---
title: [OR] [GEL] [E1] [C1] Overview of OR Case Study
description: [OR] [GEL] [E1] [C1] Overview of OR Case Study
image: https://blog.bcm-institute.org/hubfs/eBook%20Generic%20Morepost/OR/OR%20E1%20GEN%20Morepost/%5BOR%5D%20%5BGEN%5D%20%5BE1%5D%20%5BC1%5D%20Introducing%20OR%20Case%20Study.jpg
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###### Implementing Operational Resilience in Insurance: A Practical Guide for Great Eastern Life
# \[OR\] \[GEL\] \[E1\] \[C1\] Overview of OR Case Study
[](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/ed856abb-1481-4385-97c0-3d57ffa96f59)
[![eBook Cover \[OR\] \[GEN\] \[E1\] \[2D\] ](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/82ae5f14-80c4-43c6-b200-5a16646f123a.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/82ae5f14-80c4-43c6-b200-5a16646f123a)Operational resilience has become a key supervisory priority for financial institutions, particularly in highly interconnected, technology-driven environments such as the insurance sector. Regulators increasingly expect insurers to demonstrate the ability to prevent, adapt to, respond to, recover from, and learn from operational disruptions, ensuring that critical services to customers and the financial system remain available.
In Malaysia, the regulatory expectations are reflected in the Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) 2025 Discussion Paper on Operational Resilience, which outlines principles for identifying critical business services, setting impact tolerances, and strengthening the resilience of supporting resources.
This chapter introduces the organisation used throughout this eBook case study—Great Eastern Life Assurance (Malaysia) Berhad, part of the wider Great Eastern Holdings Limited group. As one of the leading life insurers in Malaysia, Great Eastern operates in a complex ecosystem involving customers, agents, healthcare providers, regulators, digital platforms, and technology partners. Understanding the organisation—its environment, structure, services, and strategic objectives—is a critical first step before designing and implementing an operational resilience programme.
[](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/82999100-d8aa-47ed-b3b7-b418c3698d2a)
[Dr Goh Moh Heng](https://blog.bcm-institute.org/ebook-or/author/dr-goh-moh-heng) Mar 16, 2026
###### Operational Resilience Certified Planner-Specialist-Expert
#### [![\[OR\] \[GE\] Legal Disclaimer Banner](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/86ec2554-9da6-4f80-966e-b79f9ead3dd5.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/86ec2554-9da6-4f80-966e-b79f9ead3dd5)
### eBook 1: Chapter 1
##### [](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/82999100-d8aa-47ed-b3b7-b418c3698d2a)
### **Understanding Your Organisation - The Case Study of Great Eastern Life**
#### Introduction
[![\[OR\] \[CCB\] \[E1\] \[C1\] Introducing OR Case Study](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/e2050c9f-e764-4823-882e-7af2f22ff8e5.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/e2050c9f-e764-4823-882e-7af2f22ff8e5)
[![eBook Cover \[OR\] \[GEN\] \[E1\] \[2D\] ](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/82ae5f14-80c4-43c6-b200-5a16646f123a.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/82ae5f14-80c4-43c6-b200-5a16646f123a)Operational resilience has become a key supervisory priority for financial institutions, particularly in highly interconnected, technology-driven environments such as the insurance sector. Regulators increasingly expect insurers to demonstrate the ability to **prevent, adapt to, respond to, recover from, and learn from operational disruptions**, ensuring that critical services to customers and the financial system remain available.
In Malaysia, the regulatory expectations are reflected in the **Bank Negara Malaysia (BNM) *2025 Discussion Paper on Operational Resilience***, which outlines principles for identifying critical business services, setting impact tolerances, and strengthening the resilience of supporting resources.
This chapter introduces the organisation used throughout this eBook case study—**Great Eastern Life Assurance (Malaysia) Berhad**, part of the wider **Great Eastern Holdings Limited** group. As one of the leading life insurers in Malaysia, Great Eastern operates in a complex ecosystem involving customers, agents, healthcare providers, regulators, digital platforms, and technology partners. Understanding the organisation—its environment, structure, services, and strategic objectives—is a critical first step before designing and implementing an operational resilience programme.
The purpose of this section is therefore to **establish organisational context**. It explains how Great Eastern operates, what services it provides, who supports those services, and how resilience objectives can be aligned with its strategic priorities. These insights will provide the foundation for subsequent chapters in the eBook that focus on the implementation of operational resilience in practice.
#### Purpose of Chapter
The purpose of this chapter is to provide readers with a foundational understanding of the organisation before embarking on the implementation of operational resilience. By examining Great Eastern Life’s operating environment, organisational structure, resilience team composition, and strategic resilience objectives, readers will gain insight into how insurers should contextualise operational resilience within their business model. This chapter prepares the reader to recognise the importance of identifying critical services, mapping dependencies, and aligning resilience goals with regulatory expectations. Ultimately, the objective is to equip readers with the organisational perspective needed to support the practical implementation steps discussed in the subsequent sections of this eBook.
**Great Eastern Life Assurance (Malaysia) Berhad** is one of the most established life insurance providers in Malaysia, offering a broad range of protection, savings, health, and wealth management products. As part of the **Great Eastern Holdings Limited** group, the organisation operates across multiple markets in Asia and serves millions of policyholders through a combination of agency channels, bancassurance partnerships, and digital platforms.
Great Eastern’s operations include:
- Policy issuance and administration
- Insurance underwriting and risk assessment
- Premium collection and financial management
- Claims management and policy servicing
- Distribution through agents, banks, and digital platforms
- Customer engagement and advisory services
These services rely on a combination of **people, technology systems, operational processes, and third-party partners**, all of which must remain resilient to disruptions.
According to the **2025 BNM Discussion Paper on Operational Resilience**, insurers should clearly understand their **organisational structure, operating model, and service dependencies** before identifying critical business services. This organisational understanding enables firms to identify where disruptions may occur and what controls are required to maintain service continuity.
#### **Great Eastern Life’s Operating Environment**
Great Eastern operates within a **complex regulatory and operational ecosystem** that shapes its resilience priorities.
##### **1. Regulatory Environment**
The Malaysian insurance sector is regulated by **Bank Negara Malaysia**, which sets expectations relating to governance, risk management, outsourcing, technology risk management, and operational resilience.
The **2025 BNM Discussion Paper on Operational Resilience** emphasises that insurers must:
- Identify **critical business services**
- Set **impact tolerances for disruption**
- Map dependencies across **people, processes, technology, and third parties**
- Conduct **severe but plausible scenario testing**
For Great Eastern Life, regulatory expectations directly influence the design and implementation of resilience programmes.
##### **2. Digital Transformation and Technology Risk**
The insurance sector is increasingly digital. Great Eastern relies on:
- Online policy servicing platforms
- Digital claims submission
- Customer portals and mobile applications
- Agent sales platforms
- Core insurance administration systems
While digitalisation improves efficiency and customer experience, it also introduces new risks such as:
- Cybersecurity threats
- System outages
- Cloud and vendor dependency risks
- Data integrity risks
Operational resilience ensures that **critical services continue even if technology disruptions occur**.
##### **3. Ecosystem Dependencies**
Insurance services rely on a broad ecosystem, including:
- Healthcare providers and hospitals
- Reinsurance partners
- Banking partners for payments
- Digital platform providers
- Technology service vendors
The BNM discussion paper highlights that **third-party and supply-chain dependencies** are a major source of operational disruption risk.
#### **Composition of an Operational Resilience Team for Great Eastern Life**
A successful operational resilience programme requires collaboration across multiple organisational functions. The BNM discussion paper emphasises the importance of **strong governance and cross-functional coordination**.
For Great Eastern Life, the Operational Resilience Team would typically include the following roles:
| **Role** | **Key Responsibility** |
| --- | --- |
| **Board and Senior Management** | **Provide strategic direction and oversight of resilience objectives** |
| **Risk Management** | **Identify operational risks and resilience gaps** |
| **Business Continuity Management (BCM)** | **Develop and maintain continuity and recovery strategies** |
| **Technology & IT Operations** | **Ensure resilience of IT systems and infrastructure** |
| **Cybersecurity** | **Protect systems and data from cyber threats** |
| **Operations & Business Units** | **Identify critical business services and operational dependencies** |
| **Compliance & Regulatory Affairs** | **Ensure alignment with BNM requirements** |
| **Third-Party Risk Management** | **Manage outsourcing and vendor resilience** |
| **Crisis Management Team** | **Coordinate response during major disruptions** |
This multidisciplinary structure ensures that resilience is **embedded across the organisation rather than treated as a standalone risk function**.
#### **Critical Business Services of Great Eastern Life**
According to the **BNM Operational Resilience discussion paper**, organisations must identify services that could be disrupted in a way that would cause **intolerable harm to customers or threaten ****financial stability**.
For Great Eastern Life, examples of **critical business services (CBS)** may include:
| **CBS Code** | **Critical Business Service** | **Description** |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **1** | **Policy Issuance and Underwriting** | **Processing new insurance applications and issuing policies** |
| **2** | **Premium Collection and Payment Processing** | **Collecting premiums and maintaining policy validity** |
| **3** | **Claims Processing and Settlement** | **Assessing and paying legitimate claims** |
| **4** | **Policy Administration and Customer Servicing** | **Managing policy updates, enquiries, and servicing** |
| **5** | **Agency and Distribution Operations** | **Supporting agent sales and customer advisory** |
| **6** | **Digital Insurance Services** | **Online policy access and digital transactions** |
These services represent **key ****value-delivery points for customers**, and disruptions to them could lead to financial losses, reputational damage, or regulatory concerns.
#### **Key Characteristics of Great Eastern Life**
Understanding an organisation's **operational ****characteristics **is essential for resilience planning.
##### **1. Customer-Centric Service Model**
Insurance services directly affect customers’ financial security and health protection. Any disruption to claims processing or policy servicing could have a **significant impact on customers**.
##### **2. Heavy Reliance on Technology Platforms**
Insurance operations rely on integrated IT systems such as:
- Policy administration systems
- Claims management systems
- Customer relationship management platforms
- Payment gateways
- Agent portals
Technology resilience, therefore, becomes a **core pillar of operational resilience**.
##### **3. Extensive Distribution Network**
Great Eastern operates through:
- Agency force networks
- Bancassurance partnerships
- Digital sales channels
Each distribution model introduces **different operational dependencies and risks**.
##### **4. Regulatory and Compliance Sensitivity**
Insurance companies must comply with strict regulatory requirements, including:
- Consumer protection rules
- Data protection laws
- Financial solvency requirements
Operational disruptions could therefore result in **regulatory breaches if services are not maintained**.
#### **Establishing Organisational Goals for Operational Resilience**
The **BNM 2025 Discussion Paper on Operational Resilience** encourages financial institutions to align resilience objectives with their broader strategic goals.
For Great Eastern Life, organisational goals for operational resilience may include:
##### **1. Protecting Policyholders**
Ensure that policyholders can continue to:
- submit claims
- access policy information
- receive claim payments
even during disruptions.
##### **2. Maintaining Critical Business Services**
Establish **impact tolerances** for key services such as claims processing and premium collection.
Example:
| **Service** | **Example Impact Tolerance** |
| --- | --- |
| **Claims Processing** | **Maximum disruption of 24 hours** |
| **Premium Payment Processing** | **Maximum disruption of 12 hours** |
| **Customer Digital Portal** | **Maximum disruption of 8 hours** |
##### **3. Strengthening Technology Resilience**
Invest in resilient infrastructure, such as:
- cloud redundancy
- disaster recovery capabilities
- cybersecurity controls
- automated monitoring
##### **4. Improving Third-Party Risk Management**
Ensure that outsourced service providers can support resilience objectives through:
- contractual resilience requirements
- vendor testing and monitoring
- contingency planning
##### **5. Enhancing Crisis Management and Response**
Develop integrated frameworks that combine:
- business continuity management
- disaster recovery
- crisis communication
- incident response.
**[![Banner \[Summing\] \[OR\] \[E1\] \[C1\] Introducing OR Case Study](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/d2e2c339-9a7d-496d-924a-d75107cf7afe.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/d2e2c339-9a7d-496d-924a-d75107cf7afe)**
Understanding the organisational structure, operating environment, and service delivery model of **Great Eastern Life Assurance (Malaysia) Berhad** is a critical first step in building a robust operational resilience programme. As highlighted in the **Bank Negara Malaysia 2025 Discussion Paper on Operational Resilience**, financial institutions must clearly identify their critical business services, understand their dependencies, and ensure that these services remain available even during severe disruptions.
This chapter establishes the organisational context necessary for implementing operational resilience at Great Eastern Life. By analysing the insurer’s operating environment, governance structure, critical services, and strategic priorities, the groundwork is laid for the next section of this eBook—**Implementing Operational Resilience for Great Eastern Life**, which explores practical frameworks and implementation approaches in detail.
[](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/3aefb2d2-3110-47c1-ad4f-d3e6e5381066)
Blogs marked \[x\] are under construction.
| Implementing Operational Resilience in Insurance: A Practical Guide for Great Eastern Life | | | |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| **eBook 1: Understanding Your Organisation: Great Eastern Life ** | | | |
| **C1** | **C2 \[x\]** | **C3 \[x\]** | **C4 \[x\]** |
| [![\[OR\] \[CCB\] \[E1\] \[C1\] Introducing OR Case Study](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/e2050c9f-e764-4823-882e-7af2f22ff8e5.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/e2050c9f-e764-4823-882e-7af2f22ff8e5) | [![\[OR\] \[GEN\] \[E1\] \[C2\] Understanding Your Organisation](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/ced1bdb4-c85e-4ebe-8878-082aea79ef6a.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/ced1bdb4-c85e-4ebe-8878-082aea79ef6a) | [![\[OR\] \[GEN\] \[E1\] \[C3\] Examining Operating Environment](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/cc870a30-329c-416c-bda9-ffd799be3d62.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/cc870a30-329c-416c-bda9-ffd799be3d62) | [![\[OR\] \[GEN\] \[E1\] \[C4\] Composing the OR Team](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/695d257f-c746-48a6-a463-26b3b6a8a7d1.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/695d257f-c746-48a6-a463-26b3b6a8a7d1) |
| **C5** | **C6 \[x\]** | **C7 \[x\]** | **C8 \[x\]** |
| [![\[OR\] \[CCB\] \[E1\] \[C5\] Identifying Critical Business Services](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/cb4789d2-e19c-4f53-adf2-12c148c9ccaa.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/cb4789d2-e19c-4f53-adf2-12c148c9ccaa) | [![\[OR\] \[GEN\] \[E1\] \[C6\] Analysing Key Characteristics](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/312be1e5-fa5e-40cd-ae3b-55f729092d4a.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/312be1e5-fa5e-40cd-ae3b-55f729092d4a) | [![\[OR\] \[GEN\] \[E1\] \[C7\] Establishing Organisational Goals for Operational Resilience](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/36ee9cb1-b726-4615-ad89-cfdebc4ecbf4.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/36ee9cb1-b726-4615-ad89-cfdebc4ecbf4) | [![\[OR\] \[GEN\] \[E1\] \[C8\] Summary](https://no-cache.hubspot.com/cta/default/3893111/24dde137-e587-4125-ac61-a0b0577d1f61.png)](https://cta-redirect.hubspot.com/cta/redirect/3893111/24dde137-e587-4125-ac61-a0b0577d1f61) |
| | | | |
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For organisations looking to accelerate their journey, BCM Institute’s training and certification programs, including the **OR-5000 Operational Resilience Expert Implementer course**, provide in-depth insights and practical toolkits for effectively embedding this model.
#### More Information About OR-5000 \[OR-5\] or OR-300 \[OR-3\]
To learn more about the course and schedule, click the buttons below for the OR-300 Operational Resilience Implementer course and the OR-5000 Operational Resilience Expert Implementer course.
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