When insurance industry veteran John Chu launched Bamboo Insurance in 2018, he envisioned a more efficient, data-driven approach to homeowners insurance. Since then, Bamboo has become a leading insurer by leveraging technology and applied science to deliver a transparent, customer-friendly process built on profitable underwriting. Because innovation is Bamboo’s guiding light, the insurer recognized that it needed to take on the complex challenge of transforming its core systems and moving to the cloud. That resulted in the implementation of Guidewire PolicyCenter and BillingCenter. At a recent Guidewire fireside chat, panelists from Bamboo, Guidewire, and EY shared details of how Bamboo set itself up for success and why collaboration was key in overcoming challenges throughout the project.
The transition to modern core systems, including cloud-native platforms, is a clear focus across the insurance industry. A survey of property and casualty chief innovation officers (CIOs) and tech leaders by research firm Datos Insights found that addressing core systems, including sunsetting legacy systems and modernizing underwriting platforms, remained a priority for 2025. Despite the benefits that the cloud offers in terms of greater operational efficiency and data-driven capabilities, the complexities involved in transforming and modernizing from an on-premise to a cloud-based operation can be daunting.
“The insurance industry is at an inflection point where carriers must choose between continuing to invest in short-term fixes for legacy constraints, or shifting to strategic investments in cloud-native platforms that unlock continuous innovation," said Amy Mollin, Vice President, Product Management, Apps & New Products, Guidewire. "Bamboo's transformation demonstrates that when carriers trust the platform's intelligence and work with partners who understand both the technology and business outcomes, they can achieve remarkable speed to market.”
Bamboo kicked off the implementation process in 2024. The Guidewire and EY-led implementation team took three key steps that paved the way for success:
- Identifying key business processes: Bamboo and Guidewire began by pinpointing areas that could be automated or optimized.
- Addressing pain points with the right solutions: The implementation team investigated high-complexity areas and desired outcomes, applying a business-centric approach aligned to core product features without deviating much from the out-of-the-box solutions.
- Future-proofing solutions: With every decision made, the implementation team sought the right balance between leveraging the out-of-the-box product and custom solutions to address specific needs, establishing adaptability for future updates as the business case warrants.
“We're proud to have delivered a successful transformation for Bamboo alongside Guidewire. The team's implementation of innovative solutions has helped Bamboo achieve remarkable efficiency gains,” said Neeraj Gupta, US Guidewire Leader, EY. “By taking a business-centric approach and carefully balancing out-of-the-box capabilities with customized solutions, we've helped create a foundation that's both powerful today and adaptable for tomorrow. This implementation showcases how the right blend of technology and expertise can dramatically enhance operational efficiency and customer experience."
Bamboo Insurance successfully navigated its cloud transformation journey by adopting innovative solutions and accelerators that complemented its chosen Guidewire products. When exploring solutions for validating rates in the newly implemented Guidewire PolicyCenter, Bamboo adopted the EY bulk rate testing accelerator, which automated rate testing of a high volume of Bamboo’s scenarios and policy combinations, streamlining what had typically been a time-consuming, manual task.
To enhance the user experience (UX) in the homeowners insurance buying process, the Guidewire team worked closely with Bamboo to understand the specific needs and vision for a simplified insurance purchase journey. By aligning Bamboo's goals with Guidewire's capabilities, the team created an intuitive digital experience that reflected Bamboo's customer-first approach. Starting with detailed UX designs in Figma, the team developed the solution on Guidewire’s Jutro Digital Platform using a product defined through Advanced Product Designer (APD).
Bamboo also needed an innovative solution to address the challenges of implementing homeowner insurance in states with evolving department of insurance guidelines. Using APD, Integration Gateway and Jutro, the EY and Guidewire teams collaborated to create a solution compatible with the out-of-the-box capabilities of Guidewire Cloud Platform while maintaining compliance with local regulations. This approach enables Bamboo to easily adapt to changing guidelines and future updates.
To cap off the project, Bamboo automated Jutro-based portal testing, with the EY team completing the entire project in a short two-month span. The automation of more than 300 tests from a regression suite resulted in a 90% reduction in manual regression testing efforts for its digital application. This significant improvement allowed Bamboo to save valuable time on critical business validations and sign-off, accelerating its product go-to-market strategy.
Bamboo– with strategic guidance and support from the Guidewire and EY teams– has enhanced operational efficiency and customer engagement with leading-edge technology, further cementing its position as an innovative force in the insurance industry.
The views reflected in this article are the views of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Ernst & Young LLP or other members of the global EY organization.