130x Faster Application Processing with a Paperless Insurance Application for MetLife

The Challenge Story

Until 2014, MetLife, a global insurance provider, was using paper-based application forms for their customer onboarding process. This old-fashioned paper process was manual, error-prone, and time-consuming, and it took several weeks for applications to get approved.

MetLife’s brokers assisted customers in filling out the forms, manually verified details, calculated insurance estimates, and kept track of all applications under process. The sheer volume of applications and the need to re-do forms in case of errors also meant that lots of paper was wasted. MetLife wanted to replace the process with a digitalized “paperless insurance” application, to save paper and their insurance brokers’ time.

Based on our long-standing reputation of delivering successful projects in the financial services industry, MetLife approached Zelusit with the goal of digitizing their insurance application process.

Solution: Paperless Insurance Application Process

Zelusit worked with MetLife to build a solution that would streamline the application procedure, significantly decrease the need for manual verifications, and reduce processing delays. After understanding the client’s requirements, our experts designed the solution architecture from scratch, and developed and deployed the Formato solution.

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Instead of filling out and managing tedious paper forms, MetLife’s insurance brokers can now help customers fill out a digital form on a tablet. As the customer enters their basic information, the app checks to see if the fields are complete and valid. When the broker submits the application form, the solution validates the data in the backend, acting as a second line of validation to eliminate mistakes. If something is missing or incomplete, it immediately informs the broker and provides instructions on rectifying the issue. Before submission, the customer can manually or digitally sign the application and provide confirmation.

Key functionalities of the Formato solution:

• Data validation and calculation

The application ensures that the customer fills all the fields correctly, and instantly notifies them of any issues. It also automatically calculates the estimated insurance premium based on the customers’ details and preferences.

• Easy-to-use Dashboard

Brokers have access to a dashboard where they can see all the applications in process for different insurance packages. This makes it easy for them to keep track of the applications started by them, their status, and estimated processing time. The dashboard shows which applications are approved, under process, or being intervened (or require manual intervention or amendments).

• Attachments

The solution allows attachment files, such as ID cards, address proof, etc. to be uploaded directly as the application is being filled.

• Payment Processing

The Formato solution integrates with commonly used card solutions, so that customers can make payments directly while filling out the application.

• User Authentication and Authorization

To enhance security and privacy, the solution offers different levels of authorization, where insurance brokers and undertakers can view all the applications (or the ones allocated to them), whereas a customer would only be able to see their own file.

• Secure Digital Signature

Customers can securely confirm and sign their applications digitally before submission, eliminating the need to send the forms back and forth for signatures. As an alternative to paper signatures, the applicant can choose to approve their contract via biometric digital signature, or electronically through email and SMS passcode.

• Multiple platform support

The application is compatible with Android, iOS, and Windows devices.

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Impact

• 90% reduction in paper use
• 3000+ paperless applications within the 1^st month
• 130x faster application processing

Formato has become an irreplaceable solution for drafting applications and has made MetLife the first choice for insurance brokers.

• Environmentally friendly

By digitizing the application process, MetLife was able to reduce its overall paper consumption by 90%. Not only did this have a tremendous impact on their ecological footprint, but it also saved office space that would have been otherwise needed for storing all the paperwork.

• Increased Productivity

With validation checks built into the solution, insurance brokers could quickly help multiple customers sign up at the same time. The entire application process, including the biometric electronic signature and contract confirmation took just a few minutes. Moreover, the automated calculation algorithm instantly provided estimates of the total insurance amount and monthly premium. Brokers could now process more applications in a day, which meant more closed deals and higher commissions for them.

• Improved Organizational Profitability

Within one month of the solution implementation, more than 3000 applications were completed and processed, which translated into greater profits for MetLife. This optimized workflow was also instrumental in reducing costs incurred due to paper wastage and time spent on reviewing and re-working on applications.

• Shorter Application Processing Time

With paper-based applications, it took weeks to manually check the forms, give approval, and process the application. However, the digital process had in-built data validation and provided instant alerts to the brokers to rectify errors or missing details in the application, significantly reducing subsequent validation and processing time.

• Better Customer Experience

By reducing the time taken to fill out the application and process it, MetLife was able to significantly improve their customers’ experience.

• Encryption and Security

All application proposals are encrypted and stored in the Cloud, so brokers can edit them remotely through their devices. The app can also be used offline, without any risk of data loss.

• Flexibility and Scalability

The Formato solution is flexible and can be easily tailored to fit the requirements of different markets, such as compliance with insurance regulations, data protection requirements, etc.

Overall, getting rid of the paper-based application process made work easier and more satisfying for MetLife’s insurance brokers, improved application processing time, and increased productivity and profitability for the organization. In addition, digitalization also meant that they were able to reduce their environmental footprint and offer their customers a better, faster, and more modern experience.

Want to learn more about our Digital Solutions? Schedule a meeting with our experts.