Speeding auto claims
A company that specializes in extended service contract programs for automobiles is improving service by cutting its claims processing time. The Protective Group has automated its data capture system, which involves processing the more than 20,000 pages of documents it receives each month for auto repair claims. The new information capture platform is expected to cut processing time by 75%.
"By automating the data capture process," says Ikram Bokhari, Protective's IT director, "the technology enabled Protective to reach its ultimate goal of reducing the amount of resources applied to non-valued-added processes and lowering the cost of administering a contract. The system enabled us to more effectively scan contracts, extract relevant data electronically and create a record in the administration system. Customer service representatives are now able to access the system at any time to process claims, which enables them to facilitate quick turnaround on payment to the vehicle service provider.
"The benefits for customers are that the company can offer a lower cost of administering a contract and faster processing and payment of claims. These factors are the main performance indicators for which all companies are measured in the vehicle service contract industry."
Protective chose Kofax's Ascent Capture information capture platform and Adrenaline scanner controllers to cut its processing time. Prior to the implementation, Protective customers mailed or faxed repair documentation to the company for reimbursement, which resulted in considerable paperwork and manual input. The manual process required extensive document control to ensure that none of the paperwork was lost or attached to the wrong claim. Processing errors delayed payment to dealers and repair shops.
With the help of Twinstar, a Kofax-certified solutions provider, Protective developed a document imaging and management system based on Ascent Capture and a custom application called Twinstar Image Import. The system automatically imports incoming faxes into Ascent Capture, which then delivers the indexed and verified faxes into an IBM Content Manager repository for quick retrieval and processing via Protective's integrated claims workflow application.