English (UK)
English (US)"Partnering with UnderwriteMe has revolutionised our underwriting process by significantly reducing manual effort and improving efficiency. The implementation of Decision Studio has not only enhanced our operational capabilities but also elevated our customer experience, leading to faster decisions and higher conversion rates. This collaboration underscores our commitment to leveraging innovative solutions to better serve our customers and drive business growth."
The Challenge
Zurich Australia (Zurich) aimed to enhance its underwriting operations by automating the assessment of medical blood tests and examinations. At the time, medical results were delivered in unstructured formats (PDFs) and manually reviewed by underwriters — a process that was inefficient and resource-intensive.
Manual handling introduced delays in both retrieving and assessing test results, leading to long turnaround times and higher customer drop-off rates. These drop-offs represented missed sales opportunities, often after incurring significant costs for medical testing and underwriting effort.
To reduce friction, accelerate decisions, and improve conversion rates, Zurich turned to their trusted partner in underwriting automation – UnderwriteMe, to help expand its digital capabilities and streamline medical underwriting.
The Solution
UnderwriteMe implemented Decision Studio to automate the intake and assessment of medical tests using structured data and advanced decision logic.
Key features of the solution included:
Structured data integration with medical providers via API, enabling real-time, reliable data ingestion.
Automated rulesets that supported high rates of straight-through processing for medicals.
Enquiry chaining which allows medical data to be assessed in full context with the customer’s application.
Workflow automation which significantly reduces manual underwriting effort.
The solution was delivered in just 4 months, followed by a 6-month pilot to validate underwriting accuracy and fine-tune performance. Throughout the engagement, UnderwriteMe provided proactive support – helping Zurich to visualise key data flows, monitor performance metrics, and identify opportunities for ongoing optimisation.
Close collaboration ensured the solution aligned seamlessly with Zurich’s operational objectives and elevated the overall customer experience.
The Results
Automation delivered immediate and tangible business value:
4.8% increase in policy conversion rates for applicants requiring medical testing.
7.3 days reduction in average turnaround time from application to policy issue.
Over 60% straight-through processing rate for medicals — up from 0%.
More than 9x return on investment over 3 years.
Beyond operational gains, the use of structured data uncovered new underwriting insights – including previously undetected anomalies and missing values. These findings laid a strong foundation for future automation initiatives, such as digitising structured doctor questionnaires and integrating other secondary data sources.
Zurich was also named runner-up in the 2023 ALUCA Innovation Awards for this initiative – a testament to its commitment to innovation and the strength of its collaboration with UnderwriteMe.
