Guidewire DEVHack 2024 ignited the imaginations of developers and innovators across the property and casualty insurance industry, showcasing their talents in a dynamic and competitive environment. Hosted virtually, and sponsored by Amazon Web Services (AWS), DEVHack 2024 drew over 130 team proposals to build solutions that could solve real-world business challenges and reshape the future of insurance. After all proposals were reviewed, 25 teams were selected to compete and were given access to a sandbox environment provisioned with full access to InsuranceSuite on the Innsbruck release of Guidewire Cloud Platform.
As DEVHack 2024 concluded at the Guidewire DEVSummit in Bengaluru, India, the excitement was palpable. The finale brought together the community of developers, executives, and industry experts, all eager to witness the unveiling of transformative ideas. In this article, we’ll highlight the five outstanding projects that made it to the finals, and showcase the three winning teams that best exemplified the collaborative effort and groundbreaking innovations that characterized this thrilling competition.
The Finalists:
Acinivoyage from Acini
Solution: Automated Travel Insurance for Flight Disruptions
From Italy with Code from FINCONS
Solution: Enhanced Customer Service and FNOL process
Hacker Space from EY
Solution: AI-Based Product Rationalization
Sustainability for Survival from Capgemini
Solution: Sustainable Auto Product
Xclaim Wizards from GFT
Solution: Frontend Automation for Guidewire Claims Intake
The five finalists were selected by our panel of judges based on a scoring of six different criteria. Once finalists were announced, public voting was opened in order for audience votes to help select our top three winners. In less than 24 hours, an incredible 5,622 votes were cast. The final score for each team was based on a combination of judge’s scores and audience votes. You can watch all five finalist team’s demo videos on our DEVHack 2024 page. Below are the official Guidewire DEVHack 2024 winners.
First Place Winner: Team Hacker Space from EY
The Hacker Space team, consisting of Ankita Madan, Akshay Kant, Megha Patil, Likhil Dondapaty, and Sreepriya Lakshmanan, presented a novel solution to a common problem in the insurance sector – the efficiency and rationalization of insurance products. Their project, titled “AI Based Product Rationalization,” tackles the cumbersome process of reviewing, consolidating, and rationalizing an insurer’s product offerings by employing a combination of Advanced Product Designer (APD), Python, PyMuPDF, the ElementTree XML API, and a user interface built with Streamlit. This approach addresses the issue where over time, product documentation becomes outdated, and knowledge is trapped in legacy systems or as tacit knowledge, making the consolidation task both time-consuming and prone to inaccuracies.
Their solution fundamentally changes the traditional method of sifting through legacy code and documents by utilizing policy packets and declaration documents as the primary data source. This allows for the reverse engineering of APD template representations for the insurer’s products, significantly cutting down the time typically required in the inception phase by 3-4 sprints. Moreover, the solution offers a simplified, rule-based framework for business analysts to define rationalization rules, leading to a more streamlined process in identifying and executing product rationalization. The team demonstrated the efficacy of their solution through a use case involving 15 policy documents across three types of BOP products, showcasing the potential for not only substantial time and effort savings but also providing a solid foundation for further rationalization steps and creating more accurate and tailored insurance product offerings.
Second Place Winner: Team Sustainability for Survival from Capgemini
In the midst of escalating climate concerns, the Sustainability for Survival team at the DEVHack competition presented an innovative solution aptly named Sustainable Auto (Drive Greener) to tackle the environmental footprint of the auto insurance sector. Acknowledging the urgent warnings from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) that global warming is on a steep incline, and recognizing transport as a significant contributor to greenhouse gas emissions, the team devised a strategy not only to mitigate the negative impacts on the insurance industry but also to endorse responsible, eco-friendly customer behavior. By integrating Guidewire PolicyCenter and Jutro Digital Platform, team members Rajesh Bandaru, Kamakshya Prasad Mishra, Segun Odubiyi, Lorraine Shakesheff, and Amanda Martin developed four unique ‘Green Coverages’ that promote and incentivize sustainable driving practices through rewards for decreased carbon emissions and green driving habits.
At the heart of their solution is a commitment to transform how insurance products can play a proactive role in addressing climate change. Sustainable Auto encourages the adoption of green cars, the use of eco-friendly hire cars, green repairs using reusable parts, and the application of telematics to track and encourage green driving behaviors such as efficient mileage and braking habits. This not only fosters improved insurer reputation for sustainability but also cultivates customer loyalty by intertwining insurance with a tangible environmental benefit package. Challenges in integrating the Jutro app into their platform notwithstanding, the team’s proposal lays foundational work for expanding sustainability within the insurance sector, an effort they believe is critical for the industry’s contribution to global net-zero targets and for ensuring a more sustainable planet.
Third Place Winner: Team Acinivoyage from Acini
Shyam Sundar Krovvidi, Guidewire Alliance Manager for Europe, accepts the award on behalf of Team Acinivoyage
Acinivoyage, the team comprised of Paulina Kurpisz, Kamil Kozłowski, Franciszek Stępień, Mateusz Harciarek, and Mateusz Świątkowski, presented an innovative solution at the DEVHack competition, focusing on revolutionizing the travel insurance sector with Automated Travel Insurance for Flight Disruptions. Leveraging a mix of Guidewire and non-Guidewire technologies, including Guidewire PolicyCenter, ClaimCenter, Advanced Product Designer, Autopilot Workflow Service, Integration Gateway, Jutro Digital Platform, and non-Guidewire tech like ChatGPT and an API for flight information from Cirium, their solution addresses the significant issue of travel disruptions. Their system enhances efficiency and customer satisfaction by automating insurance claims for flight delays and cancellations, integrating seamlessly with airlines’ databases for real-time flight status updates, automatically initiating claims processes, and informing passengers about their rights and next steps through a user-intuitive interface.
The Acinivoyage team’s approach not only simplifies adding flights to policies and monitoring flight statuses but also streamlines automated claim processing and personalizes communication based on specific flight disruptions and policy details. Their efforts promise quick claims processing, a clear understanding for travelers of their rights, and proactive communication, alongside reducing manual workload and cost savings for insurers. The successful development and implementation of their solution within a mere three weeks, despite initial challenges, highlight the team’s effective collaboration and innovative use of technology. Deploying the Guidewire Cloud Platform and its various capabilities, Acinivoyage has set a new standard for the insurance industry, offering a glimpse into the future of seamless and efficient travel insurance services.
Looking Ahead
As we reflect on the inspiring achievements of Guidewire DEVHack 2024, we invite all aspiring innovators and tech enthusiasts to join us in anticipation of what next year holds. Congratulations to everyone who participated, demonstrating the immense potential within the insurance tech industry. Don’t miss out on future updates and early announcements for DEVHack 2025—sign up for our Developer Newsletter today and stay connected with a community driven by innovation and excellence.
About the Author
Jonathan Michael
Developer Evangelist
Jonathan has spent the last 12 years developing and implementing customer-centric digital marketing strategies. As the Developer Evangelist at Guidewire, Jonathan will be focused on partnering with, and advocating for the success of, developers who use Guidewire's ecosystem to build a better tomorrow.