Modern Insurance Magazine Issue 65

EDITORIAL BOARD
The Vizion Standard
Nobody is immune to cyber risk, with endless
headlines about how cyber-attacks, ransomware and
hacking continue to compromise personal data and
bring companies to the brink of collapse.
Significant awareness of how we learn as an industry is now
needed more than ever - especially against a backdrop of global
unrest. Artificial Intelligence, connected cars, continued digitisation
of systems and processes, new technologies, standards and
infrastructure all inevitably need to emerge to address this increased
risk of cyber threat.
Vizion understands and appreciates the importance of security for
our clients, customers and partners through active collaboration,
which is reflected in how we design, develop, build and distribute our
digital solutions and services. It’s also seen in how we strive to protect
our staff and customer confidential data, alongside our network and
infrastructures.
With the support of an industry consortium of representatives
consisting of leading insurers, manufacturers, cyber experts and
specialists from the Vizion team, a ‘Vizion Standard’ was created in
2018 to support repairers, provide consistency, increase accuracy
and reduce effort in providing education, support and resilience
across the network, delivered via our cloud auditing solution Opus
platform.
The ‘Vizion Standard’ is part of Vizion’s commitment to the customer;
assurance that we, our clients, and our repairer partners consider their
privacy and protection of personal data to be a critical element of the
customer journey.
In 2024, the ‘Vizion Standard’ continues to evolve. There’s a set
of specific sections to address areas in cyber security and GDPR,
expanding to other areas such as environmental, social and
governance (ESG). To be part of the Vizion Network, a repairer must
comply with the professional values set out in the ‘Vizion Standard’,
all of which are outlined by Vizion and supported by the UK’s largest
insurers.
To further increase our resilience, Vizion continues its commitment
to constant improvement through industry leading ISO27001 and
ISO22301 security and business continuity accreditations. This further
demonstrates our ongoing dedication to security, risk management
and best practices for data management across the organisation, and
for the betterment of our partners and customers.
For more information on the Vizion Standard,
email hello@vizionnetwork.co.uk.
Chris McKie,
Chief Executive Officer, Vizion Network
Standing Firm
When Floods Surge
The UK’s extraordinarily wet and stormy
winter has provided a rigorous, real-world test
of Crawford’s ability to perform in extreme
circumstances. An unprecedented 10 storms
in a three-month period led to a surge of
flooding across the country and one of the
busiest winters on record, as claims volumes
rose to triple the norm.
Planning, flexibility and coordination were the hallmarks of our
response as our operational model, committed employees and
technology rose to the challenge. Through huge spikes in demand
for our services, we responded digitally or through field visits to over
95% of claims within service level agreement standards.
In exceptional circumstances, this was truly an impressive
achievement. A succession of storms and heavy rainfall overwhelmed
the drain and river network and caused flooding losses on a vast
scale. Storm Babet alone, which struck in October last year, caused
insured losses of £467 million in the UK, according to an estimate
compiled by loss aggregator, ‘PERILS’.
Behind these heavy loss numbers were scores of policyholders
needing their claims addressed urgently and simultaneously. We
never forget that our job is to show up for our clients and insureds in
these difficult times, to listen to their needs and find solutions.
Key to our management of the UK storm and flood claims were:
• Planning and coordination: Our property teams used forecasts from
weather-risk experts to inform pre-surge plans, making continency
for additional ‘boots on the ground’ in worst affected areas. First
notification of loss (FNOL) teams were fully briefed to maximise
efficiency, using Crawford’s full suite of services and organising optimal
adjuster field visit routes. Furthermore, our managed repair team
put all contractors in its network on notice, secured capacity based
on demand predictions, and informed adjusting teams of available
contractor resources.
• Resource deployment efficiency: Our adjusting teams used virtual
assessment technology to improve efficiency, freeing other adjusters
to go out into the field to oversee more complex claims. Crawford
Contractor Connection teams also routed claims in batches to
dedicated regional contractors to improve efficiency and customer
outcomes.
• Scale: We diverted employees from around the UK to where they
were needed most. For instance, the Major and Complex Loss team
flew more than 20 adjusters out to the Channel Islands to help deal
with a claims spike. We also ensured sufficient non-field employees
were in place to support adjusters.
Lisa Bartlett,
Chief Operating Officer, International Operations,
Crawford & Company
MODERN INSURANCE | 21