Applied beds in its Google tech

It’s been half a year since Applied Systems announced it had received a nine-figure investment from Google. Since then, the software house has been busy consummating the relationship, working with the tech giant in three main areas: machine learning, artificial intelligence and cloud technology.

Chief executive Reid French told Insurance Times that Google is already providing Applied Systems with advice and expertise to enable new product enhancements, such as a chat bot in Applied MobileInsured.

The chat bot, demoed at Applied Net (annual conference for insurance professionals who use Applied Systems’ software) in Autumn last year, enables insureds to begin a claim using voice-to-text technology from their mobile phone

The company is also using the Google relationship for expertise in other areas, such as search and digital marketing, French added.

Applied is also in ongoing discussions with Google on how to bring more technology into its broker management systems with the aim of bringing improvements to its UK users. French said it hopes to automate daily operations and more quickly identify growth opportunities.

“An example of this would be how machine learning can enable workflow enhancements that would result in fewer clicks and less data entry. We also believe that artificial intelligence can offer better account rounding recommendations within the system so that brokers can more effectively grow their business with current customers.

“We are always looking for ways to enable brokers to do their jobs in less time, so the more automated we can make their workflows, the better.”

Pain points

When it invested in Applied, Google asked the company how a broker management system was used, and what the pain points were. In response, Applied identified ease of use as being one of the most important factors. Automation was also highlighted as a priority, to ensure more time is freed up for brokers.

“We are working with Google to explore how we can learn from the technologies they know best such as search, geo-mapping and email filtering, among others,” French said. He added that these technologies would enable brokers to further automate their businesses and save time on administrative tasks so they can have more time for selling and servicing their customers.

Etrading

When it comes to Etrading, it is often debated that progress is slowed down by the fact that many brokers are still either using insurer extranets or a broker management system. French’s view is that as brokers are mainly using their management systems in their daily workflows, having to leave their systems to visit multiple insurer extranets costs time for the broker.

It also means they must learn each insurer extranet that they work with, as the workflows and data entry are all different. “Integrating Etrading directly within the management system streamlines the process and creates efficiency by quoting and binding all within a single application, eliminating the need to switch in and out of multiple applications,” he explained.

Asked how Applied ensures a high standard of ease of navigation and trading throughout its broker management system, French replied: “We ensure trading and navigation ease through seamless integration of Personal Lines and Commercial Lines trading into Applied Epic and Applied TAM.” He said that both management systems use automated workflows that are aimed at reducing the re-keying of customer information, creating easily viewable documentation for auditing purposes. “Brokers also eliminate the time spent managing separate, disparate systems and gain a single view of their business.”