Insurance Times Awards 2022: Horwich Farrelly’s Holly technology ‘is the result of collaborative working at its very best’

Explain your entry in the Excellence in Technology - Service Provider category.

We entered our Holly technology for this category because not only has it solved a problem faced by insurers, it is also continuously being improved based on our insurer clients’ feedback.

When a claim is submitted through the Official Injury Claim (OIC) portal, there are circumstances where insurers must obtain a signed statement from their insured driver - for example, if they want to dispute liability or raise causation arguments.

The normal cost for an enquiry agent to obtain this evidence is around £150 to £250. If claims handlers carry out the task manually, it could add up to an hour of handling time to each claim.

Holly enables witnesses to provide their statement electronically, while also still meeting all the legal requirements for it to be used in the OIC process.

Using text messages, email and chatbot technology, this online process allows claimants to complete their statement at a time that suits them for a fraction of the cost.

We simply listened to our clients. They explained the problem and we worked with them to create a technology solution that benefited them and made the process easier and more convenient for their policyholders.

What do you think makes your entry stand out or different from your competition?

To even be shortlisted in these prestigious awards is a huge achievement.

Our entry particularly stands out for the way we encouraged feedback throughout the process, creating a solution that can be quickly and iteratively improved.

That can be a scary approach, but it enabled us to launch Holly immediately, improving the solution over time so that it works for everyone using it - policyholders and insurers.

What would winning this award mean to you and your firm?

If we were lucky enough to win, it would be a massive achievement for the entire team.

Holly really is the result of collaborative working at its very best and an award like this would reflect the hard work and dedication from everyone involved.