sopp+sopp & VisionTrack partner forum: Could AI revolutionise the claims journey?

Chris Beeby, Head of Business Development at sopp+sopp & Callum Langan, Commercial Director at sopp+sopp

The benefits of in-vehicle technology for incident reporting are not being fully realised due to the high number of false positives generated by traditional telematics systems.

That was the view shared at the recent VisionTrack and sopp+sopp Partner Forum held in London on 11 May. 

More than 40 fleet decision makers attended the event, which introduced a brand-new auto-FNOL solution, powered by AI technology to dramatically improve reporting accuracy. 

The day began with a discussion around the typical claims journey. Not surprisingly there was plenty of debate around the benefits of phone vs app reporting, although the consensus was that paper reporting has had its day. 

Callum Langan, Commercial Director for sopp+sopp said: “Our view is that a combination of phone and app-based reporting is the best approach at present. This allows a human to press for clarity on incident details and support the driver, while an app enables straightforward capture of images and additional data from the scene. 

“There’s also great value in pulling-in real-time telematics and camera data to enrich the data gathered at FNOL. 

“The Partner Forum was all about looking to the future of incident reporting, and considering how technology could revolutionise the process, and solve some of the challenges that Fleet Managers face every day.” 

In the afternoon, the debate turned to in-vehicle technology and its potential to transform the claims journey. 

VisionTrack and sopp+sopp shared the details of their new auto-FNOL solution. Using the latest advances in AI and computer vision, this solution will weed out false positives, allowing fleets to realise the full value of their investment in in-vehicle tech. 

The technology significantly reduces false positives, and is already delivering 98% accuracy in a live environment. 

Charles Morriston, Head of Professional Services & Pre-Sales for VisionTrack explains: “Traditionally telematics and camera devices use G-force to identify an incident. The problem is that this can easily be triggered by something like a speed bump. 

Charles Morriston, Head of Professional Services & Pre-Sales for VisionTrack

“AI and computer vision analyse camera footage and detect genuine incidents. The technology is already live and in-use, and it’s reducing the need to manually review incident footage from 100% of incidents down to just 2%.” 

The new technology enables fleets to create a proactive, connected incident reporting process. Real-time event notifications ensure that incident details are captured instantly, initiating the FNOL process. 

There are clear safety benefits in contacting the driver straight away, and the rich data generated by auto-FNOL improves efficiency and accuracy.  

Throughout the day, there was a clear theme around the importance of preventing incidents wherever possible. ‘Near misses’ are just as important as incidents when it comes to mitigating risk and analysing driver behaviour. 

Charles continued: “The AI technology that powers auto-FNOL also enriches data around near misses, adding valuable insight to fleet managers with a focus on incident prevention, enabling more relevant, contextual and timely driver communication and training.” 

Max Houlston, Senior Claims Consultant from Marsh was a special guest speaker, and echoed the importance of preventing incidents. 

He also shared insightful data demonstrating the benefits of reporting incidents quickly. 

Max Houlston, Senior Claims Consultant at Marsh

A claim left unreported for 30 days could cost ten times as much as one that’s reported on day one due to third party credit hire and repair costs. 

Max demonstrated that organisations that reduce their time to report and are more proactive can see positive differences in their claims performance within 3-6 months.  

Adam Gillett, VP Head of Digital Partnerships for Marsh spoke around the decision process when onboarding new technology. 

Adam Gillett, VP Head of Digital Partnerships at Marsh

Adam underlined the importance of having a clear understanding of the problem you’re trying to solve and recommended approaches for finding the right tech partner. 

Speaking about the day, Lee Jackson, Head of Fleet & Transport at Marstons Holdings said: “I really enjoyed the event. There was plenty of lively debate and it was good to hear what other fleets are doing, and consider how advances in technology could have practical benefits for the incident reporting process.” 

Following the event’s success, sopp+sopp and VisionTrack have agreed to hold another partner day event later in the year.  If you’re interested in attending and would like an email invitation, please email sales@sopp+sopp.co.uk to be added to the mailing list.