Best Practices

In Switzerland, episodes of hail are increasingly frequent. Aside from agriculture, the biggest impact of such weather phenomena is on cars. These seasonal weather events affect over 50,000 of our customers every year. To address all of this in such a way as to satisfy customers in terms of the timeframes for repairs while respecting the environment, Generali Schweiz is promoting smart repair techniques. The technique - known as “repairing dents without paint” - enables the customer to reduce repair times and eliminate damage without the need for invasive methods like the use of filler or paint. It is estimated that this responsible practice, on its own, results in the recycling of otherwise “unstable” material and a significant reduction in CO2 emissions.

This modern technology makes it easier to localise losses and helps in claims management. Drones are mainly used to assess complex and large-scale losses in places where inspection is difficult or where there is a risk of accidents for personnel. They are used to inspect pavilions, large sites, construction machinery, cranes, planes and trains, bridges, dams, chimneys and tall buildings, plantations or farms and in the event of major floods or fires.

The inspection is carried out according to the prepared flight plan. The loss is discussed with the customer at the site in order to understand the full extent of the damage. The drone makes an HD video recording and explores the entire context of the damage. The flight normally lasts 15 minutes and produces detailed and rounded images that we would never have been able to obtain with a standard inspection. The photographic/video documentation collected is then saved on an archive disk for further analysis and future use.

Drones therefore offer various advantages:

• the images produced accurately identify the real extent and cause of the damage
• the speed and absence of risk during the evaluations are also important advantages, avoiding accidents involving people in potentially hazardous contexts
• drones can also be used to prevent damage through preventive and precautionary inspections, in the same way as they are carried out following an accident
• they improve relations with the customer, who react favourably to the use of this technology
• they act as deterrents to fraudulent behaviour as they enable unparalleled levels of objectivity.

The new data collection and modelling capacities are proving to be an important source of effectiveness and efficiency: data can be explored and used in any format to generate significant information and to help make quick decisions. The aim of all of this is to obviously improve the services provided to the customer. This is why Generali is testing the power of artificial intelligence in claims management, particularly in the field of the inspection of reimbursements, one of the key components in the process of managing compensation requests in claims.

The automatic processing of claim files using advanced text analysis techniques makes it possible to bring the presence of potential reimbursements in the request file to the attention of the “settlements” or quality control departments. This process is also “smart” because during the various text analyses the “machine” learns and adapts to recognise the language, also remembering data it has analysed in the past.

This results in faster settlements between insurance companies or between insurers and third parties.

In Italy the Qui per Voi service is available: an action procedure in the event of significant damage caused by a natural event which can involve many people. Through Generali Qui per Voi, the Natural Events Team takes action within 48 hours and, if physical locations are not available, a mobile office ensures that the team is fully operational in the area of the event.

The activation process involves company staff, assessors, claims adjusters and agents, as well as:

• watchmen, who monitor the event in the area
• the event manager, who activates the appropriate services for the emergency situation
• the task force that supports the agencies throughout the country, dealing with the opening of claims files and the identification and coordination of partners for defining losses and settling claims
• a dedicated line, to promptly assist customers
• a mobile operating base, in the case that natural events make local structures and agencies unusable.

Thanks to the involvement of several specialised partners, Generali Qui per Voi provides immediate renovation and repair services. The services differ in the event of damage to homes, businesses or cars and include house cleaning with the support of a network of craftsmen, the renovation of facilities and machinery, the securing of non-damaged material, the intervention of specialist repairers, a temporary shop for repaired or salvaged goods, and an advanced payment on damages due.

Fraud is an increasingly insidious phenomenon which impacts all sectors, including the insurance industry.

The Generali Group has launched a programme to combat fraud, focusing particular attention on claims, putting its trust in all the persons involved in damage compensation activities as well as an advanced process analysis system.

Thanks to this programme, in the last three years the Group has been able to identify twice as many instances of fraudulent behaviour.

Such behaviours may constitute:

• fraudulent events caused deliberately. Such incidents mainly occur in areas where there is lots of traffic where fraudsters deliberately cause collisions or what appear to be genuine accidents.
• reports of the theft of cars covered by insurance policies that come from the “black market”, with the goal of making financial gains. Combating this type of fraud also contributes to improving international safety, preventing organised criminal activities such as money laundering, terrorism and so on.

Our anti-fraud programme actively involves the claims community through:

• responsible and technically advanced credit management
• the creation of special investigation units and the development of processes for the prevention and mitigation of insurance fraud
• training on fraud for all employees
• relations with other stakeholders on the market to share knowledge on insurance fraud