Mobile Imaging in Insurance - Time to adapt

Mobile image technology has the potential to transform internal business processes, particularly those that support sales and service. Just as significant as the positive impact that mobile imaging technology has on the customer experience, is what it can do for streamlining data capture. The possibilities for transforming insurers’ business processes are vast. It is a catalyst for innovation. Insurers can rethink their processes with the same creativity that they apply to customer interactions.


Insurers using mobile imaging think of a mobile camera as a replacement for a PC, telephone, scanner, and printer all in one – as a picture that can be used to communicate in a variety of mediums within a single transaction. Mobile imaging technology successfully bridges the gap between the physical and digital world.
As insurers consider the new power in starting with the data capture portion of business processes, rather than with the transaction, it is advisable to start with the images that are available in the customers’ world.

Following examples that can be leveraged as key data capture elements for insurance transactions.

Driver’s license images: Saves the insurer time and avoids error in data entry. Can provide efficiencies in sales, billing, and claims applications.

Forms: Provides a new way to capture and extract information from forms such as insurance declaration pages, insurance cards, and vehicle registration forms. Accelerates transaction processing.

License plate images and VIN numbers: Allows insurers to verify claims, and enables accurate customer identification, quotes, and inspections.
 Personal check images: Reduces the lag time associated with mailing payments and streamlines billing processes.
 Auto and home inventory: Enables the capture of information on home or business property contents to create inventories, support insurance to value initiatives, and improve damage estimation.

The above examples represent only a few of the images that the insurance industry is using or exploring now. The door is open for redefining the way that the business captures data.
An image of a driver’s license can simultaneously impact billing, claims, and sales departments. This technology simplifies the touch points and processes that are already in place by creating a standardized image and data capture for the work of multiple business units – paving the way for new synergies and shared efficiencies across business segments.

Meeting the Requirements for Flexibility and Agility
In recent years, there have been major advancements in mobile and the technologies that augment and surround mobile such as cloud computing, mobile application software, and imaging solutions. These advancements are paving the way for more sophisticated and flexible capabilities. Insurers need the following key capabilities:
Accuracy and speed – easy and fast capture of data with a high degree of accuracy in extracting data from images. Skewing and dewarp extractions are a must. Configurability and scalability – to adjust and adapt to changing insurers’ environments, both from a performance and scale perspective. SOA platform – easy plug and play and integration into insurers’ core systems with web service-type integration. Agnostic – operability/compatibility with any network and any mobile operating system, and support for any device. Security – protecting all insurer and insured data. Sound security policies are critical to adoption of mobile imaging solutions. Advanced security must be foundational to all business process enhancements. Without it, the risk to users will be too high. A security checklist for mobile imaging solutions should include:
1. Strong authentication utilizing phone-key and username/passwords
2. Ability to encrypt data and check images
3. Server controls for deleting images
4. Tight integration with insurers’ existing credentialing systems
5. Secure Socket Layer (SSL) over the air
6. SSL for all back-end web services
7. Super admin capabilities to set various user levels for access and security
8. Ability to restrict storage of data and images on smartphones

The preceding capabilities are essential for mobile imaging solution selection.
Feel free to contact me for more details.