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Ed Attanasio is an automotive journalist based in San Francisco, California. He can be reached at era39@aol.com.
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CCC Photo Estimates and AI-Supported Claims Spike in Response to COVID-19 more than doubled from January to April, as carriers are accelerating use and adoption of digital tools in response to COVID-19. Sisk“Industry use of photos for method of inspection has been growing and insurers are seeing benefit to both cycle time and customer satisfaction,” said Susanna Gotsch, director, industry analyst for CCC. “The recent spike is likely indicative of a with Chasidy Rae new Sisknormal as we’re seeing greater use of digital by carriers that have been in market and new insurers coming online with digital solutions.” CCC also reports a similar trend in estimates written using CCC® Smart Estimate, the world’s first AIguided estimating solution. Smart at a record claims have expanded Estimate applies AI and estimating with Victoria Antonelli pace exceeding double-digit growth logic to photos captured with Quick through May of this year. Estimate. Many shops that used to think of CCC’s Senior Vice President of photo estimates as an option are now Product Management Jason Verlen making them the norm for a wide has extensive experience in the softrange of reasons. ware industry, with specific experti CCC’s statistics show the rapid se in product management, big data adoption of digital technology is in and analytics. Before joining CCC with Gary Ledoux direct response to social distancing in May 2015, Verlen spent five years and work-from-home protocols initi- at IBM, where he was VP of big data ated to combat COVID-19. The com- analytics. “The use of AI-supported claims has accelerated from steady adoption by industry leaders to a massive increase in use and adoption by the with Gary Ledouxindustry at large,” Verlen said. “Our data, and the conversations we are having with customers, strongly suggests that this point in time will mark a digital revolution in claims.” “We’re seeing every industry embracing new technologies, rethinCCC’s Senior Vice President of Product Manageking how they work, and focusing ment Jason Verlen reported the usage of CCC® with Stacey Quick Estimate, the company’s mobile photoPhillips on personalizing experiences for estimating solution, has more than doubled their customers. The insurance infrom January to April of this year in response dustry is no different.” to COVID-19 By creating an easy-to-use syspany’s industry data indicates the in- tem for customers, insurance adsurance industry recently surpassed 3 justers and shops alike, Verlen has million estimates initiated leveraging seen all three parties using more and photo technology, sinceEd tracking be- more photo estimates than before. with Attanasio gan in 2018. “The adoption rate was already The company also reports the going up, but then the pandemic turpercentage of claims processed ned it into a complete transformation,” through CCC® Quick Estimate, its he said. “Shops are more concerned mobile photo estimating solution, now about safety for its customers At any point, a piece of technology can go from being discretionary to essential, and in many cases, this is what’s happening now with photo with Chasidy Rae estimating within the collision repair industry. Recently, CCC Information Services, Inc. (CCC) reported photo estimates and AI-supported insurance
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and employees for obvious reasons. More and more insurers are asking for our mobile photo estimating solution and shops realize that they’re
“It’s providing a vastly better and safer consumer experience and we’re getting more and more users every month,” he said. “We know from history that people will use technology to adapt for whatever reason, and then don’t change back. The pandemic has made photo estimating systems more relevant than ever before and shops that were reluctant to use them are now embracing this technology.” Another reason CCC’s photo estimating is quickly CCC’s statistics show the rapid adoption of digital technology gaining in popularity is the is in direct response to social distancing and work-fromfact the technology is better home protocols initiated to combat COVID-19 and the public is more comgoing to get more work by making it fortable using it on a daily basis. part of their processes.” “There was a little friction two to Those who are adopting the sys- three years ago because the first getem now will likely use it for the long neration of any technology is always going to be inferior to the technology term. Verlen said.
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