“I started in insurance technology right after Y2K,” says Tushar Bholé. “That was when insurers began shifting from legacy mainframes to more modern architecture. My first project replaced a claims system across 14 lines of business. It taught me that technology issues always show up as business issues — missed launches, slow processes, unhappy users.”
Tushar Bholé, EVP, Sales & Partnerships at Cogitate has deep experience within the insurance core platform market. His discussions with industry professionals across the carrier, MGA, program administrator, and broker sectors indicate a consistent desire for greater velocity. Having the right technology in place is a critical component of game-changing gains across the policy lifecycle.
We asked Tushar how he recognizes the right time to change systems — and what a successful transformation looks like when people, processes, and technology align.
“Across carriers, MGAs, program administrators, and wholesale brokers, the warning signs of an aging platform look slightly different but point to the same conclusion. When technology starts dictating how the business operates, rather than enabling it, it’s time to take notice.”
1) Product launches take too long and cost too much
A healthy platform should accelerate growth, not throttle it. Yet for many insurers, launching a new product or expanding to a new state now takes months longer than it should.
“CEOs don’t want to see new platforms added for every new line of business,” Tushar explains. “A modern platform lets you configure, not rebuild.”
That flexibility enabled the Colorado FAIR Plan to deploy a complete policy, billing, and claims suite in just 16 weeks; further proof that even complex implementations can move fast. McKinsey’s research found that carriers with modernized core systems achieve more than 40% higher productivity and 41% lower IT costs compared with peers running legacy systems. For carriers, this means faster regulatory approval and quicker time-to-market. For MGAs and program administrators, it can mean securing new capacity partnerships weeks sooner. For brokers, it often determines whether a deal gets written before a competitor meets the need.
2) Integration and data silos are draining productivity
Duplicate data entry, disconnected systems, and manual reconciliation are among the most significant drains on insurer efficiency.
“Every time someone re-keys data between systems, you’re paying for it,” says Tushar. “The cost is often accuracy, time, and employee morale.”
Independent analyses consistently identify poor integration and fragmented data as leading barriers to operational efficiency. For carriers, fragmented policy, billing, and claims data creates reporting delays and compliance risk. For MGAs and program administrators, siloed carrier portals and third-party feeds slow underwriting and increase error rates. For brokers, fractured data makes client servicing harder and insights weaker. The DigitalEdge ecosystem includes more than 70 pre-built partner integrations that simplify connectivity and streamline workflows across the insurance value chain.
3) IT and business can’t stay in sync
If your IT team talks about architecture while your business team talks about outcomes — and neither side connects — misalignment is costing you.
“In the past, business leaders kicked off a project and stepped away until go-live,” Tushar recalls. “Now, both sides need to stay engaged because every tech decision is a business decision.”
An insurance leaders survey reported that digitally advanced insurers were around 1.6 times more likely to say their transformations were very successful. For carriers, that alignment affects long-term modernization roadmaps. For MGAs and program administrators, where teams are leaner, poor coordination can derail launches or delay partner onboarding. For brokers, misalignment often surfaces as CRM and policy data that never quite match up.
4) Costs rise while returns flatten
Legacy maintenance consumes more budget every year, often without improving capability. Change orders, rework, and vendor dependencies can quietly erode ROI.
“Too many vendors promise everything up front and deliver the invoice later,” says Tushar. “At some point, the comfort of staying put costs more than the courage to move forward.”
Analyst estimates show that 70% of insurer IT budgets now go toward maintaining old systems. For carriers, that can mean millions each year that never reach innovation. For MGAs and program administrators, who often operate under tighter capital constraints, hidden costs can be crippling. For brokers, these inefficiencies appear in higher operating overhead and slower client service. Cogitate’s work with Treaty Oak illustrates this: they quoted 72 percent of their prior-year volume within three months, without increasing headcount.
5) Users — agents, underwriters, and customers — have stopped believing in the system
Once people stop trusting the platform, productivity and satisfaction collapse. Slow portals, confusing screens, and dated workflows don’t just frustrate users — they can cost you business.
“The platform needs to be designed with the user in mind—whether that’s an agent, underwriter, or claims adjuster,” Tushar says. “When you get the complexities right under the hood, people can focus on what they do best.”
McKinsey found that improving digital user experience can raise employee productivity by up to 20%. For carriers, that can translate to faster claims cycles and improved service quality. For MGAs and program administrators, it directly impacts agent adoption and submission rates. For brokers, it determines how easily they can place and renew accounts.
Choosing a modern platform
When several of these signals appear together, modernization becomes more than an IT project — it becomes a business necessity.
“We call it insurance technology by insurance people,” Tushar reflects. “The right platform supports how insurance professionals actually work — with the speed, integration, and user experience they need to serve their customers well.”
A modern platform supports scalability, open integration, predictable cost, and user experience that earns trust. It’s not about replacing software. It’s about restoring momentum.
About this article
This piece was developed from a conversation between Michael and Tushar Bholé, EVP, Sales & Partnerships at Cogitate Technology Solutions. Their discussion explored how carriers, MGAs, program administrators, and brokers recognize the right time to change systems — and what a successful transformation looks like when people, process, and technology align.
Cogitate was founded in 2012 by insurance professionals who experienced these same challenges firsthand. The company’s DigitalEdge platform helps insurers modernize with speed, scalability, and transparency.
Insurance Technology by Insurance People
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