We take a look at a practical approach to identifying RPA 和 AI use cases for P&C保险核心流程.
Sometimes the right tool for a job is the tool you have, at least according to my father. That’s what he said when I would complain it was hard to rely solely on a pair of pliers when we inevitably needed to fix something on our family farm in rural Nebraska.
While I underst和 the sentiment that there is a tool for every job, not everyone can afford to buy a tool every time something comes up – so the best tool to have is one that you can use for many jobs.
Being raised on a farm infused some practicality in me. We often had to get things done with the tools we had. Usually, that consisted of a hammer 和 that pair of pliers I complained about. I often look back on that time in my life 和 draw from the forced “make do with what you have” situations it presented.
的出现 机器人过程自动化 has me reflecting on the challenges I faced during that time in my life. A few colleagues 和 I went through an exercise where we identified RPA use cases across the 保险 价值链. 在这篇文章中, we’ll cover how to identify the best use case for 机器人过程自动化 in 保险 core processes. 你可能已经读过我们的白皮书， Taking a Business-Driven Approach to Continuous Improvement for 保险 Core Systems 和 Processes. We will fill in some of the process gaps that may linger from a continuous improvement approach to your core systems.
为什么每个人都需要机器人
So, why is it even called “robotic” process automation? It’s not an actual robot, at least not in the way we traditionally think of a robot, right? But, when you consider the underlying concept, it may be closer than it first seems.
让我们来看看我提到的农场经历. Every fall, we would build a temporary electric fence around our cornfields after harvest. The fence allowed our cattle to graze on those fields, 它们还可以吃掉留在地上的玉米. 我讨厌建篱笆. 它是困难的. I would have to drive a fence post into the ground every 20 feet or so, usually in the freezing rain.
I would constantly hammer my h和s 和 was not very precise with my distances between posts. I would frequently daydream about having my own personal robot to do the job for me. Now that would be some robotic process automation!
Is that fantasy that far off from what we know as RPA today? 这是完全不同的东西，对吧? 也许不是. Let’s consider for a moment why I wanted a robot to build my fence.
这是重复的, required endurance 和 it needed to be completed quickly 和 during the fall 和 winter, 当时我有很多其他事情要做. 但为什么我梦到了一个机器人? Why not some fence building system that was purpose-built for that task?
When put in this context, modern RPA solutions really aren’t all that different. We yearn for a convenient 和 practical way to have an intelligent robotic assistant perform tasks in the way we would.
让我们把这个应用到今天的一个例子中. 作为保险行业的顾问, I have had the opportunity to see RPA in action 和 have developed an underst和ing of where we can apply it. Amazingly, the same concepts from my robot daydreams on the farm still apply.
有效的RPA核心系统解决方案
I am going to focus the remainder of this discussion on P&C 保险 core systems 和 how we can apply these concepts to identify 和 create effective RPA solutions.
We’ve started to see a few 保险 use-cases show up repeatedly with RPA, 如保险证书程序. 这些通常从高度手册开始, repetitive tasks that either create bottlenecks or take away from the valuable time of key personnel.
我认为这是一个很好的开始, there are more examples with the potential to mature over time, such as at the front end of both the claim 和 quoting processes within the 保险 价值链.
If you’ve ever tried to configure claim assignment in a popular core claim system like 导’s ClaimCenter or Duck Creek Claims, you know it’s not an easy task. Mainly because you don’t have all the information you need within the system to automate it, 和 it is difficult to validate if a claim went to the right place.
Claim adjusters rarely feel they are fairly dealt out assignments, 这会给所有相关人员带来压力. Companies often directly tie efficiency metrics around closing claims 和 aging claims to performance measurement. To make matters worse, high volume 和 additional needs elsewhere exacerbate assignment challenges. System configuration solutions tend to be a little too abstract 和 don’t relate as directly to existing processes 和 assignment rationale.
RPA可能是一个有效的解决方案. Claim assignment is an intuitive action in that there are typically a set of steps a manager takes to determine to start a claim. 他们检查当前的工作量, look at the attributes of the claim to determine which adjusters have the ability or certifications to work it, 和 they likely want to determine adjuster availability.
机器人过程自动化 can get you started with simple interactions 和 increase in complexity to do tasks such as analyze personality matches. The goal is to automate the checks that bog down your claim manager 和 create bottlenecks. You can get initial assignments that the manager can tweak by checking the simple stuff with an RPA bot.
利用人工智能和机器学习加速RPA
So, how can you add in the sophistication 和 grow it from there? 的使用 人工智能 (AI)或 机器学习 (ML) can really give your robotic process automation an intelligence that takes it to the next level. 和, it can often surpass the analysis a human may apply to the situation, often due to time constraints or implications not evident to even the most astute people.
Applying an AI or ML algorithm is somewhat complex, but very achievable with today’s modern toolsets. It is a common 和 logical extension to many RPA scenarios.
通过这样做, determinations or recommendations for assignments revolving around claim complexity or personality matching can happen quickly. This step reduces escalations 和 prevents a claim from bouncing around to several adjusters before official assignment occurs.
This improvement allows employees to present their claim managers with data points 和 assignments, 节省大家的时间.
People often make assignments more complicated for the wrong reasons, causing most organizations struggle with delivering a claim to the right adjuster quickly. RPA combined with AI or ML can be a great way to deliver meaningful improvement in this area.
像要求作业, 的分类, assignment 和 initial evaluation of submissions can be an equally painful exercise for Underwriting Managers. Many carriers get more submissions than they can address, 和 they develop bottlenecks in 的分类 和 assignment process for submissions.
最初的活动, like checking the submission for completeness 和 requesting additional information from the agent can eat up valuable time for underwriters, 经理甚至承销助理.
By applying RPA to this triage of submissions, you can start simply. 检查完整性, verify availability 和 possibly even include assistants (the human ones) appropriately. 一次到位, AI or ML algorithms that focus on priority 和 potential authority needed can have significant impacts on where to focus underwriters. Underwriting managers can focus more on directing decisions vs. 提交作业.
Further sophistication can improve the involvement of marketing or risk control appropriately. 就像索赔转让的例子, these steps can be intuitive when considered in the context of the existing process, but unmanageable if you try to abstract it as part of your policy administration system configuration.
战多才多艺
Both the claim 和 submission assignment examples above highlight the versatility of an RPA solution. 从过程的角度来看, 他们有很多共同之处, but if you tried to implement a purpose-built technical solution, 每一个看起来都非常不同. You would add complexity 和 invest a lot of capital in a targeted 和 rigid solution.
An RPA solution is a versatile approach that closely aligns with steps 和 processes already in place or at least envisioned 和 desired. You can get reuse out of similar process 和 actions, even if they are with different systems 和 teams.
结论
The adoption of 机器人过程自动化 (和 subsequently, AI 和 Machine Learning) is becoming more 和 more prevalent for carriers. Simple, repeatable use cases are a great place to start. Be somewhat literal in your interpretation of the term “robot” when you consider where to apply it.
Core systems should be a key focus area during these considerations. They are wrought with enhancement requests that sit in IT backlogs, untouched. It’s okay to daydream a little 和 ask yourself “what would I do if I had a robot? 我要它为我做什么?” You might be surprised how achievable that daydream can be.
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