Decerto says poor UX is dragging down P&C policy administration software

Published June 22, 2026, Decerto’s updated framework targets mid-tier U.S. insurers and the people who live in policy administration software every day: operations leaders, CIOs, underwriters, agents, and CSR teams. It argues that bad screens are not a cosmetic flaw but a direct drag on P&C carrier operations.

Poor UX creates a hidden tax through more clicks per transaction, longer training cycles, higher error rates, more escalations, and more staff attrition after go-live. McKinsey estimated that 30% to 40% of an underwriter’s time in large commercial lines can still be spent on administrative work such as rekeying data or manually executing analyses. McKinsey also estimated insurers could improve productivity and reduce operating expenses by up to 40% over a decade while improving customer experience.

Buyers should stop treating UX as a side issue in the RFP. Instead of judging a PAS only on architecture, integration, and ACORD compliance, carriers should test how screens support real workflows, how much training the system demands, how well mobile and tablet use is handled, and how tightly agent and customer self-service portals connect to the core. A system can be technically functional and still slow down quoting, endorsements, and service if users have to fight the interface to get routine work done.

Carriers are moving toward centralized underwriting workbenches that bring together data collection, risk evaluation, pricing, portfolio views, policy issuance, and documentation in one place. Underwriting slows when data, systems, and workflows stay disconnected. ACORD’s NGDS Object Model launched in August 2025 to standardize data exchange across underwriting, policy management, and claims administration.

The insurance industry is facing a rapidly accelerating talent shortage, and the workforce is aging while carriers struggle to attract and retain frontline staff. Streamlining legacy processes and upgrading policy administration systems improve customer service, strengthen employee morale, and lower costs. Triple-I and Milliman put the U.S. P&C industry in underwriting profitability in 2024 for the first time since 2020, with 2026 risks including tariffs, labor market softening, and persistent inflation.