Digitalizing COI delivery will transform manual, slow, and error-prone processes into a secure and efficient system that benefits all parties involved.

Do you know that over 30% of insurance agencies still rely on delivering physical Certificate of Insurance (COI) for their insurance verification?

Yes, that’s true. Despite utilizing automation and AI-powered tools to run most of their back-office operations, some insurance agencies still provide physical copies of these certificates to their customers, proving that a business or individual is covered by insurance. This manual process consumes a lot of time and money and can sometimes ignite security concerns. Therefore, there is a need to digitalize COI delivery to eliminate these bottlenecks and provide a seamless customer experience.

Before diving deep into the relevance of digital certificate of insurance delivery, let’s first understand its meaning and role in the insurance industry. These documents are issued at the time when an agency collaborates with a contractor or a third party. COI verifies that the existing policy complies with state & local requirements and summarizes its key aspects and conditions. It includes details like the policyholder’s name, date of issue, type of coverage, policy limits, and other relevant information.

But what are the challenges stopping insurance agencies from digitalizing this process? Why could digitalizing certificate of insurance delivery be a game-changer? And can digital COI enhance user experience? These are some of the most pertinent questions that we will address in this blog.

The challenges involved in traditional COI

The underlying process of COI issuance and delivery is largely manual, creating a lot of challenges for insurers around the world. According to a study, around 400 million COI are issued in the US every year, and all of them are document-based certificates, meaning these certificates are delivered via postal services. Here are the challenges involved in this process:

• Paperwork and storage issues: The traditional method of COI delivery involves extensive paperwork and can lead to inefficiencies which increase the chances of losing the document. Storing these documents is also a challenging task as they occupy a lot of space and retrieval can be time-consuming as well.
• Risk of errors or fraud: When the information is filled in manually, it gets exposed to fraud, error, and document manipulation. Even the smallest mistake can cause serious damage to businesses, potentially undermining the terms of the policy. This can negatively impact the relation between insurers and businesses.
• Inefficiencies in communication: The manual COI delivery slows down business operations as it delays communication between clients and insurers. The communication gap is heightened when late delivery causes delays in approval, renewals, and sharing of critical updates.

The single solution to overcome all these challenges is to provide digital COI to clients and save time, money, and manual labor. Digitalizing certificates of insurance for businesses can future-proof their operations, increase efficiency, and provide better customer experience.

Why is digitalizing COI beneficial for both insurers and businesses?

Digitalization or automation is beneficial for every industry managing clients on a regular basis. In insurance, most of the processes like onboarding and claims processing are already automated resulting in improved operational efficiency, reduction in overhead costs, and better customer experience. Digitalizing COI delivery can eliminate the remaining obstacles from the policy’s lifecycle benefiting both insurers and businesses. Some advantages of digitalizing COI are:

• Convenience and accessibility: Digital COI documents can be accessed from anywhere in the world, eliminating the use of physical storage units and coordination with the relevant official. Sending these documents via electronic mail provides quicker responses to businesses operating across multiple locations or time zones.
• Cost savings: Paperless operations eliminate expenses related to manual processing and delivery of a document. This not only cuts administrative expenses but also speeds up the delivery of policies and enhances customer satisfaction.
• Security and compliance: Compared to traditional methods of delivering mail, digital processing reduces the risk of unauthorized access to sensitive information and fraud, while helping businesses stay compliant with regulations. With digitization, insurers can instantly notify businesses about the renewals and expirations of their policy.
• Faster and streamlined workflow: By processing COI digitally, insurers can stay connected with multiple clients, contractors, and brokers, speeding up the approval and review process. Digitalization can instantly update policy details ensuring that all the stakeholders have an updated version of the certificate.

Digitalizing COI helps insurers and businesses stay efficient, secure, and compliant all while offering convenience and reducing costs. Easy access, faster processing, and enhanced security add more value to running operations smoothly and improving business relationships.

How digital COI improves user experience?

With digital COI delivery, all the stakeholders involved in the policy’s lifecycle benefit from streamlined workflows, enhanced security, and real-time access to crucial information. This transition not only minimizes errors and delays but also builds a transparent relationship between all the stakeholders. Here are some ways in which digital COI improves user experience:

• For insurers: Digital COI allows insurers to generate and manage certificates quickly and accurately, update and modify documents instantly, and reduce paper consumption. They can also track the issuance process, monitor trends, and analyze key metrics.
• For clients/businesses: Clients can receive and share digital COI with anyone in the world in real-time; , this helps them stay compliant and track insurance coverage. With easy access to COI, clients can proactively manage the renewals and get a seamless digital experience.
• For third parties (vendors/contractors): Digitalization can streamline the document submission process for vendors, allowing clients to review and approve coverage quickly. The digital approach also builds trust between different parties and minimizes delays in the policy approval process.

By facilitating smoother interactions, fewer errors, and faster transactions, digital COIs offer a win-win for all parties involved.

Best practices for implementing digital COI

Shifting from traditional to digital COI delivery requires a strategic approach to ensure efficiency, security, and compliance. However, the integration of digital COI platforms into traditional systems requires thoughtful planning and adherence to best practices. Some of these practices include:

• Choose the right platform: The process of digitalizing COI starts by choosing the right platform that integrates well with your current insurance, risk, and document management systems. You should always look for a platform with an intuitive user interface, enhanced security features, and a strong customer support system.
• Standardization: Establish a standard format for Digital COI; this will increase efficiency of the review process and ensure that all COI follow the required guidelines. You should also make sure that information like coverage limits, exclusions, and effective dates are clearly defined in every COI, be it standard or customized.
• Training: Create a training program for both the internal and external users involved in the process on how to issue, review, and track digital COI on the platform effectively and securely. This includes informing users about the digital tools, workflows, and any changes in processes.
• Ensure compliance: Before implementing a digital COI system, make sure that all your certificates are in compliance with both local and international laws and regulations. Working with a legal expert ensures that the digital COI system meets all legal requirements.

By following these practices, businesses can implement a digital COI solution that eventually enhances the risk management process, reduces errors, and solidifies relationships with stakeholders.

Digitalize COI today for swift and secure operations

Digital COI delivery will become an integral part of the broader digital transformation in the insurance industry and now we have a deeper understanding of how it is extremely relevant. Businesses should explore digital COI delivery solutions as it is more than a passing trend; it’s a strategic move that enhances security, drives efficiency, reduces operational costs, and improves overall experience.

At FBSPL, our team believes that the future of any business depends on the choices we make today, and digitalization of COI delivery is a step towards that efficient future. Contact us to experience more eco-friendly and reliable insurance solutions for all your needs.