Crawford has already made significant investments in Asia, particularly in Japan, we still see huge potential in the region. The largest opportunity we have in Asia is to build on Crawford’s reputation and credibility as the leader in large and complex loss claims management, bolstered by industry-specific expertise and technology that we deploy to support our clients across the region as a whole, rather than in a piecemeal way.
The spread of Japanese industry across Asia is accelerating rapidly. While the global insurance market plays a role in coverage of this sector, it's still dominated by the key Japanese insurers and reinsurers.
Crawford’s focus on outstanding customer service was the driving force behind creating Japan Connect, a claims handling model designed specifically for Japanese-based insurers and companies with interests across the Asia region. In countries outside Japan, it manages claims in accordance with Japanese business culture, customs and etiquette.
So if a loss covered by a Japanese-based insurer occurs in Taiwan, the Crawford team there will assess the loss, while Crawford Japan oversees the management of the claim, delivering a smoother process while minimizing cultural misunderstandings.
It is also important to build on the significant technical ability we have in our Singapore office, which is fast becoming the region’s reinsurance hub. Having such a centre of specialist expertise not only supports our own offices but also acts as a conduit between the claims teams and the reinsurers.
This will also boost our capacity to build industry-specific practices for areas including high-tech and renewables. This hub of expertise will be a resource for Crawford globally, as well as regionally. When you consider global supply chains and the dependence of so many global industries on semiconductors, for example, the value of having this centre of specialist knowledge becomes clear.
Likewise, building our renewable energy team enables us to provide a higher level of support to customers operating across the industry.
Digital transformation is reshaping many industries, including claims management, so we need to consider how Crawford can best leverage cutting-edge technology such as AI and data analytics.
From tools already available in the industry, it’s clear that AI can play a vital role in speeding up the claims process and so, yes, we’ve been investing in this technology - but we are taking a cautious approach to the integration of AI, with a sharp focus on using it only to enhance our service offering.
Last year, we introduced Cover AI to help adjusters consistently extract key points from insurance policies, improve accuracy and reduce the claim lifecycle. We also founded a new insurtech company, Turvi, to address common industry problems, help improve customer experience, drive brand loyalty, increase customer retention, and lower the cost of sales and customer acquisition.
While AI has a part to play in enhancing customer service, we at Crawford believe that the expertise and empathy of a human adjuster will remain at the forefront when policyholders call us for help when the worst has happened.
