Unreliable partners lead to lots & lots of frustration

Nothing is more frustrating when developing software when your development partner does not meet expectations, runs up the budget and is poor in communicating with you. This was the unfortunate situation RepairConcepts GmbH found themselves in 2017. You can read more on why companies struggle to find a good partner in our blog.

But coming back to RepairConcepts GmbH – they were in a difficult situation and needed a solid partner who could help finish the Claim Registration Solutions project whilst keeping everything within budget and within the timeline. By the time Yameo was introduced the project had already missed its initial deadline – so it was up to us to ensure RepairConcepts GmbH did not miss their new planned deadline. Game on!

First things first: Getting to know each other and especially the project: Claim Registration Solutions

We did not have time to waste and so we scheduled a meeting between RepairConcepts’ Project Managers and our dedicated team.

2 Day Workshop

We held a 2 day workshop to finalise the features and requirements and identify the challenges we could see. We discussed openly these challenges and presented a detailed development plan, including budget indications. After 2 days of workshop we had agreed on the scope, requirements, budget and timeline and were ready to go! It was really one of the fastest introductions we had and go-ahead to start development of their offline photo claims registration solution.

The Necessary Requirements

Everything was clear, starting from a detailed guideline for end-users to collect and input relevant claim information, including pictures. The customer journey flow and experience were key here as we know that any poor CX means the solution won’t be accepted by the end-users. To ensure this worked we put a dedicated team of UX and UI designers on the project and tested the different versions with RepairConcepts. Their input and feedback was invaluable as they know they customers best. After a few versions we agreed we had identified the best user interface for end-customers. And so we tested it live!

The results were good and initial users found it easy to use and get the job done of registering claims and uploading relevant information like pictures. We moved on!

After the initial claim registration was working accordingly, the next step was getting this data seamlessly into the claims processing system already used by RepairConcepts. This step could have been tricky had it not been for our fantastic developers who already had experience with such systems having worked on projects for other insurance companies in the region.

Portals, automation and escalation

RepairConcepts would manage the whole process and required a portal. We recommended a web portal (a break with their previous vendor) because we understand that this way employees don’t need to download software beforehand, and importantly can work from any device or location (even from home) – expanding their flexibility and making the solution easier to manage.

To better manage customer expectations we suggested an automated messaging component which would inform end-customers on the status of their claim as it passed through the registration and processing systems.

“Security!”

Vital was security of data, and so we proposed a number of options to RepairConcepts. They could host the data, we could host the data or do hybrid version. Eventually they would choose to host the data from the claims and we would host the solution. Of course everything in line with GDPR and ISO27001 compliancy.

Final touches for a truly customised Claim Registration Solutions

In a matter of 4 months we had gone from meeting RepairConcepts to delivering a working and secure solid software solution. We just needed to do some final touches like branding and custom messages, as well as adding grammatically correct German language into the solution. These final touches were tested and we were ready to launch!

When you are Number 1, you need to continually improve to stay there!

Ergo Hestia is one of the largest insurers in Poland and so to maintain this position they are constantly strive to stay ahead of the competition by innovating processes and focusing on Service Digitalisation. This last part is most true when it comes to how we first got introduced to Ergo Hestia.

Previous video vendor couldn’t deliver

In our first meeting we understood Ergo Hestia had already taken a video solution to perform remote inspections and appraisals. However, this solution was not meeting their expectation. This in turn impacted the customer experience as customers often could not connect, the connection was unstable and they would have to reschedule. All in all it became a hassle for both company and customer.

Video In Person

Luckily at this time Yameo had developed her own video platform called Video In Person, you can discover more here. This Service Digitalisation solution was already working for numerous insurers such as DEKRA, R+V Versicherung and Deutsche Schaden Service GmbH. We demonstrated our solution, opened a testing environment and a few weeks later had gotten the all clear to implement our solution at Ergo Hestia in Poland.

When you are Number 1, you need to have the best!

We understand dealing with big insurers who are at the top of their market and that they need to have the best solution, the best back-end options and the best team available. This is the case for Ergo Hestia where our solution performed remarkably to exceed their expectations, we developed various back-end options for them to choose from and we put our great team in place to deal with their requests, issues and discuss ideas.

When your Service Digitalisation Partner understands your industry – its so much easier!

We have continued our role in ideation and become a Service Digitalisation partner for Ergo Hestia, developing various solutions to help digitalise and offer convenient customer experiences. Learn more on how we help design solutions for our customers.

Understanding industry requirements

We have worked in the insurtech market for quite a while, so when we are researching studies and industry trends and see the following, we know its importance:

• 66% of insurance customers are only interested in quick service
• 78% of insurance customers use their mobile device to handle insurance requests
• 55% of insurance customers would be willing to switch to a competitor after one bad experience

This information forms the basis for the work and ideas we pitch to Ergo Hestia (and our other insurance customers), these include components such as WebRTC-enabled technology so end-users don’t need to download any prior software. Or enabling solutions work on all devices and browsers to maximise its benefit. GDPR and ISO27001 compliancy surrounding data handling is key for companies like Ergo Hestia to know they don’t need to worry about this.

When you are a market leader like AON – you are constantly under attack from competitors who want to take your top spot. To remain on top you need to be bold, innovative and build solid solutions. That was the case in 2013 when AON approached us to help them define and build their Insurance Online Platform, or IOP.

While the eventual outcome is a solid software solution for a top leader in the Dutch insurance market – the effort behind the scenes are maybe more interesting. The architecture was an interesting challenge (great job of our .NET team), but there were a few more obstacles along the way. That is why we are so proud that Yameo was invited to help such a top leader with this challenging and innovative project.

AON’s Recognition of the Market

As one of the largest insurance brokers in the Netherlands – AON needed a web platform able to handle hundreds of thousands of insurance requests whilst offering seamless and reliable service to their customers. The insurance market being one of the most competitive environments to operate in – AON recognised they needed a top solution. Considering that a study at the time revealed:

• 58% of customers use mobile devices to handle their insurance requests, up from 42% the year before
• 66% of customers are only interested in quick service
• 75% of competitors had stated modernisation & innovation was a top priority for that year

AON’s Challenges

A large enterprise as AON has an abundance of skills and expertise, including a large IT department. However, where they needed support was in defining their idea into a definitive solution.

• Connect with multiple suppliers
• Authenticate the user using National ID Verification Platform – DigiD
• Create an advanced business rules engine
• Enable policy price calculation for end customers
• Be easy to use and be accessible on all devices

The Goal was set, the path to get there was clear

AON set a clear goal: design a solid web platform able to handle claims requests from customers whilst also allowing an interactive and real-time experience to calculating, comparing and choosing insurance packages. The target: satisfy a growing tech savvy customer base with a convenient insurance web platform.

Major requirements of the project

Integrate with AON’s Oracle Backend

To get the best value we proposed an integration with their current backend, saving them costs and maximising the value of their current IT infrastructure.

Develop an Advanced business rules engine

With business rule engines based on the legal requirements, company policies and multiple sources this is where we excelled. Having done previous projects with Dutch insurers we were well rehearsed with Dutch and EU regulations which strongly influenced the design and approach to developing an advanced business rules engine.

Create a PDF document creation & processing functionality

Via Agile methodology we built, tested and demonstrated the functionality to AON’s team of Project Managers.

Integrate with National Identification Platform – DigiD

We know this is a key component of the project and so we used our Dutch resources to work with the Dutch national identification platform to successfully integrate with the IOP solution.

Insurance price calculation Feature

A key feature for successful user experiences was the price calculator. Therefore we recommended to build and test the feature with real-world persons for relevant feedback.

Policy and declaration view

A clear user interface was important here – we developed with our in-house UX/UI developers a modern and reactive interface.

Call Centre application with Direct Access to customer’s account

Another big hurdle was the Call Centre Application with Direct Access. This job of the project required close communication and teamwork with AON’s team and together we made a successful solution with Direct Access in place.

“This project really demanded a deep look into the customers ideal journey as well as AON’s internal systems. It was fascinating analysing how to combine both elements. Only then did we start with actual development – with an end result of a truly Custom Insurance Platform”

Jakub Czechowski, Project Manager Yameo

If you want to revolutionize your market, you need to constantly analyze what you do, think about new improvements, and turn them into reality. DEKRA did exactly that in 2014 and they are still doing that today. They imagined a modern solution that would allow them to inspect damages remotely, process more claims faster, and be easy to use for both their agents and end-customers. What they recognised is that they needed to find a partner who would help them develop this idea into a project plan and eventually into a reality. The reality was called DEKRA i2i Remote Inspection.

But let’s start from the beginning.

And in the beginning, there were… ideas, lots of ideas!

In our first meeting in 2014 we sat down and listened to the ideas that DEKRA had for their business. It was clear they wanted to stand-out from the crowd with an innovative and first of its kind remote claims & inspection tool. A solution that was both easy to use and full of functionalities to support multiple use cases. A solution that was solid yet scalable. A branded experience for their end customers whilst enabling white-label options for DEKRA partners and sister companies. And the list went on!

However, one first requirement was clear. End customers needed to easily use the end solution. That’s why the solution had to be easy to use and supported on all devices. On top of that, the solution was intended to report and inspect damages – something that their customers obviously don’t do daily. That being the case, they didn’t want their customers to download any apps (why download something, if you’re only going to use it once). This meant we had our first project requirement –  the solution had to be WebRTC enabled and work on any device that connects to the Internet.

Identifying core functionalities

Through good conversation we identified with DEKRA that the following functionalities needed to be a part of the solution.

• Show geo-localisation of participants
• Take HQ Pictures
• Have a Video Recording Function
• Annotate on screen
• Be built on REST API for integration purposes
• Be flexible to add new features in the future

What DEKRA wanted to achieve with DEKRA i2i Remote Inspection?

We also understood that in order to build a solid software solution we needed to analyse and dissect the use cases they wanted to achieve. During our workshop we learnt a lot about their business cases, current processes and identified areas where the software solution could offer high-value gains. These included:

• • Loss Adjustment
  • Remote Claims
  • Remote Inspections
  • Damage appraisals
  • Remote certification
  • Remote auditing

We know what the goal is. But what about the challenges of remote inspections?

As with any good partner after understanding their goals and identifying the core functionalities, we deep-dived into what are the challenges from both a technical and business perspective. There were numerous challenges to overcome. Starting with:

• Ideation: DEKRA needed a partner which could help turn their idea (and future ideas) into solid project plans.
• Video Engine: Research what’s the best, secure, reliable and high-quality video engine.
• Compliancy: Solution had to be compliant with mobile devices from different vendors
• WebRTC: We don’t want to create a mobile app. We need to create a WebRTC tool, that would be supported on all the devices without the need to download.
• Easy to use: Make the tool simple for the customer and DEKRA agents, so that they have no problem with using it.
• Multi-lingual: Since the vision is to expand the solution across the globe we needed to have the option to easily add new languages as well as start off the base solution with English, German, Dutch and French.
• 24/7 Global Support: The goal is for DEKRA to offer this solution to all departments in all countries – this includes a good support system.
• Global Deployment of resources to minimise latency & meet local requirements
• Centrally managed by DEKRA Service Division: DEKRA Service Division wanted to maintain control and manage the solution internally, this meant we recommended a structure by which they could monitor real-time the usage, users as well as have monthly meetings with Yameo to discuss any issues, new changes and for us to suggest possible new features & functionalities.
• Real-time monitoring of usage and quality: A real-time dashboard to monitor usage, users and to ensure quality throughout.
• Solution architecture to support continual development: With DEKRA looking towards the near and long-term future they made clear that continual development and new features would be a key of their solution. This would be a stark contrast to off-the-shelf video inspection solutions where you aren’t in control of the development.
• REST API: Using REST API’s we would offer integrations with DEKRA systems.
• Secure Storage Options: Offering various storage options so that despite the solution being used in multiple countries, each entity can store data according to the national regulations of their country.
• Branding & Custom Notifications: Extensive branding for end-customers so they know they are dealing with DEKRA.