Uelzener is a pet-focused insurance company, offering comprehensive coverage for pet health needs. Renowned for understanding the deep bond between pets and owners, they provide reliable insurance solutions, ensuring peace of mind for pet owners in managing veterinary care.
Uelzener processed 65% of their claims with zero touches
In only 8 weeks, Uelzener's claims processing team went from manual to touch-less processing.
"DeepOpinion's zero-touch processing is unbelievable—it's four times more efficient than anything else we've seen!"
Uelzener, a leader in pet insurance, reimagined claims processing, achieving a groundbreaking 70% touch-less processing in just six months. This journey not only liberated their overwhelmed team from the monotony of manual work, fostering a vibrant workplace culture, but also enhanced customer satisfaction, marking a new era of personalized service.
Long Hours and Endless Claims
In the intricate world of pet insurance, Uelzener was committed to delivering prompt and precise service, especially during the stressful times when a pet owner files a claim. Despite their commitment, they encountered several challenges that hindered their efficiency and accuracy.
Uelzener initially adopted what was considered cutting-edge OCR technology, aimed at automating and enhancing their claims processing. Unfortunately, this technology struggled to handle the unique complexities of veterinary documents, leading to inaccuracies that required frequent manual corrections. This not only slowed down the processing time but also failed to meet their high standards for accuracy.
The situation became more pressing after a five-month trial with another automation solution that did not perform as expected. Despite training on over 1,500 invoice data sets, the results were underwhelming with significant accuracy issues, and the anticipated efficiency gains were not realized.
These technological setbacks had a ripple effect across the company. Employees faced increased workloads from correcting errors, which detracted from their ability to engage in more valuable activities. Moreover, these inefficiencies led to delays in claim processing, which directly impacted customer satisfaction—something Uelzener found unacceptable.
Standing at a critical crossroads, Uelzener knew that finding an effective automation solution was imperative to lead in their market, not just for enhancing operational efficiency but also for upholding the trust and satisfaction of their customers and ensuring the well-being of their team. This need led them to reconsider their approach to automation and search for a technology that could truly understand and adapt to the nuances of pet insurance claims.
Uelzener's Journey to Touchless Pet Insurance Claims Processing
After a meticulous search for a solution that could meet their specific needs, they discovered DeepOpinion. This platform promised not just to automate but to transform how they processed claims.
DeepOpinion differentiated itself right from the start by promising a substantial improvement in Straight-Through Processing (STP) rates. Unlike traditional solutions that often stagnated at about 5 to 10% STP, leading to high manual processing costs, DeepOpinion communicated STP rates of up to 80-95%. This was a game-changer for Uelzener. By drastically reducing manual efforts, the platform not only cut operational costs but also increased the overall efficiency of the claims process. This meant that claims could be processed faster and with fewer errors, significantly enhancing customer satisfaction—a critical metric in the insurance industry.
Moreover, the platform’s auto-transformers played a critical role in optimizing the selection of Large Language Models (LLMs) and data pipelines. This automation of what was traditionally a manual and error-prone selection process ensured that Uelzener's claims handling was always powered by the most efficient tools available, without any need for manual intervention.
DeepOpinion also addressed the challenge of balancing automation with necessary human oversight through its fine-grained field-level confidence scores and Human-in-the-Loop (HITL) mechanisms. Uelzener could set specific confidence thresholds at the data point level, which helped in deciding when a claim should be escalated for human review. This feature ensured that while the automation handled the bulk of the workload, the quality and compliance were never compromised, thereby maintaining the integrity of their customer service.
The integration of these features into a single, cohesive platform eliminated the need for multiple tools and extensive coding. DeepOpinion’s low-code/no-code interface facilitated a swift deployment and allowed Uelzener to quickly adapt to the new system without significant downtime or resource allocation.
By choosing DeepOpinion, Uelzener didn’t just find a new software; they discovered a strategic ally in their quest to redefine pet insurance claims processing. The platform’s unique combination of high STP rates, collaborative AI agents, optimized model selection, and integrated capabilities delivered a comprehensive solution that met Uelzener's needs and exceeded their expectations.
Reimagining Pet Insurance With Agentic AI
The integration of DeepOpinion into Uelzener’s claims processing workflow marked a significant turning point for the company. With the platform's robust capabilities, Uelzener experienced transformative changes that redefined their operational processes and significantly improved their service delivery.
One of the most immediate impacts was the dramatic increase in the efficiency of processing claims. The majority of claims were now being handled entirely by the platform without the need for human intervention. This automation led to a processing rate that approached 65%, with aspirations to reach even higher efficiencies. Such an improvement meant that claims could be resolved faster than ever, dramatically reducing wait times for pet owners and enhancing their overall customer experience. This was not just a win for the company's operational metrics but a substantial relief for pet owners during often stressful times.
Employees at Uelzener also felt a significant shift in their daily work. Freed from the repetitive tasks of data entry and error corrections, they could now focus on more complex, value-adding activities. This not only improved job satisfaction but also allowed for better use of human resources, where expertise could be directed towards improving service offerings and enhancing customer relationships. The sentiment among the team improved, shifting from skepticism about AI to enthusiasm for the possibilities it opened up. This change in perspective was crucial as it fostered an environment of innovation and acceptance of new technologies.
Furthermore, the financial health of Uelzener saw notable benefits. The reduction in manual processing and the increase in automation directly correlated with lowered operational costs. These savings were not trivial; they were instrumental in allowing the company to reinvest in other areas of the business, including customer service enhancements and product innovation.
The fruit of this integration was succinctly captured by Karsten Vogel, Uelzener’s Head of Corporate Development, who noted, "Currently, in the first step of the process we have automated, the dark processing rate is now at nearly 65%. We believe that 70, 75, to 80% is quite achievable," highlighting the successful integration and the potential for further improvements. This optimism is shared across the company as they look forward to expanding the use of AI in other areas of their operations, driven by the substantial gains already achieved.
Overall, the impact of this collaboration has been profound, bringing about efficiency gains, cost reductions, improved employee morale, and enhanced customer satisfaction—all of which underscore the transformative power of the right technological solution in the right hands.
Uelzener's Vision for AI-Driven Insurance Excellence
Looking ahead, Uelzener is excited about the opportunities that lie in the continued collaboration with DeepOpinion. The success achieved in automating the initial stages of the claims process has not only boosted confidence within the company but also sparked ideas for broader applications of AI technology across their operations.
Uelzener's immediate plan is to expand the scope of automation to further stages of the claims handling process. They aim to introduce DeepOpinion’s capabilities to more complex and nuanced areas of claim verification and customer service interactions. By doing so, they expect to achieve even higher dark processing rates, potentially reaching 70 to 80% in the near future. This would represent a significant milestone, dramatically reducing the need for manual intervention and allowing even faster processing times.
But the ambitions don’t stop at increasing efficiency. Uelzener is also focused on enhancing the quality of interactions with customers. They envision a system where routine inquiries and updates are managed seamlessly by AI agents, freeing up their staff to handle more complex customer needs with greater attention and care. This shift is expected to not only improve customer satisfaction but also enhance the work experience for their employees, who can engage in more meaningful and satisfying tasks.
In addition to improving processes, Uelzener is exploring the potential for AI to provide predictive insights into customer needs and claim patterns. This forward-looking approach could redefine how they design their insurance products and services, making them more tailored to the specific needs and risks of pet owners. The ability to anticipate and respond to trends more swiftly could set Uelzener apart as a leader in innovation within the pet insurance industry.
As Uelzener continues to harness the power of Agentic AI, they remain committed to their mission of providing exceptional pet insurance services. The journey with AI is just beginning, and the potential to revolutionize not just their operations but the industry as a whole is immense. "We are very confident that with DeepOpinion, we can secure and maintain this technological advantage and leverage it regardless of how quickly the AI world continues to evolve." Karsten Vogel highlights how with DeepOpinion at their side, Uelzener is poised to continue leading the way in applying cutting-edge technology to meet the evolving needs of pet owners and their beloved pets.