If there’s one universal truth in the insurance world, it’s this: building software takes too long.
Not because teams lack ideas.
But because the technical foundations most insurers and MGAs rely on simply weren’t designed for the speed the market now demands.
The Real Bottlenecks of Custom Insurance Software Development
If you talk to any CIO, CTO, or product lead in insurance today, you’ll hear a familiar list of frustrations. At the top of that list?
Legacy insurance software.
Many insurers and MGAs still depend on systems built decades ago, layered with years of custom patches, integrations, and workarounds. These platforms were not built to support embedded insurance, digital distribution, or real-time data workflows – yet they’re expected to power exactly that.
Then there’s the ecosystem problem.
Insurance is naturally interconnected: carriers, MGAs, brokers, TPAs, reinsurers, data providers, regulatory services, payment gateways. Every party has its own systems, its own APIs (or lack of them), and its own data formats. Integrations become long, fragile projects that slow releases to a crawl.
And finally, insurance products themselves are complex.
Specialty lines, in particular, add underwriting rules, conditional workflows, branching paths, multipoint approvals, rating engines, and custom data structures. No two products behave the same, and MGA Insurance Software has to absorb this complexity while still being usable, auditable, and compliant.
Put these challenges together and you get a development environment that feels like running a marathon in sand.
Slow. Heavy. Draining.
And definitely not built for the rapid innovation pace insurance now demands.
Platform-Based Acceleration: Modern Tools That Change the Game
This is exactly where a platform-powered approach enters the picture.
Instead of choosing between a rigid off-the-shelf system or a painfully long greenfield build, many insurers and MGAs are adopting development platforms that provide ready-made foundations but still allow full customization. A platform like Openkoda acts as a catalyst — giving companies the ability to build and iterate far faster without giving up architectural freedom.
Think of it as a middle ground between custom and prebuilt, combining the speed of configuration with the flexibility of coding.
This approach is why platforms like Openkoda are increasingly mentioned alongside the best insurance core systems.
With a platform foundation, teams can:
Build custom data models in minutes, not weeks
Create underwriting workflows without reinventing the engine
Launch portals and dashboards instantly
Integrate external systems via API-first architecture
Iterate on products continuously without breaking everything else
It’s the closest thing insurance has today to a “fast lane” for digital transformation.
Cost and Speed: Openkoda Platform vs. Greenfield Development
Here’s the reality many insurance executives feel but rarely say out loud: greenfield development is incredibly expensive – not just to build, but to maintain long-term.
Let’s say you want to build your own best claims management software perfectly suited to your company’s needs. A full greenfield project requires building everything from scratch:
foundational architecture
security frameworks
user and role management
audit logs
workflows
back-office consoles
forms, UI, dashboards
policy admin logic
claims functionality
integrations
Before a single actual insurance feature even appears, months of engineering effort are already spent laying groundwork. And for MGAs or insurers that need multiple products, that foundation-building process repeats endlessly.
Openkoda flips this model.
The platform comes with the plumbing already built: security, roles, forms, workflow engines, dashboards, policy components, API structure, admin interface — all ready from day one. Teams only focus on what makes their product unique.
This leads to:
Up to 60% faster development cycles
Lower long-term maintenance costs
Less technical debt
Fewer dependencies on vendor-built features
The ability to deliver multiple products without redoing foundational work
Greenfield might give you ultimate freedom, but it also gives you ultimate responsibility – and a mountain of work.
A platform like Openkoda provides freedom with acceleration. And that changes everything.
Why Modernizing Your Stack Benefits Everyone
Modernizing your technology stack isn’t just about efficiency.
It reshapes the entire insurance value chain — for insurers, MGAs, brokers, agents, and even partners.
Insurers gain faster product launches and a system that finally matches their innovation pace.
MGAs gain flexibility to adjust specialty products without endless development cycles.
Brokers get cleaner onboarding flows, faster quoting, and better digital tools.
Agents benefit from simpler workflows and more intuitive systems.
And ultimately, customers receive clearer experiences and faster service.
A modern stack means better integrations, real-time data access, AI-ready architecture, fewer manual processes, and software that adapts to the business — not the other way around.
Shikha Negi is a Content Writer at ztudium with expertise in writing and proofreading content. Having created more than 500 articles encompassing a diverse range of educational topics, from breaking news to in-depth analysis and long-form content, Shikha has a deep understanding of emerging trends in business, technology (including AI, blockchain, and the metaverse), and societal shifts, As the author at Sarvgyan News, Shikha has demonstrated expertise in crafting engaging and informative content tailored for various audiences, including students, educators, and professionals.
