Introduction
A US-based reinsurer specialising in legacy and discontinued insurance business, needed to modernise its heavily customised Guidewire ClaimCenter system. Having operated on version 7 for over a decade, the system had become unsupported, inefficient, and increasingly misaligned with business operations—preventing the client from leveraging new features and maintaining an optimal level of service.
Alchemy was engaged to upgrade the client to v10.2.2, stabilise the system, and prepare it for future cloud readiness. The priority was a fast, efficient, and low-risk upgrade with a clear path for future cloud adoption. While many system integrators proposed multi-year timelines, Alchemy delivered results in just 12 months, proving that a structured and strategic approach could achieve the same results in a fraction of the time.
The Challenge
Many insurers are advised that upgrading a highly customised ClaimCenter instance is a long, complex, and high-risk project. The client was initially presented with multi-year timelines, but Alchemy challenged this assumption, proving that complexity does not have to mean extended timelines.
The client’s system featured:
- Legacy System Constraints – Outdated software with limited support and security updates
- Highly Bespoke Customisations – Extensive integrations and workflow modifications required careful handling to ensure continuity.
- Minimal Business Transformation – The project brief required a like-for-like upgrade, ensuring no disruption to claims handling, financial processes, or compliance reporting.
- Third-Party System Dependencies – External integrations had to be validated and seamlessly transitioned to the new version.
How We Helped
Alchemy’s approach proves that early assessments can demystify complexity, often revealing that business users perceive systems as more customised than they actually are. By taking a like-for-like approach in the initial upgrade and separating enhancements into future phases, we minimised disruption and accelerated delivery.
From the outset, Alchemy worked closely with the client’s IT teams in Belfast, Northern Ireland and Manchester, New Hampshire, leveraging their deep understanding of internal processes and integrations.
This partnership ensured:
- Efficient Troubleshooting of Third-Party Integrations: The client’s IT team provided insight into historical configurations, allowing Alchemy to ensure smooth post-upgrade functionality.
- Business Continuity Alignment: Regular workshops ensured that finance, claims, and compliance teams were aligned on testing and validation.
- Training & Transition Support: Alchemy worked closely with the client’s Manchester, New Hampshire teams to ensure a smooth transition, focusing on key system changes while maintaining familiar workflows to minimise disruption.
Discovery Phase (3 Months)
Deep Dive into Business Processes: Conducted stakeholder analysis, user journey mapping, and ClaimCenter v7 demos to understand the client’s operations and pain points. This ensured the upgrade would retain their business needs and ensure future growth.
Technical Assessment: Reviewed the existing codebase, integrations, and infrastructure to identify risks, optimise performance, and refactor code for cloud readiness. This proactive approach minimised surprises during the delivery phase.
Solution Design: Developed a detailed scope and design document, providing a clear roadmap for the upgrade and ensuring all stakeholders were aligned.
Delivery Phase (9 Months)
Code Refactoring and Optimisation: Improved code quality, fixed best practice breaches, and fine-tuned performance to ensure v10 matched or exceeded v7. This not only stabilised the system but also prepared it for future scalability.
Rigorous Testing: Conducted 640 tests and processed 40,000+ payloads to ensure functionality remained unchanged. Manual and automated testing validated system stability, with 300 concurrent users simulated to confirm performance.
Business Continuity: Supported month-end testing and reconciliation, ensuring financial controls and audit compliance were maintained. This minimised disruption to critical business processes.
User Training and Adoption: Provided comprehensive training and documentation to ease the transition to v10, ensuring users felt confident and supported throughout the upgrade.
Seamless Go-Live: Conducted 5 dress rehearsals, created a detailed runbook playbook, and developed a weekend pack, covering all technical aspects for staff undertaking the upgrade, to ensure a smooth and stress-free upgrade. This meticulous planning turned what can be high-risk into a well-orchestrated process.
The Results
Delivered on time with minimal disruption, demonstrating Alchemy’s structured and risk-mitigated approach.
Ensured system stability, with zero Severity 1 issues post-go-live and only 7 low-impact tickets raised—indicating a smooth transition.
No business downtime, the upgrade was executed over a 14-hour weekend window, with a contingency in place for risk mitigation.
System performance enhanced, with 300% growth in concurrent user capacity, ensuring long-term operational resilience.
• Future-proofed the client’s platform, enabling continued regulatory compliance, security patches, and support through 2028, while laying the foundation for future cloud migration. • Achieved a seamless transition, maintaining like-for-like functionality while instilling trust, confidence, and collaboration between the client’s IT and business teams.
Contact Us
Don't miss the opportunity to leverage Alchemy's deep expertise and collaborative approach to drive transformation and growth. Contact us at info@alchemytechs.com to explore how we can support your next project.