Managing a construction project can come with numerous risks. Global insurance broker, Gallagher was been tasked with the responsibility of using its Speciality Construction Division to deal with a plethora of construction businesses that all had specific needs. This left the firm with an abundance of information and found it was spending too much time handling it.

On discussing the problem, Mike Dean, Partner, Construction Division at Gallagher says, “We were relying on a process that had been established when the division was much smaller.” Continuing, “We had two market brokers recording certain data in numerous, interlinked spreadsheets, which the rest of the team would access. It simply wasn’t scalable.”

Therefore, to assist with its client’s multi-faceted bespoke insurance solutions, the company invested in low code and rapid application company, OutSystems, to help manage difficulties through organic app development.

Dean continued, “OutSystems empowered us to prototype quickly, and drive real innovation. Using our normal channels, we would never have built this app. We wouldn’t have even got started.”

 In an eight-month period, Gallagher managed to develop a more scalable and smarter method of putting data together, allowing the company to gather, curate and share processes.

Organic app development in action

The new app also gave the firm the ability to combine functions and features, such as spreadsheets, into a web-based UI. This minimised input effort and increased data accessibility and also removed bottleneck databases.

To help build the app, the company’s IT department worked on developing ways to strategically use a low-code RAD tool that would make the app available across its UK operations.

Colin Nicholson, Digital Manager at Gallagher, comments, “Instead of relying on costly, third-party development, we wanted app development to happen organically throughout the company,”

 A seamless transition to slicker processes and deeper insights

Gallagher claims the new app saves them time because a team member no longer has to spend their days analysing data. It adds that the app’s feedback feature has also enabled them to improve on their work.

Nicholson added, “We now have a much richer Management Information suite. We’ve greater visibility into our business and more detailed insights, and that’s helping us better inform senior management, meet the needs of our clients, and target businesses with greater precision.”