Enhanced Insurance Claims Processing Through the Google Looking Glass

By Peter Bernstein
Senior Editor

In keeping an eye out for innovative uses of technology in the insurance industry, the headlines rightfully focus on such areas as enhancing customer care interactions and integration of back office systems with customer facing ones. These address the important goals of improving agent efficiency and effectiveness via work process automation and providing better user experiences thanks to such capabilities as omnichannel interactions and agents have a fuller view of the customer journey. 

However, there are other areas where technology-inspired innovative approaches are transforming the ways in which insurers interact with customers and gather and used information to produce compelling outcomes.  Telematics in cars and telemedicine are two big areas for such transformative initiatives, but there is more.  In fact, a recent Pittsburgh Business Times article about Google Glass being used by Erie Insurance to improve the speed and accuracy of claims processing is a great example. 

The article is more than worth a read for two reasons.

The first is that it shows how employee ingenuity led to a test effort that makes a lot of sense.  After all, giving field agents the ability to do hands-free investigations on its face can literally and figuratively be seen as enhancing the process of gathering claims documentation.

The second is this type of use also demonstrates the emerging value of wearable technology for commercial and not just mass market applications.  From warehouse pick list automation to ultimately any application where hands-free mobility on-site can speed information gathering and problem resolution along, having a skilled professional with a tool to improve their ability to process workloads is extremely valuable.

 The last point is amplified in the article where the results of the test we stated as having had a positive impact for the claims adjusters as well as the customers.  In the hotly competitive insurance business, across all lines, validating claims and processing them quickly is an imperative.  It is why insurers looking for an edge need to think beyond the contact center and back office and focus on a host of other tools that are emerging that improve their efficiency and effectiveness.  Enhanced visualization, including augmented reality, along with big data analytics are tech areas to keep an eye on. The Erie Insurance through the looking glass provides interesting food for thought.