Internet service leads to greater efficiency in claims processing

In Finland, If has started to use the Esinenetti system, an Internet-based claims service designed for consumer customers. The service enables If customers to file claims related to their home contents, boat, forest, and pet insurance policies electronically.

The system began to be built in June 2003 and was completed in December 2003. Deployment required a stage in which definitions were fine-tuned, as well as a technical planning stage. The system was supplied by Profit Software Oy.

The Esinenetti system increases the amount of automatic processing of claims. Harnessing the power of the Internet for handling claims reports speeds up processes, increases efficiency, and brings savings. The entire claim processing chain functions electronically - from the submission of the claim to the decision on the case. In addition, the Internet service supports the phone and office services.

A New basis for claims processing

According to If's casualty insurance systems manager, Kimmo Leppänen, modifying the previous claim reporting system to work with the J2EE architecture would have involved more work than designing a new system from scratch. In addition, updating the old system would not have resulted in anything new commercially.

The Esinenetti system was built on top of If and Sampo Bank's common Salsa architecture. The fact that Esinenetti is integrated with If's claims entry system has increased the efficiency of claims processing. In addition, customers benefit from the usability and speed of the new system.

- The new system is user-friendly. Esinenetti guides users to fill in the boxes on the form that are required for making a claim. Users choose the claim form according to the type of claim and fill in only the necessary information, says Leppänen.

If the customer is an If folder user, filing a claim is even quicker. The If folder is a personal insurance folder for the customer, accessed by password. Using the folder means that the customer's basic details, such as name and address, are automatically entered on the claim form. However, customers can use Esinenetti without having to use the If folder.

A faster claim reporting process for If means a faster decision for the customer. We give a service guarantee, which means that we start processing claims filed directly via the Internet no later than the following working day. What's more, customers are able to use a service channel that is open 24 hours a day, every day of the week, says Leppänen.

Trust is rewarded

This was the first time Profit Software has supplied a project for If's Salsa environment, and Leppänen saw this as a test.

- We were taking a risk. Although Profit was working with the Salsa architecture, which was new to them, the project was a great success. Esinenetti was completed on time, and the project came in within budget, says Leppänen.

According to Leppänen, Profit Software has a good delivery culture, correctly estimating the time and resources required. Regular meetings throughout the project also helped to ensure success.

- At the start of system projects, there is a stage where the client is not able to see exactly how the work is going. This means it is very important, as it was for us in this project, that you can trust what the project manager says, says Leppänen.

Esinenetti has doubled the number of claims made over the Internet.

- The fact that claims are coming in over the Internet shows that the system is a success, says Kimmo Leppänen.

Kimmo Leppänen
Systems manager
If