Integrating sustainability into the auto claims and repair workflow
As consumers deepen commitments to reduce waste and carbon footprint, eco-consciousness is no longer limited to retail, fashion, and food companies. Consumers are now motivated to seek sustainable options in various other industries, such as auto insurance—specifically, the sustainability of claims and repair processes. For insurers, consumer appetite for sustainable policies is genuine—a recent survey of Insurers in the Green Lane—Driving Sustainability in Motor Insurance: a Motor Opportunity found 75 per cent of consumers would consider switching to an insurer that can prove its sustainability credentials.
Clearly, there is an opportunity for auto insurers to embrace greener propositions—and those that do can attract and retain customers, reduce costs, and increase overall reputation. While transitioning to sustainable operations might have seemed daunting in the past, current technologies offer more achievable paths to sustainability for companies.
Still, significant hurdles remain for the industry, with difficulties in having data on the indirect end-to-end activity of the auto claims journey, known as Scope 3. In fact, 23 per cent of auto insurers from the same survey said they need more data analytics capabilities, while 22 per cent have scant claims and repair emissions data to meet sustainability goals.
Transitioning to sustainable claims and repairs with data
Despite these obstacles, 80 per cent of auto insurers intend to improve how they track and manage data on the sustainability of their processes. As encouraging as this is, recognizing the need for improvement and creating a plan to address it only goes so far in the eyes of your consumers.
Achieving sustainability requires data literacy throughout the organization and solutions—such as estimatics tools—that can help make sense of hard-to-measure Scope 3 CO2e emissions data. The role of data and estimatics is central to addressing these challenges. And as regulations such as the European Union’s (EU) Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD)—which requires reporting Scope 1, 2, and 3 emissions data—become policy models across the globe, understanding the role data plays in your claims and repairs sustainability journey is becoming a requirement.
Estimatics are critical for sustainable claims journeys
This shift in consumers’ sustainability priorities and global sustainability regulation necessitate new thinking from auto insurers, requiring them to reassess and improve sustainability data within the value chain. This can include examining sustainable practices among body and repair shops, suppliers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and transportation partners.
Solutions such as Sustainable Estimatics leverage extensive data, technology, and partnerships to measure, analyze, and offset Scope 3 CO2e emissions and give greater insight throughout the claims journey. For example, Solera’s Sustainable Estimatics encourages stronger collaboration across third parties—such as repair shops—to identify where a more sustainable approach can be made during a repair. Damaged bumpers, doors and even windshields can be repaired or swapped with used parts, which is more environmentally conscious and prevents them from going to a landfill. It also means fewer emissions and lower costs than shipping new parts through a complex chain.
As an ISO-14064-01 certified company, Solera provides insurers with comprehensive guidelines, scenarios, and verified carbon emissions figures to achieve sustainability goals. As Sustainable Estimatics prepares its debut for Canadian auto insurers, discover how Solera’s commitment to sustainability extends beyond traditional emissions measurement and collaboration here.
About Bill Brower
This blog has been created in partnership with Bill Brower, Senior Vice President of Global Industry Relations and North America Claims Team from Solera. Bill Brower, a distinguished professional in the insurance industry, Bill has an extensive career spanning over three decades, during which he has consistently demonstrated his commitment to driving excellence in the claims, repair, vehicle and fleet business sectors.
His career includes leadership roles at prominent organizations such as Nationwide Insurance, Liberty Mutual Insurance, LexisNexis Risk Solutions, and his current position at Solera. Bill’s profound expertise has established him as a highly respected figure in the Property and Casualty Insurance Industry.
Before joining Solera, Bill played a pivotal role as the Vice President and Head of U.S. Auto Claims Strategy at LexisNexis Risk Solutions, contributing significantly to the development of cutting-edge data solutions for claim automation. His tenure at Liberty Mutual showcased his versatility, with key positions including Head of Auto Physical Damage Claims and Vice President of Strategic Partnerships. Notably, in 2011, Bill collaborated with Solera to pioneer the industry’s first photo estimating app, a groundbreaking initiative that laid the foundation for today’s innovative Qapter® AI solution. During his 18-year tenure at Nationwide Insurance Company, Bill held progressively advancing leadership roles, contributing to the company’s success and growth.
Bill holds a bachelor’s degree in organizational leadership from Franklin University in Columbus, Ohio, and furthered his education by earning a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from Shorter University in Rome, Georgia.