The Good Tech Companies - How Kunal Parekh Redefined Quality Assurance in Insurance Tech

Episode Date: April 29, 2025

This story was originally published on HackerNoon at: https://hackernoon.com/how-kunal-parekh-redefined-quality-assurance-in-insurance-tech. Kunal Parekh saved a failing insurance project through shift-left testing, automation, and strategic QA—setting new benchmarks in software quality. Check more stories related to tech-stories at: https://hackernoon.com/c/tech-stories. You can also check exclusive content about #insurance-tech-qa, #kunal-parekh, #shift-left-testing, #qa-automation-strategy, #enterprise-software-quality, #duck-creek-testing, #good-company, and more. This story was written by: @echospiremedia. Learn more about this writer by checking @echospiremedia's about page, and for more stories, please visit hackernoon.com. Kunal Parekh turned around a troubled insurance project by embedding shift-left testing, leading automation, and fixing critical performance issues. His QA strategy cut test time by 70%, boosted policy conversions, and saved millions in penalties—becoming a model for large-scale enterprise quality assurance.

This audio is presented by Hacker Noon, where anyone can learn anything about any technology. How Kunal Parekh Redefined Quality Assurance in Insurance Tech, by Sonia Kapoor In the world of high-stakes enterprise software, quality assurance is not just about preventing defects it is about ensuring business continuity, safeguarding reputations, and driving innovation. Kunal Parekh, a recognized leader in software quality and automation strategy, played a pivotal role in stabilizing and modernizing a multi-million-dollar insurance project for a leading U.S. provider specializing in teacher coverage. The project aimed to migrate a legacy insurance platform to Microsoft, Net and the Duck Creek

rating engine, with a state-by-state rollout spanning 47 states. At a critical juncture where defect leakage, system inefficiencies, and project delays threatened the success of the initiative, Kunal spearheaded a transformational quality assurance strategy that not only stabilized the underwriting module but also set a new benchmark for enterprise-wide testing excellence. His innovations in shift-left testing, automation, and performance optimization ultimately saved millions of dollars in potential penalties and defect-related costs, reinforcing the company's leadership in the insurance domain.

Tackling a project in crisis when Kunal joined the project, he encountered a system in distress. Defect proni releases from previous state rollouts had led to a flood of production issues, consuming valuable development time and pushing new state launches further behind schedule. Performance bottlenecks in all application modules slowed down real-time quote generation, frustrating users and impacting policy conversions. The project was operating under a fixed bid contract, meaning any delays would result in financial penalties and erode client confidence. The service provider had committed to delivering all 47 states within two years, meaning any delays would result in financial penalties and erode client confidence. The service provider had committed to delivering all 47 states within two years, even though

industry estimates suggested a four-year implementation timeline. With no structured automation in place, manual testing cycles were long and inefficient, causing frequent regression failures and system instability. Kunal quickly identified that the lack of impact-based testing, inefficient QA processes, and a reactive testing mindset were the key contributors to the crisis. It was clear that a fundamental shift in strategy was needed to prevent further quality failures. Strategic intervention and process innovation Kunal's approach to turning the project around was multi-faceted, data-driven, and automation first.

Rather than treating QA as a post-development checkpoint, he introduced a shift-left testing approach, embedding quality at every stage of development. One of his most impactful innovations was his leadership in code review integration with QA processes. Traditionally, QA was only involved after development was complete, but Kunal actively participated in code reviews, identifying logic gaps before they became defects. This simple yet powerful strategy prevented 30-40% of defects before they even reached testing, saving hundreds of hours in rework costs. Additionally, he designed a state-specific and national-level test planning framework

to accommodate the regulatory differences across 47 states. This helped create a standardized testing approach that ensured each state's unique underwriting rules were properly validated before launch, significantly reducing compliance risks. Recognizing the operational inefficiencies of manual regression testing, Kunal initiated and led the implementation of test automation. He strategically focused on automating production-critical scenarios from previous state rollouts first, ensuring core functionalities remained intact whenever new states were added.

His automation roadmap not only reduced test execution time by 70%, but also prevented major regressions from creeping into the system. To address performance bottlenecks, Kunol also drove load testing initiatives, helping optimize real-time premium calculations and underwriting workflows. This resulted in a 30% improvement in processing speeds, enhancing the customer experience and increasing policy conversion rates by 15%. Beyond the technical innovations, he championed cross-team collaboration, aligning QA, developers, and business analysts to improve requirement clarity and expectation management.

By facilitating direct client interactions and ensuring QA involvement in early-stage requirement discussions, he significantly reduced requirement misalignment issues that were previously leading to scope creep and production defects. Measurable impact and transformational results the regression testing process, which was previously a bottleneck in the project, saw a drastic reduction in execution time, accelerating overall deployment timelines. With focused performance optimizations, processing speeds of underwriting calculations improved, enhancing the customer experience and driving higher policy conversion rates.

The cost savings resulting from defect prevention and reduced rework were substantial, preventing the financial penalties that would have arisen due to contract breaches. By embedding structure and predictability into the project, client trust was restored, strengthening the company's position and opening doors for additional future collaborations. The improvements made across testing, automation, and strategic planning ensured that the organization met its contractual obligations efficiently, reinforcing its reputation as a leader in insurance technology transformation. Professional growth through challenge for Canal, this project was more than just a testing

challenge it was a leadership breakthrough. By stepping beyond traditional QA responsibilities, He became a trusted advisor to management, account directors, and even the client's executive team. His ability to drive change at a strategic level earned him recognition not just within his team but across the entire organization. His ideas and implementations were later adopted as best practices in future insurance technology projects, reinforcing his reputation as an innovator in quality engineering. His ideas and implementations were later adopted as best practices in future insurance technology projects, reinforcing his reputation as an innovator in quality engineering.

Through this project, he strengthened his expertise in underwriting systems, automation strategy, performance engineering, and stakeholder collaboration. HEP proved that QA is not just a support function it is a critical enabler of business success. A new standard for quality assurance signals contributions did not just fix defects they redefined how quality assurance should be executed in large-scale enterprise transformations. Heiss methodologies in shift left testing, automation first strategy, and impact-based test planning became blueprints for future projects. The project, once seen as a high-risk engagement, was now a case study in

quality-driven execution, frequently referenced in discussions on best practices for insurance technology implementations. His approach demonstrated that QA is not about testing alone, it is about ensuring product reliability, business success, and customer satisfaction. By embedding quality into the core of development, Conall not only rescued a multi-million dollar project but also left a lasting impact on the organization's testing standards, ensuring that future projects follow a more efficient, scalable, and automation-driven approach. About Conall Parekh, Conall Parekh is a highly accomplished quality assurance professional based in Holly Springs,

North Carolina. With a bachelor's degree in electronics engineering and multiple industry certifications, he combines technical expertise with strategic quality management. His experience spans various domains, including automotive, insurance, and logistics sectors, where he has successfully led numerous testing initiatives and driven significant improvements in testing processes and methodologies. Kunal Parekh is dedicated to advancing the field of software quality assurance while ensuring the delivery of reliable and efficient software solutions. His commitment to innovation and quality excellence continues to drive positive changes in the

industry, making him a respected voice in the quality assurance community. Through his strategic approach to quality assurance and process optimization, Kunal Parekh has consistently demonstrated the ability to transform challenging projects into successful implementations, building a reputation as a trusted expert who delivers measurable results. Tip this story was distributed as a release by EchoSpyre Media under Hacker Noon's business blogging Program. Learn more about the program here. Thank you for listening to this Hacker Noon story, read by Artificial Intelligence. Visit HackerNoon.com to read, write, learn and publish.