Hollard has modernised its operations by partnering with SilverBridge and migrating its Exergy solution to Microsoft Azure, as the independent insurer focuses on embracing emerging technologies to help position the business for a digital world.
Previously, Hollard Botswana used an on-premises solution that ran independently from Hollard International. But as digitalisation is accelerating globally to encompass a wider share of the insurance value chain, Hollard Botswana identified the need to modernise its core systems. This would equip the insurer to not only scale more effectively but also respond more easily to changing customer requirements.
To this end, the Botswana business would move its Exergy licensing to the Hollard International master agreement and migrate the on-premises Exergy offering into Azure.
“Hollard International has been a SilverBridge client since 2016. Its Exergy solution has enabled us to grow across Africa. We have been very happy with the SilverBridge approach, especially the way the system is set up with each territory able to customise Exergy according to local requirements,” said Vernon Goodman, Executive Head of Digital and Technology at Hollard International.
Flexibility
SilverBridge has the experience, skilled consultants and solutions in place to deliver an effective and timeous move to the cloud. Its long-standing partnership with Hollard International gives it unique insights into the customer’s business, enabling it to scale according to the needs of any territory.
“As a Microsoft partner, we have an intimate understanding of Azure and how to leverage it to unlock demonstratable business returns for customers. Our strategic relationship with Microsoft has enabled us to re-architect our solutions for Azure and unlock the flexibility that comes from a cloud environment. For Hollard, this means getting a tailored solution that fits the demands of its business in the country,” says Lee Kuyper, COO at SilverBridge.
The benefits of migrating Hollard Botswana to Azure means the insurer can access new features seamlessly unlike an on-premises solution that needs to be reinstalled or be patched. As several countries share a code base on the Exergy master agreement with Hollard on Azure, any updates are immediately rolled out to the contracted operations.
This ensures that the go-to-market strategy of each country can be sped up to two months instead of the greater length of time it took in the past. The Exergy solution can also be managed centrally with the high performance computing capabilities of Azure delivering additional flexibility for scalability across business operations.
Reinventing the business
“In Botswana, the Exergy solution suite has been a game changer for us with the migration to Microsoft Azure taking less than three months. This has given us a vital competitive advantage from a speed to market perspective,” says Goodman.
Another example of these improved operational efficiencies has seen month ends that previously took three days to complete, now be finished in a matter of hours. Using Exergy and Azure as the foundation, Hollard is now able to easily ramp up any territory to a more digital-friendly cloud-driven business environment.
By partnering with SilverBridge, Hollard International has modernised the operations of Hollard Botswana and improved the speed-to-market on new insurance products.
“The increased business efficiencies and streamlined processes achieved post the migration reflects the efficacy of our cloud-based policy administration system,” concluded Kuyper.
