The promise of technology has only been partially realized in the commercial insurance underwriting world. Underwriters know that they need it and that it represents a brighter future. But a lack of technology integration throughout the enterprise continues to limit its usefulness.

This conclusion comes from an Accenture survey of 559 U.S. underwriters, nine of 10 of whom are fans of tech investment. Trouble is, they say, so far, the technology cutting edge has led to more work for them, and a sense of frustration over lost opportunities.

Accenture provided further evidence with this survey that underwriting firms continue to struggle with technology. Two-thirds of respondents said investment in technology has "significantly improved underwriting performance." Yet 54 percent cited a variety of reasons why their workloads have increased without significant benefit to them as underwriting professionals.