Implementation of new claims technology has the potential to improve the Property/Casualty industry's combined ratio by up to 7 points, resulting in an industry-wide increase of $25 billion in underwriting profitability.

Although claims is a core Property/Casualty (P/C) insurance function, it is a surprisingly low-profile part of most insurers’ organizations. Claims have a major impact on an insurer’s financial results as well as on its reputation with customers, intermediaries, and regulators. New technologies and business practices are giving P/C insurers the ability to reduce losses and loss adjustment expenses considerably. These innovations, and their impact on costs, are profiled in Celent's latest report, Property/Casualty Claims Technology Strategies.

"Improving the business process and technology environments for claims should be a high priority for P/C insurers," says senior analyst Donald Light, author of the report. "Doing claims right can have a significant impact on insurers' financial results and market positions - an impact which can match or exceed that of higher profile sales and service initiatives."

The report describes a best-practices approach to building a business case for claims initiatives. “This approach stands the traditional, and over-used, IT-centric process on its head,” says Light.

Celent estimates that, in 2004, claims initiatives will account for 17% of total P/C new project IT spending, or approximately US$600 million.

The report provides a way for insurers and technology vendors to analyze the impact of claims initiatives on the components of the loss ratio: frequency, severity, and loss adjustment expense. It also gives a comprehensive description of types of claims process and technology initiatives.

Celent describes three categories of claims technology enablers: core claims systems, "inner-ring components" (electronic content management, business process management, and business rules engines) and "outer-ring" tools (e.g., integration and contractor management tools). Examples of leading vendors in each category are given.

The report concludes with specific recommendations for insurers looking to implement a best-practices approach to claims technology strategy.