QBE develops automated claims processing tool

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QBE has overhauled its legacy property claims process, developing a new tool which can automatically handle non-complex claims.
 

The plainly named Property Decisioning Tool – one of QBE’s first in-house developed digital deployments to go to market – is capable of “[determining] the likely complexity of a claim, the repairs needed, and [to] immediately engage the correct supplier to begin actioning the recovery within a much faster timeframe” against the existing manual process, the insurer said.

The tool will serve to cut the processing time significantly by automatically connecting customers with the best-suited property repairer or restorer, helping to “mitigate the loss, manage claims costs more effectively, and minimise any delays”.

Leveraging its own in-house data and analytics capabilities, the tool’s decision engine is also expected to realign QBE’s disproportionate preferencing of national builders for repair jobs (currently representing 85 per cent of all contracts), instead favouring local and regional builders for both commercial and residential work.

QBE chief claims officer, Jon Fox, said that by simplifying and automating its internal claims processes, customers and partners will be much better served by the insurer.

“Our Property Decisioning Tool has enabled us to challenge the traditional claims model by automating non-complex claims, improving and speeding up the recovery process. This is another great example of how data-driven solutions can benefit the insurance industry and help bring customer experiences in line with current expectations,” he said.

“We know that today’s customer is seeking quality of service and speed of service – and both at the same time. Through our evolving in-house data and analytic capabilities, and exploring new industry partnerships to enhance this, we can ensure we are delivering on these customer expectations,” Fox added.

Last month, QBE’s North American arm announced the release of its new AI-backed claims support service, TextQBE, designed to engage with and guide customers through the claims applications. It is unclear whether QBE will attempt a similar rollout for its Australasian business arm.

QBE North America’s senior vice president of technical operations Alyssa Hunt said of the TextQBE rollout: “We’re able to give customers the option to communicate how they prefer, and the virtual assistant’s ‘intelligence’ enables us to offer customers the answer to simple questions about deductibles, receipt of photos and other documents rapidly on a mobile device.”

The TextQBE platform was developed by insurtech company Hi Marley, with QBE revealed as the first insurer to integrate the product with its core insurance system.