One type of insurance technology many insurance companies are using nowadays is drones. According to DeLoitte there are two strategic objectives: better risk management through improved data collection, and reduced operational costs through improved efficiency and effectiveness related to claims.
Drone deployment is rapidly expanding and evolving, with current and potential applications spanning the insurance value chain. In an article, DeLoitte highlights the following:
Pre-loss
Risk engineering and pricing: Aerial site assessments can identify property features that allow the owner either to seek a reduced risk profile or to take appropriate actions to lower overall risk and justify premium discounts.
Natural disaster monitoring: Drones can be quickly and safely deployed to monitor areas threatened by natural disasters. Governments working with insurance companies can monitor a situation and alert local residents to potential danger.
Post-loss
Inspection: Drones can provide a safer, faster, and more cost-effective way to conduct a site inspection, particularly in challenging working conditions.
Risk assessment: Drones may allow insurers to engage a generalist, rather than a specialist, to perform field assessments and obtain high-quality visuals.
Claims adjudication: The precise photos that drones take can potentially improve the quality of the claims adjudication process.
Fraud prevention: The moment a property claim is reported (First Notice of Loss), a drone could be deployed to inspect the claims site, increasing information capture accuracy and timeliness.
In South Africa, Old Mutual iWYZE plans to be the first South African insurer to use drones. “The application of drone technology in our business is an empowering game changer – it will significantly improve our risk assessments, underwriting and quantification of assets through improved data collection, field assessments, high-quality photos, videos and analysis,” said Christelle Colman, an insurance expert at Old Mutual Insure.
She also mentioned that drone operations will further reduce their operational, safety and fraud risks; fast-track and improve claims adjudication and processing; cut operational costs through enhanced efficiency and ultimately elevate the customer experience.
Click here to read the article as published on the BusinessTech website.
