An ever increasing amount of the global economy is sharing payments via embedded finance, instant settlements and alternative rails - all of which enable a new service level to the mere transfer of value. But while the front-end payment experience is becoming faster and more seamless, back-office operations needs to evolve with this trend to truly capture the benefits on a company level.

For finance teams in insurance, the gap between payment possibilities and back office functionality is spreading wide. Reconciliation, once considered a routine operational task, is now consuming disproportionate time and resources. Capgemini’s research reveals that only 44% of executives believe their current payment operations are effective. A staggering 83% of insurance firms even report challenges reconciling payments across multiple internal and third-party systems. For many, the lack of integration between bank data, policy systems, and settlement records forces teams to resolve mismatches manually, often without real-time visibility into fund positions or outstanding balances.

The consequences aren’t confined to finance alone. Reconciliation delays rippled across the business, impacting everything from settlement timelines to compliance reporting, commission payouts and even claims fulfilment. With 70% of firms decrying a limited or none existent capability in real-time cash forecasting, finance leaders are often finding themselves on the back foot unable to respond swiftly to business critical tasks.

Reconciliation for Scalable Growth

The good news is the Capgemini’s 2025 outlook makes the path forward crystal clear: automation in payment operations is no longer a technology upgrade - it’s a strategic enabler. The report emphasises the need for purpose-built solutions that can digitise reconciliation workflows, centralise payment data, and reduce manual intervention. This isn’t just about speeding things up, it’s about building resilience, improving accuracy, and unlocking operational agility.

Platforms like Diesta, designed specifically for the insurance industry, are already helping organisations close this gap. By automating reconciliation, accounting, and payouts across the entire premium life cycle, they provide finance teams with real-time insight, audit ready accuracy, and the ability to manage premium flows with confidence. The result is more efficiency and a foundation on which to build better decision making, stronger partnerships, and scalable growth.