Why Insurers Need a Faster Emergency Notification System in a Distributed Workforce

Written by Anneri Fourie | Crises Control Executive

The Communication Gap That’s Putting Insurers at Risk

Insurance firms are under growing pressure to manage emergencies quickly and effectively. The challenge isn’t just the scale or nature of the risks they face, such as cyberattacks or system failures, but how those events are communicated and handled across widely spread teams.

With employees now working from multiple locations, including regional offices, home environments, or even in the field, getting critical information to the right people at the right time is harder than ever. Relying on outdated systems like bulk email chains, WhatsApp groups, or manual phone lists is no longer enough. These methods often lead to confusion, delays, and serious operational consequences.

This blog explores the communication challenges facing insurers and how the right emergency notification system can help bridge the gap. It also shows how Crises Control supports insurance firms with the tools they need to act faster, remain compliant, and protect both their teams and their reputation.

What Happens When Communication Breaks Down?

In a crisis, every minute matters. A slow or disorganised response can have long-term effects, especially for insurers who must meet regulatory requirements while continuing to serve customers.

Here’s what a slow response might look like in practice:

• Teams aren’t informed quickly about a cyber breach, allowing it to spread further.
• Employees working remotely don’t receive evacuation instructions during a fire drill.
• Key staff are unreachable during an IT outage, delaying recovery efforts.
• Documentation required for compliance reviews is incomplete or scattered.

This isn’t just inconvenient. It risks breaching rules under regulatory bodies such as the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA), the EU’s Digital Operational Resilience Act (DORA), and Solvency II. It can also lead to reputational damage and poor outcomes for policyholders.

A dedicated emergency notification system helps prevent this. It allows insurers to deliver urgent messages to everyone affected, on any device, and with full visibility on who has received and responded to those messages.

Reaching Distributed Teams in Real Time

One of the biggest changes in the insurance industry over the past few years has been the shift to flexible, decentralised work models. Many teams are now working remotely or spread across multiple offices and time zones.

Coordinating a quick and effective response across these locations isn’t easy. You can’t rely on people checking their inbox every few minutes or being available for a phone call. When an incident occurs, you need to know that staff will be notified immediately and that they will acknowledge and act on that information.

Crises Control solves this problem with a mobile-first emergency alert system designed to cut through the noise. Messages can be sent by SMS, email, push notification, Microsoft Teams, voice call or even silent alerts. This means employees are contacted through whichever channel they are most likely to see quickly.

The system also provides clear tracking so managers can see who has received and read the message. If there’s no response, it can automatically escalate the alert to someone else. That ensures nothing falls through the cracks.

From Static Plans to Actionable Responses

Many business continuity plans are still stored in PDFs, printed documents or Excel spreadsheets. While these might meet regulatory requirements on paper, they are often difficult to use during a real incident.

In an emergency, there’s no time to dig through files or search for the correct procedure. What you need is a plan that can be activated instantly, with tasks assigned to the right people and progress tracked in real time.

Crises Control helps insurers move away from static documents by offering a business continuity planning tool that brings those plans to life. Once a crisis is identified, the platform allows teams to launch a pre-approved workflow with just one click.

This approach allows for:

• Instant task assignment with automated reminders
• Centralised progress tracking
• Predefined roles and responsibilities
• Reduced reliance on manual coordination

The result is faster action, better coordination, and fewer mistakes during high-pressure situations.

Staying on the Right Side of FCA and DORA Regulations

Insurers are under close scrutiny when it comes to operational resilience. Regulators want clear evidence that firms can continue providing critical services during disruptive events and that they have reliable systems in place for communication and escalation.

The FCA requires that insurance companies show how they identify important business services, map out dependencies, and put in place effective communication systems to manage disruptions. Similar expectations are laid out in DORA and Solvency II, which focus on digital and operational resilience across financial services.

So, what’s the challenge? Many traditional tools don’t provide the audit trails, delivery tracking, or real-time data that compliance teams need.

Crises Control provides several features that help insurers meet these expectations, including:

• Time-stamped logs for every message sent and received
• Staff acknowledgement tracking
• Customisable alert templates to match regulatory procedures
• Secure data storage with controlled access

This not only helps during an audit, but also improves internal accountability and learning after an incident. If you’re asking how notification tools help meet FCA or Solvency II compliance, this is where Crises Control delivers real value.