Technology is transforming the motor claims process. From customer service chatbots, to AI damage assessment, insurers are increasingly harnessing digital solutions to improve speed, accuracy, and efficiency in decision-making processes.
Electronic Notification of Loss (eNOL) is one of these solutions. It’s powered by FNOL software, like incident reporting web-apps – which provide a quicker, easier way for insurance customers to report incidents and collisions as soon as they occur.
Here’s everything you need to know about digital FNOL software, including how it works, when it’s used, and how it benefits both insurers and their customers…
Read more: What is FNOL in motor claims? First Notification of Loss Explained
What is digital FNOL software? (electronic Notification of Loss)
Digital FNOL software allows insurance customers to submit quick and detailed incident reports through a guided mobile application, rather than phoning their insurer.
It transforms the traditional FNOL process into a quick & easy digital survey, through which drivers are prompted to detail what happened, upload images of the damage, and capture third party details.
This helps to reduce the time it takes for drivers to report incidents – allowing them to submit details and visual evidence remotely, from the scene, immediately after a collision occurs.
How does digital FNOL work?
After a driver encounters an incident, such as a collision with another vehicle, they simply load the incident reporting web-app, and follow the prompts to report it to their insurer.
This data is passed to insurers immediately, or their accident management partners, who will then confirm any details, deploy recovery/repair services, and progress the claim to the next stage.
What are the benefits?
Digital FNOL brings a number of benefits to your accident management strategy, including:
Faster incident reporting
Using a digital FNOL solution makes it quicker and easier for drivers to report incidents. This helps to reduce the time it takes for claims to be initiated post-incident – helping insurers to minimise costs, and get their customers back on the road quickly.
Quick & Qualitative FNOL data
FNOL software helps to increase the quality of the data you receive from incident reports, and the speed at which it’s delivered.
Drivers can be prompted to include any information necessary – including photographs of the damage, an accurate incident location, and contact details for any third-parties. Some of this data can even be captured automatically in certain cases, such as through onboard telematics.
Swift third-party capture
The quicker incidents are reported, the easier it becomes to capture and contact any non-fault third parties. This helps insurers to control claims costs when their policyholders are at-fault, and keep third parties engaged throughout the claim journey.
Streamlined customer experience
Using a digital FNOL solution helps to streamline the incident reporting journey for your customers.
Being in an incident can be an incredibly stressful experience, so making the reporting process as quick, easy, and accessible as possible has immense benefits for the wider customer experience.
The guided eNOL process also ensures all incident details are captured correctly the first time around – reducing the need for subsequent phone calls and follow-ups. This helps to provide a smoother, more straightforward claims journey for your customers, and get them back on the road sooner.
What is a hybrid FNOL process?
Digital FNOL doesn’t have to be used in isolation. In fact, it’s often more effective to use it alongside your existing telephone reporting process. This method is referred to as ‘hybrid FNOL’.
It allows you to strike a balance between your digital and telephone reporting techniques. For example, you might choose to phone customers to check details after a digital FNOL has been received, or equally, you might keep both reporting options open from the get-go.
Activate Group highly recommends a hybrid approach to FNOL. It allows you to reap all the benefits of digital reporting, while assuring high data accuracy, and maintaining accessibility for customers who may prefer to speak over the phone.
What does a hybrid FNOL process look like?
A hybrid FNOL process can take many forms, but it should always serve the same purpose: to enable swift incident reporting, and high data accuracy, while facilitating positive customer journeys.
Here’s an example of what a hybrid FNOL process could look like…
1 – Driver reports an incident using the eNOL application
After a driver encounters an incident, they simply load an eNOL web-app, through which they’re prompted to submit details of exactly what has happened, and upload any supporting evidence.
Digital FNOL makes it easy to capture this data quickly – including a description of what happened, whether emergency services are needed, the exact location, third-party details, and images of the damage.
In some cases, the exact incident location can even be captured automatically through onboard vehicle telematics – further increasing accuracy, and making the process easier for your customers.
2 – Digital FNOL is reviewed, and drivers contacted for verification
Once the digital incident report has been completed, it’s immediately received by a claims handler, and the driver is prompted to call them to confirm their details.
This phone call helps to ensure all information is accurate, while also assuring the driver that their claim is being handled.
If emergency services are needed, they will be called by the claims handler as soon as the initial report is received.
3 – Third parties are captured & contacted quickly
Asking for third-party details in the initial digital incident report allows insurers to contact them incredibly quickly post-incident, and ensure they’re engaged throughout the claims journey.
This allows insurers to better control the cost of the claim, and helps them to place third-party vehicles swiftly within their own repair network.
4 – Information is collated, and the claim is progressed
Once all incident data has been collected, it’s collated into a complete incident report – encapsulating both the digital FNOL data, and information captured over the phone.
The claims handler will again check this data to ensure they have everything they need to inform the next steps, including damage assessment, liability decisions, and repair deployment .
5 – Both digital & telephone data inform service deployment
Once all information is verified, it’s used to inform the final triage assessment – which assesses the scale of the damage, and the solutions required for each party.
This might include deploying the vehicle to a bodyshop, making use of roadside repair, allocating courtesy cars, or recovering vehicles for salvage.
Once the assessment has been made, and validated by cost-control teams, the necessary solutions can be deployed to the policyholder and any eligible third parties.
Discover Activate Initiate: White-Label eNOL Solution for Insurers
Want to achieve a faster, more accurate FNOL process? Activate Initiate is the answer!
Activate Initiate is our digital incident reporting solution for insurers, fleets, and their drivers. The white-label web-app allows drivers/policyholders to submit quick and accurate incident information directly to their insurer – including descriptions, images, contact information, and location data.
After they encounter an incident, drivers simply load the web app, and follow the form to submit details & images of the collision to their insurer.
There’s no need for any downloads – drivers simply click a link, which loads the app within their mobile browser, or Initiate can even be embedded within your existing mobile apps/web portals.
Discover a smarter approach to incident reporting – capture third parties swiftly, reduce claims costs, and inform right-first-time repair deployment:
