a modern, scalable, and AI-ready data foundation now in place, we are empowered to unlock even greater value from our data and continue to lead innovation in the insurance industry. We are excited about the possibilities that lie ahead and are already actively developing our next AI use cases, including several focused on legal summarization and IT functions. We are confident that our partnership with Google Cloud will be instrumental in helping us achieve our goals.
Learn how to start your own migration journey to BigQuery today.
