Mobile Claims Management IT-Based Innovation in Motor Insurance DISSERTATION of the University of St.Gallen Graduate School of Business Administration, Economics, Law and Social Sciences (HSG) to obtain the title of Doctor Oeconomiae submitted by Oliver Baecker from Germany Approved on the application of Prof. Dr. Elgar Fleisch and Prof. Dr. Walter Ackermann Dissertation no. 3809 Harland Media, Lichtenberg 2011
Detailed Table of Contents I Introduction 1 1.1 Problem Statement 1 1.2 Objectives and Research Question 3 1.3 Research Process and Data Collection 3 1.3.1 Relation between Research Questions, Methods, and Results 4 1.3.2 Research Process 6 1.4 Scope of the Thesis 9 1.4.1 Different Perspectives on the Claims Management Value Chain 9 1.4.2 Context Factors 11 1.4.3 Target Audience 12 1.5 Structure of the Thesis 13 II Claims Management Fundamentals and Related Work 15 II. 1 Trends in Claims Management 15 II. 1.1 General Trends in the Insurance Industry 15 II. 1.2 Business Potential of the Industrialization of Claims Management 18 11.1.3 Strategy Perspective on Claims Management 19 II. 1.4 The Role of Claims Management Enterprise Systems 20 11.2 Claims Management Business Processes 22 11.2.1 Sub-Processes 'Report Claim' and 'Create First Notice of Loss' 23 11.2.2 Sub-Process 'Evaluate Claim' 25 11.2.3 Sub-Process 'Settle Claim' 26 11.2.4 Summary of Paint Points Addressable by Mobile Technology 27 11.3 Mobile Technology and Vehicle Telematics 28 11.4 Emergence of Mobile Claims Apgs 33 HI Mobile Claims Management Demonstrators 43 III. 1 Application Scenario 43
VIII 111.2 Solution Concept 44 111.2.1 Solution Concept for Smartphones 45 111.2.2 Solution Concept for Cars 52 111.2.3 Solution Concept for Claims Management Enterprise Systems 54 111.3 Technical Architecture 55 III.3.1 Unified Integration Architecture 56 IH.3.2 Smartphone Architecture 60 III.3.3 Car Architecture 61 111.4 Security and Privacy 66 IV Customer Perception of Mobile Claims Management 67 FV.l Exploratory Focus Groups and Customer Surveys 67 FV.2 User Study to Evaluate the 'Mobile Claims Assistant' Demonstrator 72 IV.2.1 Phases of the User Study 72 IV.2.2 Quasi-Experimental Design 77 IV.2.3 Questionnaire Results 80 IV.2.4 The Impact of the App Experience on Brand Perception and Trust 86 FV.2.5 Observations during the App Experience 89 IV.2.6 Interview Results 91 V Insurer Perspective on Mobile Claims Management 97 V.I Technology and Market Trends in Mobile Claims Management 98 V. 1.1 Technology Trends 98 V.I.2 Market Trends (Mobile Claims Apps) 99 V.1.3 Own Mobile Offering 100 V.2 Market Development and Distribution of Mobile Claims Apps 100 V.2.1 Distribution Challenges 101 V.2.2 Distribution Channels...f 101 V.2.3 Incentives to Foster the Distribution of Mobile Claims Apps 102
IX V.2.4 Segments beyond Motor Insurance 102 V.3 Mobile Strategy in Claims Management 103 V.3.1 Competitive Differentiation through Mobile Claims Apps 103 V.3.2 Impact of Mobile Claims Apps on Marketing and Cost Savings 104 V.4 Business Process Perspective on Mobile Claims Management 104 V.4.1 Areas of Cost Savings in Today's Claims Processes 105 V.4.2 Pain Points in Today's Claims Processes 106 V.5 Marketing Potential of Mobile Claims Management 106 V.5.1 Effectiveness of Mobile Claims Apps in Shaping Customer Relations... 106 V.5.2 The Role of Mobile Apps in the Marketing Mix of Insurers 107 VI Business Value of Mobile Claims Management 109 VI. 1 A Process-Oriented Business Value Model 109 VI.2 IT-Based Innovation of Claims Management Business Processes 112 VI.2.1 Sub-Process 'Mobile Loss Report' 113 VI.2.2 Sub-Process 'Claim Evaluation' 115 VI.2.3 Sub-Process 'Claim Settlement' 115 VI.2.4 Sub-Process 'Status Updates' 117 VI.2.5 Sub-Process 'Customer Feedback' 117 VI.3 IT Business Value Metrics 119 VI.4 The Business Case for Mobile Claims Management 123 VI.4.1 Investment Costs 124 VI.4.2 Operating Costs 125 VI.4.3 Increased Incurred Premiums 125 VI.4.4 Decreased Incurred Losses and Loss Adjustment Expenses 127 VI.4.5 Business Case Calculator 128 ii VI.4.6 Exemplary Business Case Calculation 132 VII Conclusions and Outlook 137
X VII. 1 Key Findings 137 VII.2 Theoretical Contributions 142 VII.3 Practical Implications and Recommendations 143 VII.3.1 Business Process Perspective 143 VII.3.2 Technology Perspective 144 VII.3.3 Customer Perspective 145 VII.3.4 Business Value Perspective 146 VII.4 Limitations and Future Research 147 Appendix A Questionnaires and Interview Guidelines (User Study) 151 A.I. Opening Interview 151. A.2. Ex Ante Questionnaire 152 A.3. Post-Test Interview 153 A.4. Ex Post Questionnaire 154 A.5. Concluding Interview 160 Appendix B Research Questions (Expert Interviews) 161 VIII References 163