MAPFRE reduces response times to client communications by using Artificial Intelligence

When clients process a claim through their insurance company, they want fast and effective communication. However, in most cases, their email messages do not follow a set pattern. This complicates the process because, for example, the format, description or names of the attached files can vary, which means a certain amount of management effort is required to determine which case file they are related to and correctly categorize the documents.

A multidisciplinary team of professionals from MAPFRE ESPAÑA—from the Operations, Technology and Innovation areas—therefore sought to offload the complexity of this task to technology. They developed a tool whereby a system uses artificial intelligence (AI) to automate many of these tasks. By applying machine learning techniques for categorizing and cataloging files and neuro-linguistic programming for processing text and searching for references, they streamlined processes such as identifying the case file number, cataloguing attachments received by type and extracting relevant information. These new techniques have been linked to other AI techniques that MAPFRE has been working on for years, such as Robotic Process Automation (RPA).

A pilot for the project was run in one of the company’s incident mailboxes for automobile claims that receives over 500,000 emails per year with around 700,000 attachments. This innovative tool slashed the average time per operation by 65 percent, reducing the response time for these messages from an average of 2–3 days to just 1 minute and 38 seconds — with a success rate above 90 percent in all cases.

For Mercedes Fernández Escribano, an automation expert and the project’s Supervisor, “the improvement in the client experience is notable, as we can now respond in a more agile and straightforward way, with more personalized and proactive communications. Likewise, with this innovative tool, we will improve our employees’ digital experience, helping them perform their day-to-day tasks.”

This project, within the framework of the MAPFRE Open Innovation platform, represents a major milestone for innovation at MAPFRE, both because of its scalability to other general queries mailboxes and to other Operations business lines, and because of its possible application in other areas of MAPFRE ESPAÑA or in other countries or business units within the Group.

The insur_space program is part of MAPFRE Open Innovation, the company’s strategic commitment to drive client-centric transformation through partnerships and by using emerging technologies that have a positive impact on business and society. Led by the Group Chief Innovation Officer, José Antonio Arias, MAPFRE Open Innovation is a global model with teams in various companies and countries where the Group has a presence. All MAPFRE Open Innovation initiatives operate under a single indicator: how many clients benefit from our innovations.

 

MAPFRE is a global insurance company with a worldwide presence. A leading company on the Spanish market, it is the largest Spanish insurer in the world, the third largest insurance group in Latin America, and it is in sixth position in terms of Non-Life ranking in Europe by premium volume. MAPFRE has over 34,000 employees. In 2019, it had revenue of nearly 28.5 billion euros and a net profit totaling 609 million euros.