Business insurance supplier comparison: software test method

What to take away

Shortlist Acturis, Applied Systems (Applied Epic), Open GI, SSP Pure, CDL Software, Verisk Sequel and INSTANDA, then score all seven on the same scenarios.
Apply pass or fail gates before weighting, so a friendly interface cannot average away a missing permission or an unusable export.
Test migration and exit before awardrepresentative export, neutral-environment import, deletion evidence, historical records.
Check each contracting entity on the FCA Register and Companies House; registers prove identity, not fitness.
No supplier has been tested here. This article sets out a method and a comparison table, not results.

For brokers and insurers serving small businesses, a business insurance supplier comparison means assessing the software they use to arrange commercial cover. That software can affect quote speed, renewals, document access and claims handling. For brokers and advice firms serving small commercial clients, these choices shape the service clients receive.

When you choose a broker or insurer, ask how they test supplier migrations, export your records and protect data. The gates and scenarios above give you practical questions. They also help a small firm check that service can continue if a provider changes platform.

Match the workflow before you shortlist

Fix the work the software must do before you invite anyone. Define users, annual record volume, data sensitivity and integrations, then add retention, service hours and exports.

Give every supplier the same seven scenarios: policy renewal, change approval, document retrieval, failed integration, supplier outage, access removal and contract exit.

Seven Matched Supplier Scenarios

Policy renewal
Change approval
Document retrieval
Failed integration
Supplier outage
Access removal
Contract exit

A bid fails if the supplier lacks a required permission, proposes unacceptable data use, cannot produce a viable export, or leaves a security gap unmitigated. Ease of use cannot average those gates away.

Mark each answer as vendor marketing, a sandbox or a live reference.

Score each supplier on the same evidence

Name the contracting entity exactly as it will appear on the contract.

Supplier	Product and focus	Regulatory and data role to confirm
Acturis	Cloud quote, policy admin and claims	Introduces or arranges insurance?
Applied Systems (Applied Epic)	Broker management for larger brokers	Which entity contracts? Which sub-processors?
Open GI	Broker and insurer software, Worcester	Does on-premise hosting change the data role?
SSP Pure	Personal and commercial lines	What processor terms apply to insurer data?
CDL Software	Retail software for comparison sites	Do comparison feeds create joint control?
Verisk Sequel	Specialty and commercial lines	Who is the processor in the delegated chain?
INSTANDA	No-code policy administration for MGAs	Do product features tip you into arranging?

A register entry proves identity, not that a service works.

Model licence, usage, setup, integration, support and exit charges across three years. Compare totals, not headline licence fees.

Indicative only, not a quotation. As at early 2026, Policy Trade planning ranges for mid-sized platforms are £15,000 to £120,000 a year in licence fees. Usage runs from £50 to £200 per user per month, and implementation from £25,000 to £300,000.

The insurance budget template lays fixed and variable costs side by side, the discipline a software cost model also needs.

Example: one gate failure and one scored outcome

Two unnamed bids, illustrative figures.

Bid A wins the demonstration, but its trial export drops audit history, so it fails the export gate.

Bid B clears all four gates. Against the seven scenarios:

three out of three for renewal, retrieval and access removal
two out of three for change approval, outage and exit
one out of three for failed integration

That gives 16 of 21 scenario points. Weighted at 70 per cent workflow and 30 per cent evidence quality, Bid B is the only bid awardable on this method.

Scale security review to the impact

The NCSC's cloud provider selection guidance ties the depth of review to the impact of data loss, corruption or unavailability.

For policy, claim or health data, work through the fourteen cloud security principles where proportionate, then ask how the service protects data in transit and at rest.

Fix permissions and data roles before signature

Work out who controls policyholder data from real decisions, not headings. Set out instructions, sub-processor notice, help with data subject rights and incident notification, plus return and deletion terms.

If using the tool means you introduce, arrange or recommend insurance, take perimeter advice. The market entry checklist explains why permissions are resolved before launch.

Confirm the exact entity on the FCA Register before relying on any permission claim.

Match the company number and ownership through the Companies House search, which shows filings, not fitness.

Test migration and exit before award

Run six steps on every shortlisted supplier.

Request a representative export with documents, metadata, audit history and stable identifiers.
Import it into a neutral environment you control.
Reconcile record counts and record missing fields.
Test termination notice, assistance obligations and exit charges.
Ask for deletion evidence and confirm post-exit access to historical records.
Publish the requirement set, date and material limitations to your team.

Migration and Exit Test Steps

Request representative export with documents
Import into neutral environment
Record missing fields
Test termination notice and charges
Test deletion evidence
Test historical record access after exit

Score suppliers only after these steps. The winning bid meets every mandatory control and carries the strongest evidence for small commercial insurance work. Read run-off and termination clauses against the commercial contracts guidance, because exit terms are usually tested much later.

Common questions

Which suppliers should I shortlist?

Acturis, Applied Systems (Applied Epic), Open GI, SSP Pure, CDL Software, Verisk Sequel and INSTANDA all serve UK commercial insurance work. Shortlist on your own scenarios, not reputation.

How much do these platforms cost?

Vendors rarely publish list prices. The ranges above are Policy Trade planning figures, indicative only. Ask each supplier for a three-year total covering integration, support and exit.

How do I separate a supplier assertion from evidence?

Check the scope, organisation, system, region and date of any audit, and confirm it covers the service you would buy.

What must be tested before I award?

A representative export, a neutral-environment import, missing-field reconciliation, termination notice, deletion evidence and post-exit record access. Score only after those tests.