A digitalisation model for operational efficiency of operations in the insurance industry

Abstract

Background: Digitalisation has revolutionised business strategies and processes by placing technology at the core, leading to substantial benefits including operational efficiency, increased productivity and higher revenue. This study has been influenced based on facilitating the acceleration of the digitalisation process and for enhancing the role to deliver value through innovative solutions.

Objectives: This research investigates how digitalisation can enhance business operations within the South African (SA) insurance industry by using the information technology and contingency theory as its foundational framework.

Method: We have conducted a systematic review search for articles in this study. Therefore, a total of 121 articles were included for the study based on the conducted search from academic articles sourced from the databases of EBSCO Host, Science Direct and Google Scholar using content and descriptive analysis techniques.

Results: The analysis revealed that, firstly, most studies on this topic focus on digital strategies and business models. They often miss the complex connection between digitalisation and business processes in the SA insurance industry. Firstly, there has been little research on how factors such as the environment, technology and industry impact the digitalisation process in SA insurance. Secondly, there is a clear lack of research on digitalisation in the insurance sector of developing countries, especially in SA.

Conclusion: The study aims to improve the insurance industry. One benefit is the enhancement of operational efficiency within the South African industry because of digitisation procedures. Furthermore, the advantages of the digitalisation model would enhance operational effectiveness, transforming the insurance industry by introducing innovative approaches to process and technical challenges now faced.

Contribution: The study contributes to the development of a digitalisation model specifically for SA and supplement existing research, offering a potential benchmark for similar initiatives in other emerging markets.