Q&A – Complementing self-serve capability with dedicated underwriting

To help increase speed of service for simple policy amendments on your regionally-traded business, we recently launched a new self-serve tool on Aviva Broker. It allows you to quickly add or remove a vehicle on Commercial Motor and renew or lapse policies for Motor and non-motor.

In this Q&A, Lesley Buchan, Aviva’s Operations Lead for the Commercial North Region, discusses her involvement in the tool’s development, why a dedicated underwriting team was set up, and the role they play in supporting you and your business.

How were you involved in the tool’s development?

“My day-to-day is overseeing teams of underwriters who support our brokers with their Commercial risks in our North Region. For the last 12 months, I’ve also been a part of the project team that’s been working hard to make sure the new self-service tool was developed in a way that provided value to our brokers and underwriters.

I was involved in working with the dedicated team of underwriters to make sure they understand the tool’s capability and the importance of our speed of response at referral. Since launch, you could say I’m one of the internal champions – I’m continually educating our teams on best practice, sharing learnings, and trying to understand how the tool can evolve in the future to help our brokers.”

Why was the tool launched?

“We did some research with a number of our broker partners – overlaying their input with the ongoing feedback we receive from underwriting and sales interactions, and events like our Broker Roadshows and BIBA.

What came through loud and clear is that brokers want to be able to make simpler policy amendments themselves in a quick and timely manner, but also have more access to our underwriters when they need them.

This tool was launched to help meet some of those demands. By providing self-service capability, supported by a dedicated underwriting team, we’re increasing speed of service for policy changes, freeing up a broker’s usual regional underwriter to support them with those risks that need more attention and expertise.”

What role does the dedicated underwriting team play?

“They are focused daily on the live chats that come through and the referrals that are created. It’s been a real change in our thinking around how we show up every day for our brokers, with most being used to that regional point of contact. However, we knew it was important to keep as much of the self-serve demand away from our regional teams to allow for more time spent supporting renewals and new business opportunities.

This model is also useful for Aviva. Having a group of dedicated underwriters allows us to generate feedback more easily and provides more insight into the type of demand we’re seeing. This information is being used to improve the efficiency of the tool as it stands today, but to also help shape the future developments.”
 

Is the tool delivering the benefits expected?

“We know it’s still early in the tool’s lifecycle, but the early indication is that those brokers who are using it are seeing the benefit.

Previously, the broker would look to process their mid-term adjustments by email or phone. They’re now able to make these changes instantly online. And for those that do refer, we’re picking them up quickly and resolving in a very short space of time.

The biggest benefit I’d say is being seen at renewals. Our underwriters traditionally can’t bind a renewal until verbal or written confirmation is received from the broker, which added an additional layer of responsibility for a straightforward action.  Now the broker can do it online themselves and the volumes being processed are an indication that this is proving beneficial for both the broker and our underwriters.

This is such an exciting development within the regional Mid-Market underwriting space. How we use it will constantly evolve as we see more brokers trying it out.  I’m looking forward to seeing how our digital journeys will support our brokers and underwriters over the coming months and years.” 
 

Lesley Buchan

Regional Operations Lead - Commercial North

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