The Katalon Blog

How to Scale QA in Insurance Enterprises?

Written by Vincent N. | Aug 28, 2025 8:09:33 AM

Insurance companies operate in a world where every release carries weight. Policy management system testing must be precise. Legacy system modernization QA must avoid disruptions. And risk-based testing for insurers must cover the most critical business flows without slowing delivery.

In this article, you will learn:

  • The three pillars of scaling QA teams in large insurance organizations
  • The unique challenges insurance application teams face and how to overcome them
  • A playbook for scaling test coverage using modern tools and practices
  • How a real-world provider used Katalon to scale QA without sacrificing quality

Let’s get started.

The three pillars of scaling QA teams

High-performing insurance QA teams share a common pattern. They modernize in focused, measurable ways that create lasting impact. Our research from the State of Software Quality Report 2025 shows that:

  • 61% are adopting AI-driven tools
  • 51% are using modern development practices
  • 40% are investing in continuous testing

These pillars work together to create an enterprise QA strategy that scales. Each plays a strategic role in scaling QA in insurance enterprises and enabling greater test automation at scale.

  • AI-driven tools: AI helps teams accelerate defect detection and reduce repetitive work while also providing predictive analytics that guide resource allocation and testing priorities.
  • Modern development practices: Practices like BDD, TDD, and shift-left testing integrate QA earlier in the insurance application lifecycle.
  • Continuous testing: Running automated tests throughout the CI/CD in insurance systems ensures quality checks happen at every stage. This improves release reliability, supports QA process optimization, and gives faster feedback to development teams.

The unique challenges of insurance application teams

Scaling QA in insurance enterprises means working within a complex mix of processes, systems, and regulations. Each layer adds a unique challenge that impacts QA team structure in insurance and the ability to deliver consistent quality at speed.

The hidden cost of process fragmentation

Many insurance teams operate with varied approaches to daily work. Each underwriter, CSR, or back-office specialist follows personal habits rather than a single standardized process. This creates variation in execution and reduces visibility for leadership.

Legacy systems in the insurance application lifecycle can limit integration between platforms. When these systems do not communicate, teams fill the gaps with local spreadsheets or manual logs. This means QA efforts are focused on tracking issues rather than preventing them.

From guesswork to repeatability

Process gaps are common in policy issuance, renewal prep, FNOL intake, and bordereaux management. Converting these into repeatable workflows ensures every QA cycle runs with accuracy. Once repeatable, these workflows support risk-based testing for insurers by focusing resources where they matter most.

Clear workflows enable faster test environment orchestration, smoother automation integration, and more reliable execution. The result is a QA ecosystem that is predictable and scalable.

The playbook to scale QA teams in insurance enterprises

Scaling QA in insurance enterprises requires a clear strategy that aligns tools, people, and processes. Insights from the State of Software Quality Report 2025 show that high-performing teams focus on AI-driven testing, modern development practices, and CI/CD adoption to achieve balance between speed and quality.

1. The role of hybrid testers

Hybrid testers adapt to shifting priorities. They work seamlessly with cross-functional QA collaboration, use CI/CD in insurance systems for rapid feedback, and apply AI-driven platforms to maintain quality. Their mix of automation skills and business understanding ensures QA roles in enterprise delivery contribute directly to project outcomes.

2. Core plays in the QA scaling strategy

  • AI-driven testing tools: 61% of teams use AI to automate repetitive tasks and identify defects earlier. This supports scaling test coverage in policy management system testing, legacy system modernization QA, and regulatory compliance checks.
  • CI/CD integration: 48% of teams use CI/CD tools to link development and QA. This improves release reliability and allows continuous testing throughout the insurance application lifecycle.
  • Advanced automation tools: 45% report efficiency gains from automation that scales across multiple environments. Test environment orchestration becomes faster, allowing teams to validate changes in real time.
  • Risk-based testing for insurers: Directs effort to the most business-critical areas, improving QA process optimization while reducing redundant work.

3. Key practices driving success

  • Model-based testing: Simplifies test design for complex insurance workflows.
  • Shift-left testing: Detects defects earlier and reduces rework, saving time in the insurance application lifecycle.
  • Exploratory testing: Supplements automation by uncovering issues in dynamic business scenarios.
  • Test management tools: Provide visibility into QA team structure in insurance and align testing with enterprise QA strategy.

4. Balancing speed and quality

High software quality remains the top goal for 69% of teams. Many achieve it by embedding QA into DevOps workflows, combining continuous testing with AI-driven defect detection. This approach increases scalability, maintains compliance, and enhances customer satisfaction.

5. Transformative tool adoption

Cloud-based testing platforms, performance testing tools, and mobile testing tools expand coverage without increasing overhead. These investments improve scalability and ensure that insurers can deliver high-quality releases on time.

How SAGA, a UK-based insurance provider, scaled their QA with Katalon

The vision

Saga is a specialist insurance provider serving the over-50s market in the UK. The company offers a wide range of tailored insurance products and financial services, with a mission to become the trusted superbrand for older customers. Delivering on this vision means ensuring seamless customer experiences through robust software quality practices.

To achieve this, Saga invested in best-in-class testing solutions as part of its digital transformation. The focus was on scaling QA in insurance enterprises in a way that maintained high quality while increasing speed and efficiency.

The solution

Saga adopted the Katalon quality management platform to optimize regression testing and API testing. The implementation and Guidewire integration were completed in-house with support from Katalon’s team. According to Johnson, “The transition to Katalon was very smooth, and it is a tremendously easy testing platform to pick up.”

With Katalon, the team could test system functionality across critical front-end journeys and validate integrations with third-party quote aggregators. Features like object recognition, manual view scripting, and low-code authoring made it accessible to a broader set of testers, supporting cross-functional QA collaboration and faster scaling test coverage.

The success

Katalon enabled Saga to significantly increase operational efficiency. The QA process now covers at least 100 scenarios per product per development release, compared to around 30 scenarios before automation. Testing time for regression dropped from two days to two hours, aligning with CI/CD in insurance systems for faster releases.

The team reduced overtime, lowered associated costs, and empowered more testers to contribute, thanks to the platform’s versatility. Beginners could create automated tests without coding, while advanced users could extend functionality through custom keywords.