When it comes to property insurance, total losses are not the daily norm for most property field inspectors. Most property insurance claims are small loss claims. Insurers assign most of these small claims to novice adjusters or third-party field inspectors. Sometimes, this can result in errors, including missing information needed for accurate estimating and adjusting of the claim.
Insurance companies have varied adjusting guidelines, and depending on the loss type and circumstances, the inspection process can be complex. These adjusters or third-party field inspectors often need to refer to the company’s requirements which can be tedious. This manual process can result in inconsistencies in claim file documentation based on adjuster inspection styles and experience, leading to multiple formats of claim loss details.
Carriers are challenged with inconsistent file documentation, giving them an incomplete picture — and potentially an inaccurate claim settlement. Newer adjusters require training, which is typically done by more seasoned professionals, keeping these veterans from handling a greater amount of large loss claims. In an industry with razor-thin margins, with increasing severity and frequency of natural hazards, getting a clear and consistent picture of claims across a portfolio is ever-more important.
Insurers are increasingly turning to InsurTech solutions to keep costs low and increase standardization. Property inspection software and claims automation solutions can provide assistance in streamlining these manual processes. This kind of software can provide easy-to-follow instructions on how and what to scope via a tool every adjuster is already familiar with — their mobile phone and tablet. This allows an adjuster to follow intuitive questions that guide them through appropriate photo-taking and scoping of the damage, ensuring no critical claim documentation is forgotten.
With these kinds of mobile applications, even new adjusters can document claim loss details efficiently and in a well-organized, uniform manner, reducing the amount of cross-training and onboarding time. Without time-consuming cross-training, this can also empower them to get out into the field faster.
Carriers benefit by reducing the need for additional quality assurance or multiple site visits. All in all, this lowers the chance for inaccurate estimation, and settling claims faster means greater customer satisfaction.
As the insurance industry continues to digitize and embrace tech-forward solutions, claims automation solutions take center stage, enabling newer adjusters to have the tools they need for success from day one and for insurance companies to create a reliable and standard process.
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