A lack of awareness or willingness to explore the benefits of drone technology in insurance could be holding back the development of the sector, according to new research.
A survey of nearly 100 insurers and brokers across the UK, conducted by Research in Insurance in Evolution of Claims in conjunction with Iprosurv, found that despite drone technology being identified as one of the top five pieces of technology insurance practitioners want to see used more, the majority of the market still doesn’t employ them.
When asked what kind of technology they would like to see used more in the industry, drones proved to be the fifth most popular behind automated claims processing, claims portals, greater use of videos and cameras, and the introduction of claims apps, out of a total of 20 choices.
Despite this appetite for adoption, of those surveyed, 60% of insurers and 89% of brokers said they weren’t currently using drones.
Lack Of Awareness
Nearly a third of insurers (32%) and 28% of brokers admitted that they just don’t understand the tech with 11% of insurers and 30% of brokers saying they don’t see a need.
However, it does seem that there is an appetite to use drones within organisations with 29% of insurers and 9% of brokers blaming a lack of appetite in the organisation for their absence. This is the highest (30%) among those working at a support level of the business.
However, when asked if they would use drones if they reduced the claims life cycle, not one insurer said that they wouldn’t use them with only 6% of brokers ruling the idea out.
Nearly half of insurers (46%) and 35% of brokers said they definitely would use them but again, there appears to be resistance to drones at certain levels in some organisations with 54% of respondents saying they didn’t have the influence to introduce them to their business.
Rebecca Jones CEO Iprosurv
“It’s remarkable that drones can be one of the most eagerly anticipated pieces of technology in insurance, yet the majority of organisations aren’t currently using them,” said Rebecca Jones, CEO and co-founder of Iprosurv, one of the UK’s leading drone services providers.
“We know from working with a growing number of insurers, brokers and loss adjusters over the last seven years that drones significantly reduce the amount of time it takes to assess a claim and do so at a fraction of the cost of traditional approaches.
“The industry is telling us that this is exactly what they want, and these services are available from a number of organisations across the country, yet the industry as a whole just doesn’t seem to be able to properly explore the opportunities presented.”
Drones played a key role in many organisations’ ability to manage claims at the height of the pandemic with loss adjusters and insurers using drones to conduct remote assessments while their people were confined to their homes.
And the benefits of that approach appear in the research with 40% of insurers and 33% of brokers reporting a positive impact of adjusters employing remote technology to manage claims.
Tech in the Pandemic
Conversely, adjusters not embracing remote technology during the pandemic appears to have had an impact on service levels with nearly half of insurers (47%) and brokers alike (49%) saying they had seen a negative impact from adjusters not being able to get out during lockdown.
“Over the last seven years, we have seen more and more insurers, adjusters and now brokers switch on to what drones can do for their businesses and their clients and it appears that these early adopters continue to enjoy a competitive advantage.
“It is clear from the research that the appetite for increased drone use is there – it’s up to us and the rest of the commercial drone sector to keep showcasing what drones can do until the majority of the market is employing them to transform the way we manage claims.”
About Iprosurv
Established in 2014, Iprosurv provides companies with the in-house capability of drone and data/media delivery services. Our CAMERA system and optimum drone operator platform provides bespoke services be that an on-demand, fully managed service to independent data/media delivery services.
Iprosurv is a pioneer in the provision of drone technology across a range of industries. Its current network of pilots, covering the entirety of the UK, use a proprietary system to record, store and deliver drone data to clients in a fast and secure way. From building surveys to flood response to assisting emergency services, Iprosurv continues to push the boundaries of how drones can be used in business.
