Transforming insurance claims handling
Robotic process automation helps limit repetitive tasks and frees employees for more critical activities.
Technology is transforming how insurers do business, and one important example of this is robotic process automation (RPA). While RPA in insurance is considered artificial intelligence (AI), these new systems are designed to be remarkably accessible and easy to use.
According to research from Gartner, RPA software spending is on pace to total more than $2.4 billion in 2022, globally.
Despite the increased adoption and implementation of RPA both causing fear and drawing acclaim among insurance professionals, one cannot argue with the transformation and benefits that it brings to the industry as a whole.
Here is a quick look at some of the benefits of RPA in insurance, and why it could prove a good fit for both your company and the industry as it continues to evolve.
- Automation of tasks, from claims processing to policy servicing to underwriting. These all involve several repetitive actions that can be automated for efficiency. Pulling data is also a task that can be streamlined with automation.
- Employees are available for other duties. If insurance automation can take over particular tasks, employees who would normally handle those responsibilities are available to work on various projects and focus their time and attention on other projects and opportunities.
- Increased savings. Piggybacking off of point #2, automation can also often be less expensive than human labor, which means insurers can save time and money. Freeing up employee time for more mission-critical, nuanced tasks can be realized.
- Faster response and completion times. Since automation can streamline certain tasks, response and completion times will shrink.
- Increased productivity. Faster response times, shrinking costs, and reallocation of employee workloads is often a recipe for increased business productivity. The automation of certain tasks allows insurers to reallocate employee responsibility, which in turn allows their businesses to become more efficient and productive.
- Improved accuracy, as RPA can handle automated tasks without the fear of fatigue or human error.
RPA insurance trends to watch
Now that we’ve briefly identified many of the benefits of RPA, here are the trends to pay attention to as this permeates the insurance industry:
- Risk assessment and fraud detection: With the help of automation, agencies will be better suited to identify potential fraud as well as evaluate risks that would otherwise negatively impact them financially.
- Employing chatbots to enhance customer service: these popular automated tools are a great way to offer a 24/7 customer service experience. They are becoming so prevalent that 63% of people prefer a chatbot to a real person, according to Adobe.
- Increased use of artificial intelligence to analyze data: While the amount of data being collected continues to skyrocket, AI allows insurers to quickly and effectively compile and sort data that can be used to analyze risk, change policies, and market to potential consumers.
There are many benefits to insurance automation, including significant savings and a more productive and efficient work environment. Insurers are using automation to streamline regular, everyday processes to save time and money and provide a more comprehensive customer service experience. With all of these advantages and the ease with which they can be incorporated into modern SaaS platforms, expect RPA to play an increasingly significant role in P&C insurance.
Jeff Wargin is the chief product officer at Duck Creek Technologies. Contact him at jeffrey.m.wargin@duckcreek.com.
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