How digital turned Nationale-Nederlanden into an omnichannel company

Dutch insurance and asset management company Nationale-Nederlanden, part of the NN Group, has a presence in 19 countries and serves several million retail and corporate customers. And for the past eight years, in an environment that’s increasingly changing and demanding, it’s been on a digital transformation journey to refine its customer service and generate proposals more adapted to its needs.

Starting in 2015, the company began to digitalize all sales and after-sales processes, a purpose reinforced by a promotion of synergies between distribution channels that led Nationale-Nederlanden to become an omnichannel company, which made it easier for customers to choose where, how, and when to engage with it.

In this process, new ways of working, based on corporate philosophy and culture aimed at change and adaptation, were integral to success. For instance, the company completed its conversion to a 100% Agile company in 2019, an achievement that reinforced its commitment to clients. According to Nationale-Nederlanden deputy general manager and CTO David Vaquero, the company’s digital transformation and evolution is continuous.

“The innovation applied to the business, and use of technological tools that support it, is updated at great speed, and we must be capable of providing the best response to customer needs,” he says, adding that digital transformation isn’t a specific milestone. “The context tests us and it’s necessary to reinvent ourselves every day.” 

So since the brand began this journey, the main objective has been to execute a corporate strategy by betting on the possibilities that technology provides in combination with people and data. According to Vaquero, this presented a tremendous advantage, but, at the same time, makes him and his team confront challenges that could disrupt efficiencies.

Digitization vs tradition

Although the insurance sector has a traditional image, that stopped being the case years ago, says Vaquero. “The market demanded evolution, customers demanded new forms of relationships, and the industry had to do what was necessary to evolve and transform for the benefit of people,” he says. “Without a doubt, it’s achieved this in a pioneering way, and much quicker than other sectors.”