L to R: Dan Walker (Head of Claims | Tower), Isaac Heron (Executive GM | PartsTrader NZ), Julene Marr (Director | Deloitte), Nick Herford (Managing Director | Hello Claims), Hamish Blair (Head of Business Development & Client Relations | Sedgwick), Chrissy Terblanche (Claims Specialist | IVAA).
Claims are where the insurance promise becomes real and one of the most complex areas to transform. They bring together customers, insurers, assessors, repairers, suppliers and systems in a journey that must be both efficient and empathetic.
At InsurTechNZ’s claims-focused event, hosted by Tower on Thursday 3 September, the discussion explored how to make claims simpler, faster and more transparent while retaining the human support customers need.
A central message emerged: better claims depend on strong partnerships.
Partnership enables better claims
Technology can streamline processes, but it cannot improve claims in isolation. Better outcomes come when insurers and service partners work as one connected ecosystem.
This means moving beyond traditional supplier relationships. Repairers, assessors, technology providers and insurers need shared accountability for customer outcomes, supported by trust, connected data and the ability to make timely decisions.
In motor claims, for example, real-time information sharing between insurers and repair networks can reduce friction from lodgement through to repair, payment and closure.
Automation should support people, not replace them
Digital lodgement, workflow routing, assessment platforms and proactive communication can reduce manual work and speed up straightforward claims. But automation is a means to an end: a clearer, more reassuring customer experience.
Regular updates and self-service tools help reduce uncertainty, particularly when customers are managing disruption after damage to a car or home. Yet not every claim follows the same path. The best approach automates routine, low-complexity work while ensuring experienced people are available when judgement, empathy or additional support is needed.
Cross-sector learning accelerates progress
The event also highlighted the value of learning across insurance sectors. General, health and medical insurers face many similar challenges: fragmented journeys, multiple stakeholders, limited visibility and the need to make complex processes more customer-centred.
General insurers can learn from how medical claims providers manage care pathways, provider networks and sensitive communications. Medical insurance can draw on the scale, automation and partner integration developed in motor, property and other general insurance claims.
Sharing these perspectives helps avoid duplicating effort and brings fresh thinking to longstanding challenges.
Digital foundations matter
Successful transformation starts with the right foundations: modern core systems, simpler products, connected data and platforms that support integration with specialist partners.
These foundations will be increasingly important as insurers explore artificial intelligence and advanced automation. The opportunity is not simply to make existing processes faster, but to create connected claims ecosystems that improve routing, decision-making and customer outcomes.
The most effective starting point remains the customer journey: identify where delay, uncertainty and effort occur, then bring together the right people, partners and technology to remove them.
The future of claims will be shaped by collaboration. It will require trusted partner networks, strong digital foundations and a willingness to learn across the sector, always with the customer at the centre.
Thank you to Tower for hosting the event. InsurTechNZ is a community built on shared learning and honest conversation, and we welcome more voices in shaping the future of insurance innovation in New Zealand. Join InsurTech here
A recording of the panel discussion is available to InsurTechNZ members.
Check the website for details of upcoming events.