HelixIntel CEO Jon DeWald discusses the forces reshaping risk management on the Insurance Information Institute (Triple-I) podcast.
The insurance industry stands at an inflection point. For decades, the dominant model has been reactive: detect damage, process claims, repair what is broken. But as deferred maintenance costs escalate and workforce challenges intensify, a new approach is emerging that promises to transform how insurers and policyholders work together.
In a recent conversation with Triple-I CEO Sean Kevelighan on the Executive Exchange podcast, HelixIntel CEO and Founder Jon DeWald explored why the shift from reactive to proactive risk management is not just an opportunity. It is becoming a necessity.
The Deferred Maintenance Crisis
Behind every claim is often a story of delayed action: equipment that was not serviced, inspections that were postponed, and maintenance tasks that fell through the cracks. This does not happen from negligence, but from teams stretched thin by competing demands and limited resources.
“Deferred maintenance is growing exponentially,” DeWald explained, “and there is a direct correlation between deferred maintenance and claims.”
This is not a problem that will solve itself. The backlog of deferred work continues to grow, creating a pipeline of preventable losses that ultimately flow through to insurers and their policyholders.
The Industry Shift Toward Predict and Prevent
“The industry is shifting from reactive approaches, detecting and repairing after a loss, to predicting and preventing problems,” DeWald noted. “What we are doing at HelixIntel facilitates that shift, creating a win-win situation. Both insurers and property owners benefit when losses are prevented rather than repaired after the fact.”
This shift reflects a rethinking of the relationship between insurers and policyholders, moving from transactional to collaborative, and from claims-payer to trusted partner in operational excellence.
A Workforce Challenge Accelerating the Need
Compounding the crisis is a demographic reality that will reshape facilities management over the coming decade.
“With deferred maintenance scaling and the dramatic number of retirees over the next 7 to 10 years, we could see up to a 70% reduction in the operations and maintenance workforce across the country,” DeWald shared. “Help is needed more than ever.”
As experienced maintenance professionals leave the workforce, the need for systematic approaches to capture knowledge and guide action becomes critical.
Better Tools for Maintenance Teams, Better Outcomes for Insurers
What makes the predict and prevent model work is its alignment of interests. Properties want to operate efficiently and avoid disruptions. Insurers want to reduce claims and support their policyholders. The goals are fundamentally the same.
“Both properties and insurers share the same mission and goal,” DeWald emphasized, “and our tools allow them to collaborate effectively.”
The key insight is straightforward. When maintenance teams have modern tools that genuinely make their jobs easier, they naturally do more preventive work. When preventive work gets done, claims go down. Insurers get what they want by giving maintenance teams what they need.
Making Maintenance Measurable
One of the most significant barriers to proactive risk management has been the difficulty of quantifying its value. How do you measure the claim that did not happen?
“With technology like HelixIntel, maintenance becomes quantifiable, measurable, and auditable,” Kevelighan noted. “This allows insurers to understand the return on their investment while helping customers quantify the value as well.”
This measurability changes the conversation. Maintenance teams can articulate their needs in financial terms that resonate with decision-makers. Insurers can evaluate the effectiveness of their loss control investments. As Kevelighan observed, “Risk management is increasingly moving from a cost center to a strategic business function.”
The Path Forward
The shift toward predict and prevent represents an opportunity for insurers to deepen their role as true partners in operational excellence. Those who empower their policyholders with the right tools and support will build stronger relationships, achieve better outcomes, and create lasting competitive advantage.
The question is no longer whether this shift will happen, but how quickly organizations will adapt.
HelixIntel gives maintenance teams tools that genuinely make their jobs easier while giving insurers visibility and options to support proactive risk management. When maintenance teams succeed, insurers win. To learn more, contact our team.
