'Fabric of systems' may be the answer to legacy on legacy
As the insurance industry looks to upgrade from legacy to cutting edge, the last thing insurers and brokers want is to replace legacy and for these new implementations to then in turn become legacy.
An alternative approach is to develop a non-technical-dependent pattern-based systems approach. This means that the various components of an insurance system are identified, whether some of them are in fact embedded in single siloed systems, conceptually they are separated out
So, the interfaces between these various components are defined through fixed choke-points, a bit like air-locks in submarines. The pattern is fixed, implementation can change
The idea is that once these are in place, this has created a systems fabric, which can be expanded over time. Any individual component is a black box, which can be replaced independently at any time without affecting the operation of the overall system. In this way you are 'replacing the bridge but keeping it open'
substituting one part of the bridge at a time without rebuilding it from scratch and therefore future-proofing as components are replaced over time while the structure remains intact.