iPipeline, a leading provider of digital solutions for the life insurance and financial services industry, has partnered with The Openwork Partnership to enhance its SolutionBuilder platform with a cutting-edge underwriting tool.
The collaboration aims to tackle one of the most persistent challenges in the protection market: improving the accuracy and transparency of indicative quotes for life insurance, according to FF News.
By integrating digital underwriting capabilities into the adviser journey, the new functionality—called Advanced Underwriting—promises faster, more accurate decision-making from the outset.
iPipeline specialises in streamlining complex insurance and financial processes through its SSG Digital® platform.
Its solutions are widely adopted across the life, pension, and investment sectors. Meanwhile, The Openwork Partnership provides holistic financial advice through its nationwide network of advisers, supporting clients across mortgages, pensions, investments and protection.
Developed over two years, Advanced Underwriting has been shaped by adviser feedback and aims to reduce the gap between initial quotes and final terms, a source of frequent frustration for advisers and clients.
The solution captures upfront medical disclosures—specifically the top 20 most common—accounting for up to 80% of all premium loadings and changes in terms. This allows for quicker, more precise underwriting decisions and helps reduce the number of repeat or non-progressed applications.
At launch, the platform will be supported by The Exeter, Vitality, and Zurich, with three more providers set to join in the coming months. From 17 June, Advanced Underwriting will be available exclusively to The Openwork Partnership’s advisers, with a full market rollout expected later in 2025.
The tool delivers a more transparent quoting process, enabling both advisers and clients to understand early on what kind of cover is likely possible and what medical information may be required. This clarity builds trust and helps advisers present more relevant insurance options sooner in the client journey.
iPipeline svp & UK managing director Rachel Edwards said, “The current quote-to-application journey isn’t predictable or as smooth as it could be, and it’s often opaque, interrupted, and delayed. Initial quotes that can’t always be trusted create frustration, uncertainty, and lost opportunities. Advanced Underwriting has been developed to change that, offering a much more seamless process that works better for everyone concerned. By collaborating closely with The Openwork Partnership and their leading protection advisers, we have ensured it addresses adviser issues and provides them with a user-friendly enhancement that benefits both them and their clients.”
The Openwork Partnership mortgage & protection proposition director Paul Shearman said, “Partnering with iPipeline on Advanced Underwriting gives us the opportunity to help shape a tool that directly tackles one of the biggest pain points in the protection journey. Improving quote accuracy, reliability, and transparency from the beginning is a significant step forward in helping clients get the cover they need, faster and with greater confidence.”
“The feedback we’ve had from our advisers who watched a demonstration of Advanced Underwriting has been unanimously positive. It will drive greater efficiency, and most importantly, create better client outcomes. A big thank you from Openwork to the launch providers who have grasped the potential of Advanced Underwriting. I’d encourage the other major providers to get aboard, before they are left behind!”
Barnsdale Financial Management principal adviser Scott Taylor Barr said,
“Advanced Underwriting makes SolutionBuilder a one-stop resource that will streamline the options for me to research the most common protection disclosures. It allows me to better advise my clients on their prospective premium and terms, providing illustrations that actually reflect a more accurate costing. This will ultimately reduce the chance of clients changing their mind later down the line when final terms are issued.”
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