For decades, field adjusters have been the road warriors of the insurance industry.

When a claim required an inspection, an adjuster traveled to the vehicle, property or loss site to assess the damage. Depending on the claim, that could mean documenting the condition with photos, taking measurements, creating diagrams, gathering reports, interviewing claimants and evaluating policy coverage.

Those in-person inspections still have an important place in insurance. But not every inspection requires an adjuster to be physically present.

Verified video gives insurers another option by allowing claimants, repairers and other stakeholders to capture guided visual evidence remotely.

That creates an obvious benefit: fewer trips.

But travel expenses are only one part of the ROI.

The larger opportunity comes from what insurers can do with the time, information and operational capacity that remote inspections create.

The Obvious Savings: Reducing Travel Costs

Every field inspection can involve costs beyond the adjuster’s time.

Depending on the situation, insurers may incur expenses for:

• Airfare
• Hotels
• Rental vehicles
• Mileage and fuel
• Meals and other travel expenses

When organizations manage claims across large geographic areas, reducing unnecessary site visits can create meaningful savings.

But the more important question is what happens to the claims operation when an adjuster doesn’t have to spend hours traveling.

Remote Inspections Can Increase Adjuster Capacity

Travel consumes time that could otherwise be spent reviewing claims, communicating with customers and moving existing files toward resolution.

Remote inspections can help insurers make better use of that time.

Cover more properties

The number of physical inspections an insurer can conduct is limited by the size and geographic reach of its field team.

Remote video can expand the organization’s ability to gather visual information without requiring an adjuster to travel to every site.

Accelerate condition reviews

A guided video inspection can be shared with desk adjusters, underwriters, engineers and other stakeholders as soon as it is captured.

That means multiple people can review the same visual evidence without waiting for an adjuster to complete a site visit and return to the office.

Increase claim throughput

When field adjusters spend less time on the road, they have more time available for claims work.

That can help organizations process a higher volume of claims and reduce bottlenecks during periods of elevated demand.

Use field expertise where it matters most

Remote inspections don’t eliminate the need for field adjusters. Some claims will always benefit from an experienced professional being physically present.

The value is in using field resources strategically — sending them to the situations where their expertise is needed rather than requiring them to travel for every inspection.

Faster Claims Can Reduce Downstream Costs

The inspection is only one part of the claims lifecycle. The longer a claim remains open, the more opportunities there are for additional costs to accumulate.

Remote inspections can help move certain parts of the process forward more quickly.

Reduce storage costs

When vehicles remain at repair facilities for extended periods, storage charges can accumulate.

Faster claims processing can help reduce the amount of time a vehicle remains in limbo.

Reduce loss-of-use expenses

Depending on the claim, insurers may also be paying for rental vehicles, temporary housing or other loss-of-use expenses while repairs are underway.

Every unnecessary day can add to those costs.

Support faster decision-making

The sooner the people responsible for a claim can review the condition and supporting evidence, the sooner they can determine what needs to happen next.

Remote video can help provide that information earlier in the process.

Remote Video Can Strengthen Documentation

There is another potential benefit that extends beyond efficiency: better documentation.

Visual evidence provides a record of the condition of a vehicle or property at a specific point in time.

For example, video captured at policy inception can establish a baseline condition that may help insurers evaluate future claims more effectively.

Video collected during a claim can also provide greater visual context than written descriptions or individual photographs alone.

The result is a more comprehensive record that can support claims decisions and help identify discrepancies when they arise.

Customer Experience Is Part of the Business Case

Claims are stressful for policyholders.

A customer dealing with a damaged vehicle or property generally wants two things: to understand what happens next and to get back to normal as quickly as possible.

Remote inspections can reduce some of the friction associated with the claims process by allowing customers to participate in guided video capture without waiting for an adjuster to arrive.

That can mean:

Less waiting. Customers may be able to complete an inspection sooner.

Faster progress. Visual information can reach the people reviewing the claim more quickly.

More convenience. Customers don’t necessarily have to coordinate a separate in-person inspection appointment.

A better claims experience can strengthen trust and help insurers differentiate themselves in an increasingly competitive market.

Calculating the True ROI of Remote Inspections

It’s easy to calculate the direct savings from fewer inspection trips.

The more meaningful calculation considers the entire workflow.

Remote inspections can help insurers:

• Reduce travel expenses
• Increase adjuster capacity
• Accelerate condition reviews
• Process more claims
• Reduce certain storage and loss-of-use costs
• Strengthen visual documentation
• Improve the policyholder experience

Taken together, those benefits can create a much broader return than travel savings alone.

Field adjusters will continue to play an important role in claims.

The opportunity is to make sure their time and expertise are focused where they provide the most value — while using verified video to handle the inspections that can be completed remotely.

The ROI of remote inspections isn’t just about the miles you don’t drive. It’s about what your claims organization can accomplish with the time, information and capacity you gain.

Learn how TruVideo helps insurers use verified video to improve remote inspections, streamline claims workflows and accelerate decisions at truvideo.com/insurance.