Spanish media say that drone cameras can help accomplish all kinds of impossible tasks, such as searching for missing hikers in remote mountains, controlling borders, and counting crop yields. This technology is revolutionary for many industries, which are beginning to consider how to put drones to their own use—and insurance companies are among them.

        According to a report on the website of Spain's El País on August 29, more and more insurance companies are using drones to simplify their work, complete tasks more accurately and efficiently, and reduce time and costs. Philippe Vessac, head of the innovation department of French insurer Groupama, said: "The most important thing is cost savings. Once that goal is achieved, we can lower prices while providing customers with better service."

        More than a year ago, this century-old company best known for agricultural insurance services began using drones, and this "new employee" has left the company very satisfied. Previously, the company had headaches when measuring the area of farmland damaged by natural disasters. Vessac noted: "Take a large cornfield as an example—you might need a whole day to go in and measure it, and then come up with some not-very-precise figures."

        Groupama has a professional team of more than 20 people who use drones to take aerial photographs of land; the photos can then be transmitted to a computer in just 5 minutes. Using this convenient method, the company can learn the area of damaged land very accurately. Vessac said: "For farmers, settling claims as quickly as possible is crucial to them. With the help of new technology, we can carry out our work unimpeded."

        Obviously, using drones to measure damaged areas is not limited to agriculture. AXA also uses them for fire damage assessment, avoiding the risks of sending personnel to survey sites on the ground. Zurich Insurance uses drones to photograph the roofs of insured houses, then uses artificial intelligence software to assess risks and estimate repair costs. Josep Manel Égido, head of marketing at Zurich's Spanish branch, noted: "Our industry has never been considered pioneering—somewhat conservative, even. But innovation is gaining a foothold."

        Some believe that the emergence of drones will threaten the employment of insurance industry personnel. But a report by the US-based LexisNexis Mortgage Asset Research Institute shows that 38% of insurance companies will not send personnel for on-site surveys in certain circumstances. Égido believes there is no need for excessive worry, at least for now: "The functions of professionals will not disappear, but work efficiency can be greatly improved."

Source: Cankao Xiaoxi 2017-09-01