How do you know if your claims organization is producing a quality product? After all, there are numerous ways to identify quality, right? While no two carriers or claims processes are alike, there are often similarities. From FNOL, abandonment rate, and contact timeliness to cycle time, alternative parts utilization and average indemnity, there seems to be no shortage of usable metrics. But is this the optimal way to gauge performance?

During my years as a process and quality leader for a large multinational insurer, we grappled with a myriad of metrics in our quest to find the ideal formula to drive optimal results. Much like a football team, the claims organization was measured on statistical data points that were supposed to be indicative of outcomes. Just like a lot of points should win football games, prompt contact and inspections should win the claims race.

So what happens when all those metrics are surpassed, yet there is a rise in blown coverage, errant liability decisions, or litigation? While I am not minimizing the importance of statistical claims data points, I do like to put them into perspective. Just like football, there is only one statistic that truly matters as winning records are based upon accurate outcomes.