Boy, oh, boy – how quickly times have changed.
This time last year, I’d be making my to-do list in preparation to spend a few days with my dear customers and friends at CommunityLIVE. This year, I’ll just be signing on from home – no travel to be prepared for. Granted, it’s nice to not always be on-the-run somewhere, but that’s what I was used to. Prior to the pandemic, I was always on-the-go and genuinely enjoyed my time on-site with clients. Like me, my smartphone and laptop were never busier – they kept me updated on flight information, mapped me to the right buildings and connected me to the right people, including car-ride conversations with my husband and grandkids while I was away.
To me, a smartphone and a laptop were the tools that kept me productive on both the work and home frontiers. Working completely remote, however, has taught me that these same technologies can also be quite the distraction. I have friends who obviously spend much more time on social media these days, always catching me up on so-and-so’s grandkids or this one’s wedding. Although I remain clueless about any TV drama, I’ve heard some raving reviews about daytime shows and streaming services that play off your phone. One friend even shared that she had spent most of last Tuesday getting a jump start on holiday shopping – how?!
Isn’t it ironic that the same technology that was developed to help us stay productive also has a double edge that quickly breaks our focus?
But, as a veteran of the tech industry, it’s my honor to report that you can have your technology and be productive too! You see, productivity is the innate goal of technology. If you’re able to get through your processes quicker, then you have more time for higher-level initiatives, like achieving business objectives and enjoying some leisurely time (although I’m not sure I’m prepared to start holiday shopping just yet).
This productivity cycle starts with ensuring you are equipped with an agile and secure business process framework. Take, for instance, smartphones – almost everyone has one, right? But are users also signing papers and uploading on-site photos into case files from it? I would surely hope so, since that functionality is so easily integrative and available. You see, building a productive business process doesn’t come from spending millions of dollars in fancy tech that no one understands how to use. It starts with being cognizant of the tools you’re already using and finding a trusted technology partner to point you in the direction of low-code integrations that expand said-technology’s use. Suddenly, with the support of an app, you’re signing off on claims, populating case files and uploading pictures from the same phone you’re going to call grandma from on the ride home – no extra pieces needed.
Yes, mobility is a beautiful thing, but you can stretch it even farther with some automation support. For example, you’re cheering at your kid’s soccer game when your phone buzzes with a notification that some papers need your autograph. You open the document in your eSigning app, follow the guideposts to stamp your pre-set signature as needed and click “submit.” And, just like that, you’re done. Using pre-determined automation rules, your digital workflow knows that, once you’ve signed those papers, the case file moves to the next step in the queue. So it moves it for you, notifying the next relevant party of their next steps – no need for you to email someone, seal an envelope or walk papers to someone’s desk with a five-minute explanation.
Not only does automation make you more efficient, it bumps your customer service up to 5 stars. Best yet, you don’t have to jump into digital workflows to realize the benefits of automation. You could start with some simple robotic process automation. As a matter of fact, my friend and ImageSoft CTO James has a monthly RPA blog series called “RPA Q&A with James” in which he provides short insights on innovative questions not found in typical run-of-the-mill blogs – here is his latest segment.
I’ve intentionally adorned this newsletter with resources on low-code capabilities that will make a significant difference in your day-to-day operations – especially in today’s increasingly remote and mobile world. My hope is only that you will just stay in-tune with the options available to you. If you ever have any questions, I’m only a phone call away.
Ask my friends – they know a little too well!
Toni
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Have you noticed many InsurTech conversations just keep spinning their wheels? We’re asking you for a jumpstart with this one-minute survey. Mapping your interests sets us on course for driving conversations off the beaten path and setting your insurance processes on the fast track to success.
I Used to Steal Pens – Now People Give Them to Me
I have a confession to make – I used to be a bit of a pen thief.
Not intentionally, of course, but my hands just always seemed to have a natural affinity for writing utensils. Filling out the guest book at weddings, signing receipts at the store, even jotting down a sticky note – I would finish whatever I was signing and absent-mindedly drop the pen in my purse. Once, I even tried walking away with the signing stylus at the grocery store – thank goodness it’s attached!
Claims Processing for Insurance – Part 2
In this second installment, we continue the discussion as to how the Business Process Framework can be used to analyze any business process to identify productivity gains through technology. For a complex process such as insurance claims, insurers can gain a lot from applying this Framework and bring the claims process under control.
Digital Transformation is Not a Happily Ever After – It’s a Happy Evolution.
“When considering the impact of digital transformation, it’s very common to focus on the outcome, or the ‘after.’ Because the ‘after’ is where you see the magic of transformation. The thing is, transformation is an evolution … it doesn’t have an end.”
As business leaders, you don’t think about the end of your run – your entire goal to is to keep your service alive and well, and to help as many people as possible for as long as possible. Why, then, do so many executives seek out “a vendor” to assist them with “a project” and think, once that one project is over – it’s really all over? Digital transformation is just what it claims to be – a transformation. This means that, as your business aspirations evolve, so do your processes, and so should your system.
The “SAIF Story” with CIO Ken Collins in Hyland’s recent blog, “Digital resilience, simplified: The importance of tech partnerships,” hits the ball out of the park in addressing three of today’s biggest data-driven challenges. The use-case example illustrates the importance, now more than ever, of establishing trusted, innovative technology partnerships with people who care about driving your business forward as much as you do.
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