Imagining the claims professional of the future
The London (re)insurance market is currently undergoing a profound shift. Against a backdrop of ever-expanding technological possibilities, increasingly stringent regulatory demands, and an ongoing war for talent in the sector, carriers are reimagining the role of the claims professional. As speciality insurers and reinsurers explore and embrace the potential of new technologies like AI and automation, they also retain a keen awareness of the strategic value humans can bring to the business.
Claims teams have traditionally spent a lot of time on repetitive routine tasks that generate limited added value. Many organisations are still having to contend with outdated legacy systems and cumbersome workflows. That leaves highly skilled professionals bogged down in tedious tasks like keying in data, matching bordereau entries, searching for documents, or wrestling with outdated reporting tools. So it’s hardly surprising that new joiners – bright digital-native graduates raised on automation – question why they’re being asked to type the same information into multiple systems or pore over Excel spreadsheets. Eager new recruits arrive expecting a digital-first experience. Instead, they’re often dropped into a world that’s still reliant on 1980s infrastructure.
And yet, the potential to change this picture for the better has never been greater.
Across the London Market, a quiet revolution is underway. More and more carriers are adopting tools that automate first-notification triage, extract data from unstructured documents or apply predictive analytics to inform reserving strategies or identify complex claims sooner. According to one recent Lloyd’s Market Association (LMA) survey, 40% of firms in the market are already using some form of artificial intelligence, with nearly three-quarters using it specifically for document processing and summarisation. And these are not just proofs of concept. Many of these tools are already improving efficiency, reducing leakage and giving underwriters faster access to meaningful insights.
At DOCOsoft, we’re increasingly seeing our clients taking advantage of what modern claims technology can do. Leading (re)insurers are rethinking what their claims functions can be, not just implementing incremental upgrades, but embedding intelligent technology into the heart of their operations. Persistent concerns that claims professionals might be supplanted by technology are misleading. Technology is augmenting, not replacing, human expertise and experience. It’s not a question of people against machines, but of people plus machines. Effectively, we’re witnessing the early stages of what has whimsically been described to as the rise of the ‘bionic adjuster’. What that means in practice is tech-enabled claims professionals, supported by insight-rich systems, empowered to make faster better-informed decisions.
As automation picks up more and more of the routine workload, the human side of claims is coming into sharper focus. Streamlining the more laborious aspects of traditional claims roles shifts the emphasis toward so-called ‘soft skills’. The increased use of AI and automation tools puts a premium on core human skills like emotional intelligence, judgement and interpersonal communication. The professionals who will thrive in this environment will be those who can interpret insights and communicate them meaningfully to brokers, clients, underwriters, and boards. Technology is clearing the way for claims professionals to do more of the work that only humans can do – engaging, explaining, influencing and innovating.
The implications of this shift go beyond daily operations. It fundamentally reshapes the skills sets and outlook required of future claims leaders. Tomorrow’s claims professionals will be expected to understand emerging technologies, anticipate market shifts, and play a proactive role in shaping strategy and customer outcomes. Several of our clients have already begun reorganising their teams with this in mind, creating new hybrid roles that sit at the intersection of claims, data and product innovation.
This change is also prompting a re-evaluation of how this industry develops and retains talent. With many of the market’s most experienced claims professionals fast approaching retirement, succession planning is critical. But, equally, entry-level roles need to evolve, if we hope to attract and retain early-career professionals. If we continue to weigh new recruits down with outdated manual workflows, we risk losing them before they even begin to develop their potential. By showcasing claims as a data-driven commercially strategic career, the industry can remain relevant to the next generation – and, crucially, ensure that vital institutional knowledge is passed on.
For this evolution to succeed, we believe the market needs to act on several fronts.
Firstly, it’s important for firms to prioritise investment in skills development. It’s not just about hiring technically competent claims handlers. It’s about giving claims professionals at all levels the confidence and the tools they need to navigate data, interact fluently with AI tools, and make sound strategic decisions. And, as automation increases, we need to double down on training that builds skills around communication, empathy and resilience. Because those quintessentially human attributes are going to become more and more valuable – and help create competitive differentiation.
Secondly, we should work to eliminate unnecessary friction across claims workflows. That means automating what can be automated – triage, summarisation, system updates – so adjusters can focus on the more complex nuanced high-stakes elements of their roles. At DOCOsoft, we’re actively supporting our clients with solutions that do exactly this – removing duplication, improving transparency and giving claims professionals back the time they need to add real value.
Thirdly, the market would benefit from reframing claims as a modern engaging high-impact profession. That starts with telling a new and more compelling story – one that recognises claims as a strategic hub where data, human judgement and technology meet. Whether it’s providing insights to underwriters, identifying emerging risks, or building trust with customers after a loss, claims professionals can and should be at the heart of contemporary (re)insurance businesses.
Finally, we believe there’s power in collaboration. The London Market has a long history of working together to solve shared challenges. The rise of intelligent claims platforms, shared standards and common cause codes libraries can empower this market to deliver massively greater value collectively. The future will belong to those organisations who can seamlessly integrate advanced technologies while retaining and amplifying the human touch that defines true claims excellence.
The claims professional of the future won’t look like those of the past. That’s something to celebrate. We’re moving beyond the days of ‘process for the sake of process’ towards a model where technology empowers people and where claims becomes a central source of insight, confidence and innovation across the business.
This isn’t just about bringing the market up to speed with 2025. It’s about building a future claims workforce that’s ready to lead the next decade of transformation, with the tools, mindset and, crucially, the human qualities to continue delivering an outstanding claims service in a fast-changing world.