Business News: Electronic Claims Services, AgriTask/Mapfre, PDA

Electronic Claims Services Launches 3 New Web Apps for 25th Anniversary

Oregon-based Electronic Claims Services celebrates its 25th anniversary with the launch of 3 new web apps that aim to bring small to mid-size auto insurers the digital convenience customers and shops have come to expect from service-oriented businesses. Designed as turnkey solutions that integrate with existing platforms, these tools offer insurance companies ways to streamline claims processes for customers and CSRs alike without the need for costly IT department development time.

3 New Tools for Auto Insurers

Photo Claims: With no download required, this new web app allows policyholders to upload photos of vehicle damage for review directly from their phones in an easy to follow, step-by-step interface.

Video Verify: Designed for insurance claims representatives who can’t make it to the repair shop to review damages (increasingly the norm), this web app allows insurers to stream live video directly from a collision shop partner’s tablet or mobile device. Capture and annotate snapshots from live video streams, record and save videos, and communicate with shops through audio and chat all in one place.

Locator Tool: This web app integrates with an insurer’s network of approved repair shops to help policyholders find the nearest in-network repair options by incorporating Google Maps geolocation services. Online services like this eliminate customer service calls while giving the policyholder the fast, online service many have come to expect.

AgriTask, Mapfre Launch t Digital Claims Management System for Agricultural Sector

International precision agriculture provider AgriTask introduced a digital claims management system for insurance companies operating in the agricultural sector. The first application was developed jointly with Mapfre’s subsidiary in Paraguay to manage inspections and claim reports directly with the use of AgriTask’s platform.

Mapfre Paraguay recently started conducting damage inspections involving maize and soybean policies with the AgriTask platform and its novel mobile app. The evaluation is performed digitally after the relevant data is fed into the platform through the app, which is able to automatically calculate compensations.

Relevant geographical information of plots covered by insurance is fully integrated into the system. Inspection protocols are correlated to the actual location of all policyholders. This gives Mapfre full-scale access to its customer base enabling the company to plan and follow up on inspections directly on digital maps in the AgriTask platform.

The new application that was specifically developed to meet the needs of the insurance industry combines AgriTask’s capabilities in the field of precision agriculture with Mapfre’s knowledge in insurance in the agricultural sector. The next step, after the claims management system is successfully operational, is to develop additional products in the areas of risk assessment and compliance to enable Mapfre to better differentiate itself from its competitors. AgriTask’s ability to integrate and process a wide range of climatic and agronomic data sources will enable Mapfre to access new digital tools for assessment, analysis and decision making.

Property Damage Appraisers offers guaranteed same-day estimates

Property Damage Appraisers, ta national independent damage appraisal firm, announced it will begin offering guaranteed same-day and next-day damage estimates for standard auto claims.

PDA developed the new expedited service levels to help its clients deliver outstanding service to their customers by processing claims faster. Clients can choose Same-Day or Next-Day Service when assigning a claim with the company and on-time delivery is guaranteed.

Same-Day Service guarantees a completed damage estimate by the end of the day it’s assigned, while Next-Day Service guarantees an estimate by the end of the next business day. PDA is the first independent appraisal company to offer Same-Day Service. The product is the result of a multi-year effort to improve efficiencies and reduce the time it takes to deliver damage estimates across the company’s national team of more than 650 local appraisers.

After assigning a claim to PDA, clients will be notified if it’s eligible for Same-Day or Next-Day Service. Then, they have the option to select an expedited service level. Same-Day Service is available at a rate which includes the estimate, as well as any supplements and total losses.

When a Same-Day or Next-Day Service claim is assigned, PDA’s proprietary Optimizer tool analyzes the claim data to dispatch the closest qualified appraiser to the damaged vehicle.

The new expedited service offerings are currently being offered in 11 cities with a national rollout targeted for September, 2018. Launch markets include: San Antonio and Austin, Texas, Las Vegas, Nevada; Tampa, Florida; Nashville, Tenn.; Seattle, Wash.; Pittsburgh, Penn.; Detroit, Michigan; Charlotte, N.C.; Indianapolis, Indiana; and Brooklyn, N.Y.

More information about PDA’s Same-Day and Next-Day Service is available at www.pdacorporation.com/same-day.php.