As Divisional Chief Innovation Officer for Engle Martin, Carl Coleman oversees the technology and innovation strategy, infrastructure, applications, and technology partnerships to support Engle Martin’s business objectives.
In a recent conversation, Carl discussed Engle Martin’s approach to integrating current and emerging technologies to enhance the company’s signature claims and adjusting expertise and customer relationships.
Q: InsurTech is one of the hottest topics in insurance. What’s Engle Martin’s approach to technology?
A: Engle Martin’s focus on InsurTech began about five years ago. We recognized that there was a big wave of underwriting and investment into the insurance industry. We knew that a boom of technological innovation in this space was coming and that we needed to take advantage of it. We asked ourselves, “How do we position Engle Martin? How do we come up with good strategies around technology; should we buy, should we build, or should we development new vendor partnerships?”
We also saw the focus on InsurTech as an opportunity to build teams. We recognized that people can, in a nimble, agile manner, create the needed functionality for end users and for customers. So, we did that. We saw this as an advantage to grow from a people and culture perspective, but also as a competitive advantage to differentiate ourselves in the long-term.
Obviously claims handling is our primary objective, but at our core, we really want to look at ways to increase efficiency throughout the customer experience. We continue to ask ourselves “how do we take what’s out in the market, leverage it, and build what we know we can scale for our business?” But at the end of the day, it really comes down to our customer and making sure the experience is the right one.
Q: We often think of tech innovation as being radical and disruptive, but sometimes the best tech just makes processes more efficient and effective. Where does Engle Martin focus its tech resources?
A: Every company, whether large or small, has opportunities for process improvement. We’re no different. We work with our business leaders to define priorities and identify areas where we can gain efficiencies. We conduct customer engagement surveys and host intimate client roundtables to gain feedback on what is working and where we can improve. Based on this insight, we bring the technology to the table that we believe will solve those needs.
Q: What does the technology Engle Martin leverages mean to clients and their insureds?
A: At the end of the day, we serve policyholders, businesses, and people who have had a loss. Our job at Engle Martin and as adjusters is to take care of them as quickly as possible with the highest-level quality and service. Technology has a big role to play in almost every aspect.
We want to make sure that we are heavily focused on what that means for the insured and the carrier. Our job is to use technology in the most effect and efficient ways to help resolve a loss to get the insured back to business.
Q: What does tech innovation look like at Engle Martin?
A: There are a lot of shiny objects out there and it is our job to identify the tools that make sense for our business and for our customers. By using mixed reality and looking at how we capture information in the field, we can create opportunities to do our job more effectively and efficiently.
At the end of the day, we do not want to lose sight of the customer. Listening to their needs and making sure we have the right level of personal touch is instrumental in directing us toward the technology tools that will drive Engle Martin’s success.
