Josh Ehmke

Hey, everybody. Josh Ehmke again here with One Claim Solution. Thanks for joining me again today. On this segment, we’re going to talk about technology and how OCS is implementing technology and developing certain things here to help drive the outcomes that we’re seeking on behalf of our contractors. So when we first established One Claim Solution, one of the original things that we did before we ever brought on our first customer was we established a software or a process that we had a technology to help drive our organization, and in order to help automate the claims process for our customers. At the time, it was a great technology, but looking back on it now versus where we’re at today, we’ve come light years from that original software that we were using in order to help drive the claims process for us.

And so over the last nine, ten years, as we’ve continued to develop and better that technology, we’ve since internalized it and we now own our own software that we use in order to drive efficiencies for the entire claims process. It helps drive efficiencies for our customers, making it easier for them to be able to upload claims to us and be able to receive feedback from us on those claims, as well as create a system where our contractors have more transparency into the claims process. They have more transparency into their accounts receivable. They’re able to make projections based off of that transparency, which is invaluable to our customers. We’ve been able to establish technologies that help drive efficiencies for our people in order to help them feel empowered to do what they need to do and be able to communicate better with insurance companies.

There’s a lot still to do, but we do believe that OCS has been in a unique position again because of the sheer volume of claims that we’ve been able to process, the sheer volume of insurance companies and adjusters that we’ve communicated with, and the history that we have there. And we’ll continue to develop that as things go.

So, one of the things that OCS has been able to recognize and see is that technology is invaluable, right? Technology can be a curse or a blessing. And one of the things that we’ve been able to recognize is that some insurance companies have already started implementing different AI types of processes in order to just produce standardized responses back to any claims that are submitted or anything like that. And so, as a blessing and a curse, technology, you know, on the blessing side, as you seek to solve different problems that are unique to this industry through implementation of a new technology or a new process based on technology, can be invaluable and help really drive efficiency for what it is that we’re trying to accomplish for our customers. As we’ve been able to see with some carriers already starting to use and implement AI into their claims processing systems, and we’ve also been looking at how can we use the same type of technology in order to, again, level that playing field. These insurance companies have been able to do it. It’s a lot harder for contractors to be able to develop their own AIs on different types of things to be able to handle their claims processes. But because OCS has kept very, very detailed records and data on every claim we’ve ever touched from the very first one back in 2016 to today, we’re in a unique position to be able to use that data that we’ve been able to compile in order to create a very specific AI that is unique to this industry.

And in fact, just the other day, I was pulling up a claim that a contractor had a question on. And one of the new features that we’ve been able to implement into our own software is the use of AI. In the past, I would have to pull up a claim and review almost all of the notes in that claim to get a solid, complete summary of what was going on with it, so that I could help get involved. But with this new AI processes that we’ve used, right at the very top of the claim page, I have a very specific and succinct AI summary including the next steps on what it is that the claim needs and what’s gone on with it. And so that’s just an example of something that we’ve done, but that creates a system of efficiency where I no longer have to spend 5 to 10 minutes reviewing a claim in order to give an answer. I have the answer right there.

And it’s something that is not just beneficial to me, it’s beneficial to our people here. That helps drive that efficiency for them even while they’re on a phone with an insurance company. A lot of times, our people have an opportunity and maybe even have a relationship with a carrier that they might be on the phone with that adjuster for a specific claim, but the adjuster has some time, and they’re able to be able to pull up other claims and have that absolute summary right there to be able to quickly process multiple claims in the same phone call with an adjuster. It’s different things like that that we’ll continue to develop and implement along the way.

And we’re pretty excited about the investment that we’ve been making into our technology and the AIs that we are developing internally to help level that playing field for our customers. And we honestly believe that this is something that will highly change the industry in favor of our customers as we continue to develop that for each of our contractors, as well. And so, pretty excited about that.

It’s crazy to think where technology has gone from the very beginning of OCS to where it is now. It’s scary to look at where AI has gone in the last year and where it’s going. But it’s important for OCS to be able to be involved and ahead of the curve on all of that as well for our customers, and we feel OCS is in a unique position with its data, with its history, to be able to be ahead of that curve for our customers. With technology, it can be both good and bad, right? And so, as OCS strives to stay up in front of the curve when it comes to technology

There have been things that we’ve been able to recognize that technology has been more of a detriment to the industry. And like I said previously, we’ve seen some carriers implement the use of AI into their claims adjusting process, which has completely removed that personal touch and that personal review of an actual invoice from a contractor. A lot of times that AI is taught how to respond to different situations that maybe a human wouldn’t respond to because a human has, we hope, a conscience, and so they wouldn’t try to do certain things. But we have seen that the use of AI has been developed in that type of a sense where insurance companies have been able to use that. And, so definitely situations where technology in this industry isn’t the greatest thing either, but I think a largely depends on the humans behind it, right? And what their intention is of using that AI. 

And as I stated previously as well, OCS has and is still in the process of developing our own AI in order to help combat what the insurance companies have done. And it goes into what you teach the AI to do and how to respond to different situations, and what your goal is behind it. Technology is only as good as those people behind it. And so, and constantly changing, constantly evolving, technology is fantastic. But, just like cell phones for my kids, it has to be monitored and used correctly.

As we all know, technology has come a long, long ways over the last 25 years. I remember when I got my first cell phone. Now, my kids have one. It’s been great. I’m able to see where my kids are at. I’m able to know that they’re safe, that they got to school safely, that they got home safely. It definitely, again, goes back to what’s the intent behind a technology. Is it used for the right reasons?

Based on OCS’s experience and the data that we’ve been able to compile, the technologies that we’re developing, we believe, will help streamline the claims adjusting process and the claims processing itself for our customers. It helps in communicating with insurance companies. It helps be able to find the right times, the best times, to be able to communicate with a specific adjuster. And so when it’s used appropriately and correctly, it can really help streamline and drive efficiencies for any company. And we’re excited about the direction that OCS is headed with its use and implementation of different technologies. Whether it’s to help aid its people and help them feel more confident and empowered to do what they need to do in order to help drive processes, in order to help our managers make sure that our people are staying on task and really driving each claim towards the desired outcome in a more timely response for our customers. It really all adds together. The people, the process, the technology–it all adds together in order to help OCS level that playing field for our customers. And we’re really excited about the direction of everything headed there.

Hey, thanks again for joining me today, and talking about technology and how OCS is using it to help, you know, develop our people, our processes–all in order to help level the playing field for our customers. We really believe it’s beneficial and that OCS has been in a unique position to be able to drive those efficiencies in order to gain outcomes quicker and better outcomes. So, thanks again.