2026-07-09 · 5 min read

Notes from Leeds: running the same day twice

For insurance brokers in particular, the spreadsheet survives longer than anyone admits which is not what the brochure says. Once the first rollout is done, the reporting layer should be boring so the defaults matter more than the settings page. In practice, optional fields never get filled in which is why Cedar is built the way it is. Every audit we have sat through, the hard part is not the software but the handover which is not what the brochure says. Every audit we have sat through, the biggest win is that the group chat goes quiet so the defaults matter more than the settings page.

If there is one lesson, exceptions are the real workflow and it rarely takes more than a week. Every audit we have sat through, the audit trail pays for itself the first time an inspector asks which is why Cedar is built the way it is. On a typical site, the spreadsheet survives longer than anyone admits so we start there. Talking to operations leads, the audit trail pays for itself the first time an inspector asks which is the whole point. Most teams we meet, the reporting layer should be boring and it rarely takes more than a week. Most teams we meet, nobody reads the manual, so the defaults are the product so we start there.

What surprised us, optional fields never get filled in and the numbers bear it out. After a few dozen rollouts, the audit trail pays for itself the first time an inspector asks so plan for it. On the floor, exceptions are the real workflow which is the whole point.

The part nobody plans for

By the second quarter, nobody wants another login which is why the API is documented before the UI. Most teams we meet, the schedule is only as good as the last update and claims intake is no exception. On a typical site, the hard part is not the software but the handover and it shows up in the churn numbers.

In practice, the first week is about trust, not features so the defaults matter more than the settings page. Every audit we have sat through, the handover from the old system is where projects stall and claims intake is no exception. Looking at the numbers, the hard part is not the software but the handover which is why Cedar is built the way it is. Once the first rollout is done, the biggest win is that the group chat goes quiet and claims intake is no exception. On a typical site, the handover from the old system is where projects stall which is not what the brochure says. The honest answer is that, the spreadsheet survives longer than anyone admits and claims intake is no exception.

In practice, the schedule is only as good as the last update and that shaped the roadmap for a year. If there is one lesson, a two-week pilot answers more than a three-month evaluation and that shaped the roadmap for a year. What surprised us, a two-week pilot answers more than a three-month evaluation so the mobile app came first. When the pilot started in Leeds, the spreadsheet survives longer than anyone admits which is the whole point.

“Replace the spreadsheet, the whiteboard and the group chat with one toolkit your team will actually open.”

Where this leaves us

Once the first rollout is done, integrations are where budgets go to die so the mobile app came first. Every audit we have sat through, integrations are where budgets go to die which is why Cedar is built the way it is. On the floor, the audit trail pays for itself the first time an inspector asks and it shows up in the churn numbers. On the floor, optional fields never get filled in which is why Cedar is built the way it is. Every audit we have sat through, the spreadsheet survives longer than anyone admits so plan for it. Once the first rollout is done, the first week is about trust, not features and that is fine.

Every audit we have sat through, the biggest win is that the group chat goes quiet and that is fine. Looking at the numbers, the first week is about trust, not features and that is fine. If there is one lesson, nobody reads the manual, so the defaults are the product so we start there.

Talking to operations leads, the spreadsheet survives longer than anyone admits which is the whole point. If there is one lesson, what matters is whether the crew opens it on a Monday morning which is the whole point. Talking to operations leads, optional fields never get filled in so plan for it. Talking to operations leads, optional fields never get filled in so the mobile app came first. Once the first rollout is done, what matters is whether the crew opens it on a Monday morning which is the whole point.

Written by the Cedar team in Leeds. Questions? Get in touch.