Talent and technology combine to modernise claims management

Replacing outdated with efficient

Managing Chester Street’s employers liability portfolio had become a bit of a struggle. Claims managers had to deal with legacy, non-integrated IT systems and paper-based records that had to be entered manually. Inefficiency was rife, as was the risk of costly errors. As a result, claimants sometimes suffered a poor service and delays to the compensation they needed to support life-saving treatment.

When their outsourcing partner was unable to offer a remote service during lockdown, Chester Street sensed an opportunity. They asked us to help them reinvigorate the business, transforming their ability to handle claims at speed and at scale. Once again, we looked to combine people and technology to bring about lasting, meaningful outcomes.

User forum demonstrates the power of people in problem solving

Though our first job was to ensure continuity of service we all saw the need for change. So we began by identifying the underlying causes behind errors and inefficiencies. Our consulting practice convened a user forum of PwC’s insurance experts and the transferring claims handling staff. Together, we carried out a complete process review, unearthing obstacles, and prioritising outcomes.

We transferred 65 members of staff from Chester Street’s previous outsourcing partner to our claims centre of excellence in Bradford with full onboarding, training, and career development opportunities for each of them.

The result was an integrated solution comprising workflow, claims handling and document management, all designed to improve claimant outcomes. Once the new platform was up and running, we migrated the existing claims from the previous legacy platform to the new ecosystem and took on the day-to-day claims handling operation.

Powerful technology for transparency and efficiency

With the outputs of the user forum providing a clear path forward, we started to optimise the claims processes.

This was no mean feat, given we had no data dictionaries or reference tables to work with. Over seven million paper records had to be digitised. And COVID-19 restrictions imposed limitations on collaboration.

By drawing on the latest low-code, cloud-based technology to underpin the claims process, we were able to deploy faster and more cost-efficiently without compromising functionality. Plug-ins connect the platform seamlessly with general ledger and document management software. And by standardising and digitising data, we produce more reliable, more actionable management information.

Personalised dashboards provide full visibility for the business, the client and key stakeholders. Managers can monitor work volume and productivity to make sure resources are properly allocated. And leaders can evaluate the portfolio status at a glance.

Ensuring a bright future

Good things come when people and technology work together. And even better things happen when our experts join forces with the process owners. Because we worked in partnership with claims handlers from the start, we were able to share a vision of success and work towards it at speed.

The result is a 30 percent uptick in claims handling efficiency. Every one of the 65 claims handlers has been fully trained on the new platform. And the migration took just eight weeks. Importantly, the team became self-reliant – with no need to engage the previous outsourcer – within six months.

But we’re not done yet. We continue to tweak the platform in search of the incremental gains that come from process enhancements. Our risk and regulation experts are always on hand to advise the claims team. Because managed services for us means a long-term partnership with continuous improvement at its heart.