Background
Jacana Africa is an independent insurance administrator and authorised financial services provider, delivering policy administration, claims management and underwriting support to insurers and broker partners across South Africa. The business plays a central role in coordinating claims processes, ensuring that interactions between insurers, brokers, suppliers and policyholders are handled efficiently within structured operational frameworks.
As Jacana’s claims operations expanded, supporting brokers across different insurer environments became more complex. Maintaining consistent service while navigating multiple systems required a more connected approach.
The Challenge
Working in diverse insurer environments meant brokers often needed to move between platforms to complete a single process. Information captured internally frequently had to be entered again into insurer systems, adding unnecessary administration and slowing down workflows.
As Regional Head (Claims), Gauteng Johann Somers explains, this created a familiar operational challenge:
“The swivel chair problem, where you are capturing information in one system and then again in another, becomes a real operational issue when you’re managing claims across multiple insurers.”
The challenge was not replacing these systems, but enabling them to work together more effectively.
The Approach
Integrating claims workflows through Codeplex Binder
Jacana implemented Codeplex Binder to connect its internal claims environment with insurer and supplier systems.
The integration allows claims information already captured in Jacana’s internal system to be pushed directly into insurer and broker environments. This enables both claims handlers and brokers to work within their respective systems while interacting seamlessly with insurer processes and supplier networks.
As Johann explains:
“All of a sudden we were in a situation whereby the click of a button, we could get the information that we already have on our system onto a third party system and then make use of the services within that space.”
The implementation was developed collaboratively, with Jacana working closely with the Codeplex team during the pilot phase and integration.
Regular working sessions in the early stages allowed both teams to refine workflows and ensure the solution aligned with the realities of day-to-day claims operations.
“Normally you don’t have access to the actual developer. In this case, we had direct access, and it was a partnership.” Johann adds.
The Impact
With Codeplex Binder in place, Jacana experienced several key benefits:
- Reduced administrative workload – Claims information captured once can flow directly into insurer systems without being manually re-entered.
- A connected view of claim activity – Administrators, insurers, assessors and service providers can interact around a claim within a connected environment, improving visibility across the lifecycle of the claim.
- Faster access to claim information – Claims handlers and management teams can access reports and documentation directly through the claim environment without needing to search across multiple systems.
- Greater operational coordination – Supplier appointments, assessments and documentation can be managed more efficiently while still working within insurer processes.
As Johann notes: “… if we talk about an administrator, an insurer, and an assessor, and a service provider potentially, and a salvage contractor, that’s a lot of engagement around one client. If you can engage on that claim in one place, that’s fantastic.”
Conclusion
Jacana’s experience highlights a key reality of modern insurance operations: meaningful improvement comes from connecting the systems that drive the insurance ecosystem.
By integrating its claims environment with insurer and supplier ecosystems through Codeplex Binder, Jacana has been able to streamline workflows, reduce duplication and improve visibility across the claim’s lifecycle.
The result is a more connected claims operation where information moves more easily between systems and claims can be managed with greater clarity and efficiency.
As insurer ecosystems continue to evolve, solutions like Codeplex Binder help administrators, insurers and brokers operate within a more integrated environment, supporting faster and more consistent claims outcomes.