MODERNIZING WITH MULTIPLE MOVING PARTS
A discussion with CIO John Leum on CapSpecialty's transformation efforts, the complexity of parallel execution, and the measurable outcomes achieved with INFORCE.
Let’s begin with the transformation CapSpecialty launched in 2020. What was happening inside the organization at that time?
Well, looking back to 2020, CapSpecialty was really embarking on an aggressive, enterprise-wide transformation. At the heart of that initiative were three very specific strategic deliverables centered on our core policy administration system, or PAS.
What were those key deliverables?
There was a lot on the table. First, we needed to consolidate our legacy policy administration over to the OneShield PAS. Second, we were looking to expand our product offering by adding four entirely new products. And third, we had to actually upgrade the OneShield platform itself.
Pursuing three major initiatives simultaneously must have created a unique set of challenges.
It certainly did. To hit those aggressive timelines, we had to execute all three of those deliverables in parallel. As you can imagine, that created a significant amount of execution constraints and complexities for the team.
WHAT KIND OF SUPPORT DID YOU NEED FROM AN EXTERNAL PARTNER TO MAKE THAT POSSIBLE?
We knew we needed a partner that brought two things to the table: the ability to rapidly ramp up OneShield resources, but also the capacity to provide real thought leadership in both technology and project execution.
Navigating Complexity— and Delivering Results
Was there anything in particular about the team that stood out to you?
We knew we needed a partner that brought two things to the table: the ability to rapidly ramp up OneShield resources, but also the capacity to provide real thought leadership in both technology and project execution.
Ultimately, how did the initiative turn out?
Honestly, it was a success—we achieved all of our roadmap objectives on time and with high quality. To be clear, we simply could not have achieved those results without INFORCE.
What aspects of their work made the biggest difference?
I’d say INFORCE was really masterful when it came to navigating the complexities of these projects. They were highly collaborative and did an excellent job with the overall project planning.
“We simply could not have achieved those results without INFORCE.”
Taking the Next Step: AI in Underwriting
Fast forward to 2025. CapSpecialty again launched another major initiative. What drove that effort?
By 2025, we were ready to embark on another aggressive set of projects. The goal this time was to drive a new level of capability into the organization.
What was the focus of those initiatives?
The primary focus was embedding AI capabilities directly into our core underwriting processes.
That likely required a different kind of technical team.
Exactly. To reach that goal, we required a partner who could scale a large team very quickly with a diverse set of skills. Beyond the technical side, they also had to provide top-tier project management oversight to keep the execution efficient and on time.
How did you approach selecting that partner?
Given our history, it was a straightforward decision. Based on our prior experience from 2020, CapSpecialty chose to partner with INFORCE again.
How did the projects ultimately perform?
With INFORCE by our side, the project teams actually exceeded the objectives we committed to for 2025. They ramped up resources quickly, and because of their technical skillsets, they were able to make a completely seamless transition into our project teams.
What capabilities came out of that effort?
It stayed right in alignment with our 2025 roadmap. We created a suite of AI capabilities that we’re not only utilizing in our core underwriting processes today, but that we’re also leveraging across the entire enterprise.
“With INFORCE by our side, the project teams actually exceeded the objectives we committed to for 2025.”