Key Takeaways

• Legacy BPO models are evolving—digital FTEs are now a core part of modern insurance operations.
• A tech-enabled BPO can reduce turnaround time, eliminate manual effort, and improve compliance.
• This checklist outlines the must-have capabilities your tech-enabled BPO partner should offer to future-proof your business.

The Shift: From Manual to Digital-Human BPO

Outsourcing in insurance isn’t new. For decades, carriers and agencies have relied on BPOs to handle data-intensive, time-consuming back-office tasks, such as submissions, renewals, and document processing.

But today, volume alone isn’t enough. Insurance is evolving and has entered a new era—one that demands speed, accuracy, personalization, and the ability to scale without scaling headcount.

Enter the tech-enabled BPO model, powered by Digital FTEs—AI-trained digital workers that augment human teams and bring automation, intelligence, and continuity to your insurance processes.

This isn’t about replacing people. It’s about allowing underwriters, processors, and agents to focus on decisions, not data entry.

So, what should you look for in a tech-enabled BPO partner?

[Checklist] 6 Must-Have Capabilities of a Tech-Enabled Insurance BPO Partner

This version of the checklist is outsourcing-focused, showing how digital FTEs enhance core processes and how clients benefit, especially if you're a carrier, MGA, or agency exploring tech-enabled BPOs for scaling, efficiency, and speed-to-market.

1. Smart Intake Handling with AI-Powered Digital FTEs

Why it matters to you:

MGA and carrier underwriters often spend hours interpreting incomplete or inconsistent submissions—decoding ACORD forms, loss runs, or emails. A modern BPO partner should combine AI-powered Digital FTEs with human oversight to automate document ingestion, extract relevant fields, and ensure the submission data is clean and triaged correctly.

Tech alone isn’t enough—the human-in-the-loop model ensures that nuanced judgment, data validation, and exception handling are always in place when needed.

Checklist:

• Can they use AI to ingest unstructured documents (PDFs, emails, forms)?
• Do they auto-classify submissions by product, risk type, and carrier appetite?
• Can they enrich submission data for better underwriting decisions?
• Is there human validation to review and approve complex or flagged cases?
• Do they triage to the right underwriter queue without manual routing delays?

Benefit to You:

Faster quote-ready submissions, reduced underwriter fatigue, and improved quote-to- bind ratios—with the assurance that nothing critical slips through the cracks.

2. Underwriting Support That Goes Beyond Data Entry

Why it matters to you:

You don’t need just data entry—you need contextual underwriting support that actually drives decision-making. A tech-enabled BPO should combine AI tools for rating worksheets, validation, and benchmark analysis with a human workforce that brings domain expertise to catch nuances, review edge cases, and interpret complex risks.

The goal is to amplify the underwriting processes with automation and expert assistance, allowing your team to move faster without compromising quality.

Checklist:

• Do they assist in preparing risk summaries and rating worksheets using AI tools?
• Can they validate applications against underwriting guidelines automatically?
• Is there a human review layer for high-complexity or borderline submissions?
• Do they flag exceptions or coverage gaps proactively for underwriter action?

Benefit to You:

Better underwriting accuracy, quicker decisions, and improved risk segmentation.

3. Streamlined Endorsements & Mid-Term Policy Changes

Why it matters to you:

Endorsements are high-volume, detail-driven, and time-sensitive. A smart BPO partner should be able to streamline routine changes—like vehicle additions or coverage limit updates—using Digital FTEs, while ensuring that any exceptions, discrepancies, or non- standard cases are escalated to experienced staff for manual review.

This hybrid model ensures you get speedy automation without sacrificing compliance or accuracy.

Checklist:

• Can they auto-process standard endorsements (like vehicle additions/coverage changes)?
• Is there a human escalation workflow for non-standard or flagged requests?
• Do they generate updated policy documents automatically?
• Is there an audit trail for human-reviewed endorsements?

Benefit to You:

Faster service for policyholders and agents, reduced backlogs, and lower operational costs—while keeping complex changes under careful human review.

4. Seamless Policy Issuance & Documentation

Why it matters to you:

Once a policy is bound, delays in document generation can cause customer dissatisfaction. A tech-enabled BPO should automate the entire issuance workflow—from template-based document creation to real-time validation—while integrating a human oversight layer to review flagged discrepancies, non-standard clauses, or compliance-sensitive terms.

This ensures a balance between speed, accuracy, and regulatory confidence.

Checklist:

• Do they automate the generation of policy packs within minutes of binding?
• Is there real-time validation of coverage limits, endorsements, and binder terms?
• Do they dispatch digital policy documents without delay?
• Do they include human reviewers for complex or non-standard policy types?
• Is their system auditable and aligned with evolving regulatory mandates?

Benefit to You:

Near-instant policy issuance, reduced compliance risks, and improved client satisfaction.

5. Digital-First FNOL & Claims Intake Services

Why it matters to you:

Carriers and MGAs can’t afford delays or fraud exposure in claims. A digital BPO should streamline FNOL intake using omnichannel tools, flag suspicious claims early, and route clean ones directly for adjudication, while also incorporating claims specialists for human review of edge cases or complex scenarios.

This ensures that technology accelerates intake, but trained professionals validate sensitive data and protect against risk exposure.

Checklist:

• Do they accept FNOL via phone, email, chatbot, and voice-to-text automation?
• Can they cross-check claims details against policy terms in real time?
• Do they embed anomaly detection to flag suspicious or high-risk claims?
• Do they include human claims experts to review flagged FNOLs before proceeding?

Benefit to You:

Faster claims setup, early fraud detection, and improved CX in critical moments.

6. Renewals Managed Proactively, Not Reactively

Why it matters to you:

Renewals—especially in commercial lines—often fall through the cracks due to fragmented tracking and delayed engagement. A tech-enabled BPO should combine AI- driven automation to monitor expirations, pre-fill forms, and trigger reminders, with human intervention for personalization, exception handling, and final validation.

This hybrid approach helps ensure that no renewal opportunity is missed and policyholder engagement stays timely and tailored.

Checklist:

• Can they pre-analyze expiring policies for cross-sell/up-sell opportunities?
• Do they auto-generate pre-filled renewal forms for underwriter/agent review?
• Is there a human-led review for high-value or complex renewals requiring personalization?
• Is there an alerting system to nudge agents or underwriters for pending actions?

Benefit to You:

Higher retention rates, increased policyholder satisfaction, and reduced renewal drop- offs.

Final Thought: Don’t Just Outsource—Augment

A truly tech-enabled BPO partner doesn’t just “do the work”—they elevate how the work is done.

They combine automation with industry expertise, integrate seamlessly into your workflows, and empower your teams to focus on high-value activities rather than backlogs or manual reviews.

As carriers, MGAs, and agencies rethink their operations in 2025 and beyond, this checklist serves as your guide for identifying the right partner.

Evaluate your current BPO partner. Ask the tough questions. Demand digital readiness. And make the shift from transactional outsourcing to strategic transformation.

Connect with Primis BPO to modernize your insurance operations with a hybrid digital- human BPO model.