“A lot of things are evolution. Not revolution.” – Tim Bruffey

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People used to think of adjusting as an art.

That there was a touch to inspecting damage, writing scope notes, and sending it off to the insurance company. But about five years ago, the insurance industry started to see the opportunity for machines to assist in the process.

Now, we live in an age where drones and robots are able to compute the cost. This shift is the impetus for much of the discussion around insuretech.

That’s why on today’s episode of FNO: InsureTech, we are joined by Tim Bruffey—the Vice President of Innovation at Accurence. The Accurence Smart Automated Guideline Engine (S.A.G.E.™) automates key adjusting components including: inspection, claim documentation, scoping, estimating, and auditing across multiple perils.

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“In 2019, the chance for a weak to moderate El Niño is definitely on the table.” – Dr. Philip Klotzbach

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Sandy, Katrina, Dennis—these are the names of catastrophic storms that devastated millions of people and left billions of dollars in damages.

Hurricanes are sure to happen, but how can our increasing knowledge and advancing technologies help us better predict their behaviors?

On today’s episode of FNO: InsureTech—we are joined by Dr. Philip Klotzbach to discuss all things related to hurricanes.  Phil Klotzbach is a Research Scientist in the Department of Atmospheric Science at Colorado State University, and among many achievements—he developed the two-week forecasts currently being issued during the peak months of the hurricane season between August-October. He has published over two dozen articles in peer-reviewed journals such as Journal of Climate and Weather and Forecasting.

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On today’s episode of FNO: InsureTech—we are discussing the upcoming PLRB conference. Seated are Matt D. Fatheree, Rob Beller, Lee Boyd, and Janine Davis. Tune in to this episode to get the inside scoop for the upcoming event!

PLRB, Claims Conference & Insurance Services Expo is being held this year in Indianapolis from March 31 – April 3, 2019.

For more information about PLRB, visit:  plrbclaimsconference.org

If you have any questions—you can reach Janine Davis at janine@470claims.com

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“It’s more likely that a homeowner will have to file a claim for water damage than fire and theft combined.” – Gabriel Halimi

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A whole economy exists after the claim has been made.

From adjusters to call centers, carriers to providers—this ecosystem of service and transaction defines the insurance claims space.

But what happens when technologies get introduced that lessen the chance for a claim ever needing to be made?

On today’s episode of the FNO: InsureTech, we are joined by CEO and Co-founder of Flo Technologies—Gabriel Halimi. Flo is a first of its kind water control and monitoring service that proactively detects microleaks and other vulnerabilities anywhere in a home water system (thus, reducing the need for claims.) Gabriel’s father, Henry Halimi, invented the technology—with his 25 years as a fluid mechanics engineer, plumbing manufacturer, and inventor.

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“The industry is realizing that it’s not just about using technology. It’s that technology is changing the fundamentals of risk.” – Ali Safavi

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Technology is inescapable.

With Alexa ordering our toilet paper, Nest changing our home’s temperature, and smartphones controlling every other part of our lives—we’ve become walking cyborgs.

And in insurance, the story is no different. With each day comes a new technology challenging the archaic systems of yesterday.

That’s why on today’s episode of FNO: InsureTech, we are joined by Ali Safavi to discuss the intersection of technology and insurance. Ali Safavi is the Global Head of Insuretech at Plug and Play. Ali is also a Partner in Plug and Play Ventures, our venture arm, where he invests in startups in different spaces including insurance, travel and hospitality, and IoT. Ali has published numerous articles on data analytics, machine learning, and insurance, as well as holds an M.Sc. in Computer Engineering

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“Better beats perfect.” – David Williams

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Disasters happen.

And when that time of crisis hits, all touchpoints of the insurance chain of command are notified. But is this communication seamless? Or, are some notches in the workflow bottlenecking the progress to the next?

On today’s episode of FNO: InsureTech, we are joined by David Williams to discuss the intersection of technology and insurance claims. David is the Chief Claims Officer at the Texas Windstorm Insurance Association, and in this conversation—he shares his unique lens on the claims space.

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“We always want the risk. We just have to put a price on it.” – John Langowski

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Most people think paperwork when they hear the word ‘insurance.’

From filling out applications to filing claims, it seems that every touchpoint of the insurance-based customer journey is filled with paper and pen, PDFs to fill out, and signatures to sign.

But the insuretech companies of today are shifting this idea.

On today’s episode of FNO: InsureTech, we are joined by John Langowski—the Chief Claims Officer and EVP of Swyfft. Swyfft is disrupting the homeowners insurance industry by using big data and analytics to make buying insurance as easy as typing in your address.

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“When an insurer sends claim information to us—we’re the clearing house, the stewards of their data.” – Mike Fulton

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Self-driving cars are scary.

Are we really going to hand over our fate to algorithms and microchips? Whether we know it or not—we already are are, with technologies like lane assist, self-parking, auto-braking. These  micro-versions of the greater technology warm us up to the idea, so that when it is introduced to the market—we embrace it fully.

And the insurance industry is doing the same right now with claims and automation.

That’s why on today’s episode of FNO: InsureTech, we are joined by Mike Fulton to discuss this future. Mike is president of Xactware Solutions. He oversees Xactware’s integrated solutions for estimating, managing, and analyzing property claims as well as products for professionals involved in the repair and maintenance of bank-owned property and real estate sales.

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“Our view is that being a professional drone pilot is a new class of skilled labor.” – Dan Burton

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Drones are all the buzz.

We hear about Amazon now delivering packages via drone flight and our neighbor getting the newest drone for Christmas—but what do these mini-UFOs mean for the world of insurance?

In claims, the need for drones is robust—in mines, surveying water damage, calculating the dimensions of a construction site.  These are just some of the examples where drone technology can be beneficial to insurance claims.

But it turns out that the equation for success is more complex than just filling these needs. A drone company must capture the data and analyze it in a way that the carrier can do something with.

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“There’s been tremendous growth in the number and complexity of cyber attacks that take place.” – Gary Sullivan

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We’re all living physical and digital lives.

And for insurance, this means we must be covered in both worlds. For the physical, we have our traditional insurance models—property, life, car, etc. But now, with so much of our information inside computers and in the cloud, we must also seek out cyber insurance.

On today’s episode of FNO: InsureTech, we are joined by Gary Sullivan to discuss cyber insurance. Gary Sullivan is Assistant Professor of the F. W. Hirt Erie Insurance Risk Management Program at Mercyhurst University. Previously, he was the Vice President of Property & Subrogation Claims for Erie Insurance.

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