Suncorp is accelerating its digitisation drive as it looks to technology to sharpen its competitiveness and product offerings.

At an investor forum last week, CEO Steve Johnston and other senior executives outlined the program of digital-led works they have planned for the business.

CEO Insurance Products and Portfolios Lisa Harrison says the program to invest in digital distribution is a “significant opportunity” to both improve the customer experience and “transform” the cost base.

“There are a range of investments we’re making with this initiative,” Ms Harrison said.

“The most significant are automating and digitising our contact centre processes, implementing productivity measurement and management systems and, for our people, further leveraging our new telephony platform.”

Contact centres handle about 70% of transactions for Suncorp’s mass brands at present.

“Our ambition is to reverse these percentages and we believe this is possible while delivering a better customer experience,” Ms Harrison said. “COVID has accelerated the transition to digital.”

Ms Harrison says last year saw a 25% rise in self-service transactions and 19% jump in the number of claims lodged online.

But there is room to further ramp up the digital drive, Suncorp says. For instance about 80% of claims are still submitted via traditional call centres.

“Our long-term ambition is to flip this on its head and have 80% of claims lodged online,” COO Insurance Paul Smeaton said. “Now, while COVID has accelerated our customers’ willingness to do things digitally, this is still a major shift for our business.”

Mr Smeaton says to encourage online claims lodgement, the business will implement express claims management to allow customers to lodge and self-fulfil simple claims.

He says artificial intelligence will quantify the loss and enable the customers to cash-settle, or select the best alternative supply option.

“For more complex claims, we are making enhancements to facilitate automatic allocation to claims managers, assessors and appointments with supply chain trades,” Mr Smeaton said.