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Meeting: Laura Harris - Claims Handler Interview

Date: 2025-11-26 Attendee: Laura Harris (LH) - Claims Handler Interviewer: TD (Tom) Location: Remote Working Pattern: Part-time Department: Claims (sole handler)

Overview

Laura is the sole Claims Handler at EF, managing approximately 95 active claims working part-time hours. She runs the entire claims department by herself, handling everything from initial notification through to settlement. Her workflow is heavily email-based (90% of interactions), centered on Outlook inbox management and manual uploading of correspondence and attachments to Acturis. She is notably organized and relies heavily on Acturis task management to stay on top of her workload.

Current Workflow & Tools

Primary Tools

  1. Outlook (primary workflow driver)
  2. 90% of claims come via email to claims@egarforester.com
  3. Inbox-driven workflow

  4. Manual processing of each email and attachment

  5. Acturis (system of record)

  6. All claims logged and tracked
  7. Electronic file management
  8. Task/diary management (heavily used by Laura)
  9. Email template generation

  10. Version history and audit trail

  11. Email Reference System

  12. Claim reference number in subject line (in brackets)
  13. Should enable auto-upload to Acturis (but doesn't work reliably)
  14. Often broken when insurers edit subject lines

Active Claims Load

Current state: - 95 active claims currently open - 70 claims = comfortable workload - 2-3 new claims per day (average, varies widely) - Trending upward - winter season (burst pipes, heating-related incidents)

Seasonal pattern: - Winter = busiest period (cold conditions, burst pipes, heating issues) - Claims volume naturally increases this time of year

Claims Process Walkthrough

Step 1: Initial Notification

How claims arrive: - 90% via email to claims@egarforester.com - 10% via phone (very rare) - Usually forwarded from account handlers if client contacted them first - Many come from managing agents (property management companies)

Typical initial email contains: - Brief details of incident - Multiple attachments (photos, estimates, invoices) - Client/property information - Date of loss

Example flow for HNW client: 1. Client calls their account handler (e.g., Jamie) about incident 2. Handler says "please email claims@egarforester.com" 3. Client emails Laura with details 4. Laura processes from there

Step 2: Loading Claim into Acturis

Manual process: 1. Open email in Outlook 2. Go to Acturis and create new claim 3. Upload email to Acturis electronic file 4. Critical limitation: Must remove attachments from email before uploading 5. Save email with description 6. Generate claim reference number in Acturis

Attachment handling problem: - Cannot upload email with attachments intact - Must save attachments separately - Then re-upload attachments individually

Step 3: Uploading Attachments

Major pain point: Each attachment must be uploaded separately

File size limitations: - Acturis has strict memory limits per upload - Photos often "too large" error - Must upload in batches (e.g., 2 photos, then 2 more, then 1) - Trial and error to find what fits

Videos: - Cannot upload videos at all - files too large for Acturis - Workaround: Note in Acturis "video received in claims inbox" - Must search Outlook inbox if video needed later

Photos embedded in emails: - Must manually save from email body - Then upload separately - "Can cause a bit of a nightmare"

Different attachment types uploaded separately: - Photos (grouped, but split if too large) - Estimates (separate) - Invoices (separate) - Videos (cannot upload, noted only) - Loss adjuster reports (separate) - Each has own activity type label

Rationale for separation: - Creates organized audit trail - Easy to find specific document types - Can filter by activity type (email, phone call, invoice, estimate, etc.)

Quote: "The good thing about uploading everything separately is that it's easy to find"

Step 4: Notifying Insurer

Email generation: - Acturis generates template email - Laura customizes as needed - Attaches photos and policy documents - Sends to insurer

Insurer contacts: - Allianz, Aviva, others: Generic claims team email - RSA/Intact: Dedicated handler (single point of contact) - Most go to generic inboxes, not specific people

Laura showed example template email: - Standard format generated by Acturis - Amends as applicable to claim - Professional and consistent

Step 5: Ongoing Claim Management

Correspondence handling: - Every email received must be manually uploaded to Acturis - Each upload requires description/activity type - Laura always reviews file before uploading - Checks what's outstanding, what questions need answering - Never just uploads and forgets

Quote: "I won't just get an email in my inbox and upload it and forget about it. I will go into the file and double check what I've got, what's still outstanding, have I answered all my questions."

Task management: - Laura heavily uses Acturis diary/task manager - Sets reminders for follow-ups - Tracks what's needed on each claim - "I have to use this on a daily basis otherwise I can get lost with... It's quite easy to forget about a claim if I've not got a diary on it"

Chasing insurers: - Sometimes must chase insurers for responses - Not all insurers respond promptly - Laura tracks via task manager

Electronic File Organization

Laura demonstrated well-organized file: - Claims notified to insurers - Loss adjuster appointed - Generic updates to clients - Claim estimates (uploaded separately) - Leak repair invoices (uploaded separately) - Email correspondence (all separate, each described)

Timestamp tracking: - Everything shows date and time received - Chronological order - Complete audit trail

Activity type filtering: - Can identify type at a glance - Email from client - Email from loss adjuster - Invoice - Estimate - Phone call notes

Email-to-Acturis Integration Issues

Claim Reference Number System

How it should work: 1. Laura creates claim in Acturis, gets reference number 2. Puts reference number in email subject (in brackets) 3. When insurer replies with reference in subject, email auto-uploads to Acturis

Why it doesn't work reliably:

Problem 1: No auto-upload from initial notification - Initial claim notification has no reference number yet - Reference only created after Laura logs claim - So first email always manual upload

Problem 2: Insurers edit subject lines - "Very frustrating" - insurers change email subjects - Claim reference gets removed from subject - Breaks auto-upload functionality - Forces manual upload

Problem 3: Auto-upload not actually automatic - Even with reference in subject, doesn't truly auto-upload - Laura still prefers to manually review and upload - Wants to check what's outstanding before uploading blindly

Quote: "It would be ideal if the email come into the inbox and automatically got uploaded, that'd be handy, but I don't know... I won't just upload a file and just leave it. An email and leave it."

Laura's workflow preference: - Even if auto-upload worked, she'd go into file anyway - Check what information she has - Check what's still outstanding - Ensure questions answered - Avoid delays from unreviewed emails

Pain Points Identified

1. Manual Attachment Processing (PRIMARY ISSUE)

The problem: - Must remove attachments before uploading email - Go back into same email repeatedly - Upload attachments individually or in small batches - File size limitations force trial-and-error batching - Videos cannot be uploaded at all

Time impact: - Single email with 5 attachments = 3-4 upload cycles - Multiply across 95 active claims - Constant back-and-forth: email → Acturis → email → Acturis

Quote: "If I've got a claim estimate, a claim invoice, photos... it would be good if they all got uploaded at once, but still in that claim invoice, claim estimate... I don't know how you would do that."

2. File Size Limitations

Acturis memory constraints: - Cannot upload multiple photos at once (usually) - "Too large" error frequent - No predictability - must try different combinations - Videos completely impossible to upload

Workaround costs: - Videos remain in email inbox only - Risk of losing video if email deleted - Must search inbox if video needed - No centralized video storage

3. Photos Embedded in Emails

Additional manual step: - Some clients embed photos in email body - Must save photo from email separately - Then upload to Acturis - "Can cause a bit of a nightmare"

4. Insurer Subject Line Editing

Breaks reference number system: - Insurers change subject lines in replies - Removes claim reference - Forces manual upload and file matching - Inconsistent across insurers

5. High Volume During Winter

Seasonal pressure: - 95 claims currently (vs. 70 comfortable) - 36% over comfortable capacity - Part-time hours - Winter surge just beginning

Impact described by Laura: - Inbox fills faster than she can process - "Starting from the bottom, and as I'm clearing, more and more coming in" - Struggling to reach task management work - "Limited hours, and not being able to get everything done" - Knock-on effect across all claims

What Works Well

1. Task Management System

Laura's effective use: - Relies on Acturis diary daily - Sets reminders for every follow-up needed - Tracks outstanding items per claim - Prevents claims being forgotten

Quote: "I have to use this on a daily basis otherwise I can get lost with... It's quite easily to forget about a claim if I've not got a diary on it."

Contrast with other staff: - Many handlers don't use task manager - Laura uses it religiously - Critical for managing 95 claims solo

2. Organized Electronic Files

Separation by activity type: - Easy to find specific documents - Clear audit trail - Chronological order with timestamps - Professional and thorough

Benefits: - Can quickly locate estimate vs. invoice vs. correspondence - Shows progression of claim clearly - Good for client service and compliance

3. Email-Driven Workflow

Efficiency of email: - 90% of interactions via email (not phone) - Written record automatic - Clients/agents prefer it - Asynchronous, flexible timing - Less interruption than phone calls

Opportunities Identified

Immediate Quick Wins

  1. Intelligent Email Upload Automation THE PRIMARY OPPORTUNITY

What Laura needs: - Upload email with all attachments in one action - Attachments automatically separated by type - Photos grouped (but split if needed for size) - Estimates, invoices, documents each separate - Maintain organized electronic file structure

Technical approach: - API integration between Outlook and Acturis - AI classification of attachment types - Automatic splitting of large attachments - Preserve Laura's preferred organization

Expected impact: - Eliminate 3-4 upload cycles per email - Save ~2-5 minutes per claim notification - With 2-3 new claims daily = 10-15 min/day saved - Across 95 active claims = significant time recovery - Reduce repetitive clicking/manual work

  1. Video Storage Solution
  2. Cloud storage integration (OneDrive, SharePoint)
  3. Automatic link insertion in Acturis file
  4. Video accessible without searching inbox

  5. Better long-term retention

  6. Attachment Size Optimization

  7. Automatic image compression/resizing
  8. Stay within Acturis limits
  9. Preserve image quality for claims assessment

  10. Eliminate trial-and-error batching

  11. Embedded Photo Extraction

  12. Detect photos in email body
  13. Auto-extract and upload with other attachments
  14. Remove manual save step

Medium-Term Opportunities

  1. Claim Reference Intelligence
  2. AI to match emails to claims even without reference in subject
  3. Pattern matching on content, sender, dates
  4. Suggest which claim email belongs to

  5. Reduce impact of insurer subject line editing

  6. Initial Claim Data Extraction

  7. AI to read initial notification email
  8. Extract key data: date of loss, location, incident type, claimant
  9. Pre-populate Acturis claim form
  10. Laura reviews and confirms before saving

  11. Reduce manual data entry

  12. Template Improvement

  13. Laura showed standard template works well
  14. Could be enhanced with AI to customize based on claim type
  15. Auto-select relevant information

  16. Reduce manual amendments

  17. Insurer Response Time Tracking

  18. Automatic flagging of overdue insurer responses
  19. Proactive chase reminders
  20. Track which insurers are slow
  21. Data to escalate with underperforming insurers

Strategic Opportunities

  1. Capacity Expansion
  2. Current: 95 claims overwhelming for part-time
  3. With automation: Could handle more claims in same hours
  4. Or: Maintain 70-80 claims comfortably in fewer hours

  5. Better work-life balance during winter surge

  6. Claims Analytics

  7. Centralized video storage enables analysis
  8. Claim type patterns
  9. Seasonal trends
  10. Insurer performance metrics
  11. Loss adjuster effectiveness

  12. Average claim duration by type

  13. Proactive Client Communication

  14. Freed-up time for better client updates
  15. More frequent status communication
  16. Enhanced customer service

  17. Competitive differentiator

  18. Scale for Growth

  19. Current system requires Laura to manually touch everything
  20. Not scalable if business grows
  21. Automation enables more claims without hiring
  22. Or enables Laura to move part-time to full-time capacity

Comparison with Other Staff Interviews

Unique Aspects of Claims vs. Renewals

Claims (Laura) vs. Account Handlers (Lucy, Marilyn, JL):

  1. Task manager usage:
  2. Laura: Uses religiously, daily dependency
  3. Others: Underutilized, prefer Excel spreadsheets

  4. Why different: Laura managing 95 individual items with different timelines vs. handlers managing cyclical renewal schedules

  5. Email volume and attachment handling:

  6. Laura: Every email has multiple attachments needing individual processing
  7. Others: Attachments less frequent, more document generation

  8. Impact: Laura's attachment pain point more severe

  9. Workflow structure:

  10. Laura: Reactive, inbox-driven, responding to incidents
  11. Others: Proactive, deadline-driven, following renewal calendar

  12. Different optimization needs: Laura needs email processing efficiency; others need portal/template improvements

  13. Single point of failure:

  14. Laura: Sole claims handler, no backup
  15. Others: Multiple handlers, shared workload
  16. Risk: Laura's workload more vulnerable to absence or overload

Common Pain Points

  1. Acturis file size limitations - Laura hit this harder than others
  2. Manual email correspondence filing - All staff affected
  3. Outlook-Acturis integration unreliable - Confirmed again
  4. Time pressure during busy periods - Laura (winter), Others (renewal deadlines)

What Laura Does Differently (Successfully)

  1. Consistently uses Acturis task manager - Others rely on Excel/physical lists
  2. Organized electronic files - Systematic approach to documentation
  3. Reviews before uploading - Doesn't rely on auto-upload even when available
  4. Descriptive activity types - Makes files searchable and clear

Technical Requirements for Automation

Based on Laura's workflow, an automated system would need to:

Core Requirements

  1. Email parsing:
  2. Read email from claims@egarforester.com
  3. Extract claim details from body

  4. Identify all attachments

  5. Attachment classification:

  6. Photos (group together)
  7. Estimates
  8. Invoices
  9. Reports
  10. Videos (special handling)

  11. Embedded images

  12. Acturis API integration:

  13. Create claim record
  14. Upload email body
  15. Upload attachments with correct activity types
  16. Handle file size constraints

  17. Generate claim reference number

  18. Size management:

  19. Compress images if needed
  20. Split batches if too large
  21. Route videos to alternative storage

  22. Insert links back to Acturis

  23. Review interface:

  24. Show Laura what will be uploaded
  25. Allow confirmation/modification before upload
  26. Maintain her workflow preference to review

Nice-to-Have Features

  1. Smart matching:
  2. Match reply emails to existing claims by content/sender

  3. Suggest claim file even without reference number

  4. Pre-population:

  5. Extract structured data from initial notification
  6. Fill Acturis claim form fields

  7. Laura confirms before saving

  8. Insurer tracking:

  9. Flag overdue responses
  10. Performance metrics

  11. Auto-chase suggestions

  12. Client communication:

  13. Template updates based on claim status
  14. Scheduled communication reminders

Impact Assessment

Time Savings Estimate

Current manual process per claim notification: - Read email: 2 min - Create claim in Acturis: 2 min - Upload email (remove attachments first): 1 min - Upload attachments individually (3-4 cycles): 5-8 min - Add descriptions/activity types: 2 min - Total: ~12-15 minutes per new claim

With automation: - Review automated upload suggestion: 2 min - Confirm/adjust classifications: 1 min - Approve upload: 30 sec - Total: ~3-4 minutes per new claim

Time saved: ~10 minutes per claim

Annual impact: - 2-3 new claims/day × 250 working days = 500-750 new claims/year - 10 min × 625 claims (average) = 6,250 minutes saved - ~104 hours per year = 2.6 weeks of work

Plus ongoing correspondence: - Every follow-up email also has attachments - Multiple emails per claim throughout lifecycle - Likely 2-3x multiplier on new claim savings - Total estimate: 300+ hours saved annually

Capacity Impact

Current state: - 95 claims overwhelming at part-time hours - Struggling to reach task management work - Winter surge just beginning

With automation: - Same 95 claims manageable comfortably - Time for proactive task management - Better client communication possible - Could potentially handle 120+ claims - Or maintain 70-80 claims in fewer hours

Quality Impact

Current risks: - High volume = higher error risk - Things falling through cracks - Delayed responses - Client dissatisfaction

With automation: - More time for review and quality - Better task management adherence - Faster response times - Improved client service - Lower stress/burnout risk

Follow-Up Questions

  • What percentage of claims have videos attached?
  • Average number of attachments per claim notification?
  • How often do insurers remove claim reference from subject?
  • What's typical claim duration from notification to settlement?
  • Which insurers are slowest to respond?
  • How many follow-up emails per claim (average)?
  • What happens if Laura is absent? Who covers claims?
  • Are there seasonal patterns beyond winter? (Summer storms?)
  • What reporting does Laura provide to management?
  • How are closed claims archived?

Action Items

  • Document Laura's current workflow (completed)
  • Research Acturis API capabilities for claims module
  • Investigate Outlook-Acturis integration options
  • Prototype attachment classification system
  • Test image compression that maintains quality
  • Explore cloud storage integration for videos
  • Design review interface for Laura's approval workflow
  • Calculate precise ROI for automation solution
  • Consider backup/coverage plan for claims processing
  • Explore insurer portal APIs for status tracking

Strategic Insights

Claims Department = Single Point of Failure

Observation: - Laura runs entire claims department alone - Part-time hours - 95 active claims - No backup mentioned - High manual workload

Risk: - What happens if Laura is sick/absent? - Winter surge puts system under stress - Not scalable for business growth - Burnout risk with current volume

Opportunity: - Automation could reduce single-point-of-failure risk - Free capacity for Laura to train backup - Or make workload manageable for one person sustainably

Email Processing as Core Bottleneck

Finding: This is THE clearest automation opportunity in all interviews so far: - Specific, repetitive task (upload emails and attachments) - Clear pain point (file size limits, multiple cycles) - Quantifiable time waste (~10 min per claim) - High volume (2-3 new claims daily + ongoing correspondence) - Technical solution feasible (Outlook-Acturis API integration) - ROI calculable (300+ hours/year)

Why this is the best opportunity: 1. Specificity: Exact process to automate identified 2. Repetition: Happens multiple times daily 3. Pain level: Laura identified as main challenge 4. Technical feasibility: APIs available 5. Clear success criteria: Attachments uploaded correctly, time saved 6. No process change: Maintains Laura's preferred organization 7. Quick win potential: Could implement in weeks not months

Task Manager Success Story

Key observation: - Laura successfully uses Acturis task manager - Others (Lucy, Marilyn, JL) underutilize it - All have similar underlying need (track tasks, follow-ups)

Why Laura succeeds: - Nature of work: 95 individual claims with different timelines - No alternative: Can't use Excel spreadsheet for reactive work - Necessity: "Otherwise I can get lost" - Workflow fit: Task manager suits event-driven work better than deadline-driven

Implication for others: - Task manager might not suit renewal workflow naturally - Excel spreadsheet better for calendar-driven cycles - Don't force task manager adoption for renewals - Accept different tools for different work types

Process Quality Despite Volume

Notable: Laura maintains excellent organization: - Descriptive activity types - Everything uploaded separately for clarity - Reviews each item before uploading - Complete audit trail - Professional file structure

Under pressure: Despite 95 claims and part-time hours, she maintains quality standards

Insight: Automation won't need to fight bad habits here - Laura already organized and methodical. Solution should enhance her existing good practices, not change them.

Key Quotes

"90% of the claims come through via email" On communication channel preference

"I'd have to upload two, and then another two, and then maybe one, or two, and see if it'll let upload the three. If not, I'd have to do the upload possibly three times." On file size limitation pain point

"Videos are very big, mostly. And I can't upload them to Acturis at all, because the file is simply too big." On video handling limitation

"If I've got a claim estimate, a claim invoice, photos... it would be good if they all got uploaded at once, but still in that claim invoice, claim estimate... I don't know how you would do that." Describing ideal solution

"The good thing about uploading everything separately is that it's easy to find." Explaining rationale for current organization

"I won't just get an email in my inbox and upload it and forget about it. I will go into the file and double check what I've got, what's still outstanding, have I answered all my questions." On workflow preference for review

"I have to use this [task management] on a daily basis otherwise I can get lost with... It's quite easily to forget about a claim if I've not got a diary on it." On task manager dependency

"At the moment where it's so busy is I'm clearing—I'm starting from the bottom, and as I'm clearing, more and more coming in. And I'm struggling to get to my task management." Describing volume pressure impact

Consultant Observations

Laura's professionalism: - Despite being "quite stacked" with work, took time to show detailed workflow - Well-organized files demonstrate strong systems thinking - Thoughtful about why she does things certain ways - No complaints, just matter-of-fact about challenges

Technical aptitude: - Comfortable with screen sharing and demonstration - Understands Acturis well - Uses advanced features (task manager, activity types) - Could articulate ideal solution even if unsure how to implement

Process mindset: - Thinks about audit trail and findability - Balances efficiency with thoroughness - Doesn't skip steps even when busy - Quality-focused despite time pressure

Communication style: - Clear and concise - Good at showing not just telling - Appreciated brevity given workload - Open to follow-up communication

Time awareness: - TD noted full task list and kept interview brief - Laura appreciated respect for her time - Good rapport despite time pressure

Recommendations

Priority 1: Email & Attachment Upload Automation

Why first: - Clearest ROI (300+ hours/year) - Single biggest pain point for Laura - Technically feasible with Acturis API - High impact, specific solution - Quick win potential

Approach: 1. Phase 1: Research Acturis API for claims attachment handling 2. Phase 2: Build Outlook integration to intercept claims emails 3. Phase 3: Implement AI classification of attachments 4. Phase 4: Create review interface for Laura's approval 5. Phase 5: Pilot with Laura, iterate based on feedback 6. Phase 6: Implement image compression/video routing

Success criteria: - 80%+ of attachments correctly classified - Upload time reduced from 10+ min to <5 min per claim - Laura's approval workflow preserved - No loss of audit trail quality

Priority 2: Video Storage Solution

Why second: - Quick technical win - Clear pain point (videos can't be uploaded at all) - Low complexity (OneDrive/SharePoint integration) - Immediate quality improvement

Approach: - Auto-save videos to cloud storage - Insert link in Acturis file - Maintain accessibility - Better retention than inbox

Priority 3: Capacity Planning & Backup

Why third: - Risk management for business - Laura at capacity in winter - No backup coverage identified - Not technical solution, but important

Approach: - Document claims workflow thoroughly (done) - Train backup handler (part-time overflow help) - Or invest in automation to make one-person operation sustainable - Consider seasonal staffing flex

Task manager adoption push for account handlers: - Laura's success with task manager doesn't mean others should use it - Different work types (reactive vs. calendar-driven) - Excel spreadsheet may be better fit for renewals - Don't force tool adoption where workflow doesn't support it

Final Assessment

Laura's claims process represents the single best automation opportunity identified across all interviews:

✅ Clear pain point - Attachment processing takes 10+ min per claim ✅ High volume - Affects every claim, multiple times ✅ Quantifiable ROI - 300+ hours/year saved ✅ Technical feasibility - Acturis API available ✅ Specific solution - Email+attachment parsing and upload ✅ No process change - Enhances existing good practices ✅ Quick win potential - Could implement relatively quickly ✅ Scalability impact - Enables growth or reduces burnout risk

Recommendation: Prioritize claims email automation as first implementation project.