With emerging risks to your property, operations and cyber security, plus the increasing reliance on data-driven decision-making by insurers, accurate insurance valuations are crucial for mitigating losses and strengthening organizational resilience.
We take a brief look at the growing significance of accurate asset valuations, providing insight on how you can achieve them.
Let’s start by looking at the reality of inaccurate valuations and the potentially significant impact on the business.
Underestimating the value of assets can lead to underinsurance, leaving you vulnerable to significant financial losses in the event of a claim. On the other hand, overestimating asset values can result in you overpaying premiums, wasting valuable resources that could be allocated elsewhere.
Organizations are facing emerging and complex risks that require a fresh approach to asset valuations. Climate change, technological advancements and fast-changing cyber threats are introducing complexities that more traditional valuation methods may not adequately capture.
Adapting to these changing risks means adopting innovative approaches. These new approaches should be able to consider emerging threats and overcome the uncertainties of relying on historical information to inform valuations for insurance purposes.
Advanced modeling techniques can play a crucial role in achieving accurate asset valuations. By using sophisticated algorithms and data analytics, it's possible to simulate various scenarios and assess the potential impact of complex threats to your assets.
While modern, data-driven approaches will enable you to make informed decisions and ensure your valuations align with the risks that might otherwise threaten the success of your organization, remember models are only as reliable as the data you input into them.
Part of the value-add as a risk manager here is to ensure the accuracy and quality of the data you use in modeling processes. You should also work to identify potential gaps in coverage and recommend the appropriate valuation methodologies for specific risks in the context of your industry.
The problem with relying solely on historical data is that this won’t be enough to capture the potential impact of new or complex threats to the business. Achieving accurate asset valuations may require you to adopt forward-looking methodologies.
By incorporating scenario-based assessments of cyber threats, for example, you can better understand the potential financial impact of disruptions and ensure adequate coverage, combined with the appropriate cyber risk mitigations. This proactive approach allows you to overcome historical data shortfalls, enabling the business to make informed decisions and mitigate potential losses against dynamic risks.
Again, supporting your capabilities here will be the quality of the data you call upon. This many mean investing in robust data collection and management systems and integrating data from various sources. Your dataset can include internal records, industry benchmarks and industry insight from external experts to establish a solid base. A comprehensive view can enhance the accuracy of your valuations for insurance purposes, protecting the success of your organization in the face dynamic exposures.
For more actionable insight on how you can achieve accurate valuations to support organizational resilience, get in touch.
Willis Towers Watson hopes you found the general information provided in this publication informative and helpful. The information contained herein is not intended to constitute legal or other professional advice and should not be relied upon in lieu of consultation with your own legal advisors. In the event you would like more information regarding your insurance coverage, please do not hesitate to reach out to us. In North America, Willis Towers Watson offers insurance products through licensed entities, including Willis Towers Watson Northeast, Inc. (in the United States) and Willis Canada Inc. (in Canada).
