The End of the Insurance Waiting Game - a way to seamless claims processing

Take Storm Boris in September 2024, for example. After sweeping through Central Europe, insurers faced an estimated €2bn to €3bn in claims, primarily due to extensive flooding and structural damage. In November of that same year, devastating floods in Valencia cost insurers over €3.5bn, based solely on the first 72,000 claims received.

Traditionally, the claims process - heavily dependent on in-person inspections and manual approvals - left homeowners and businesses waiting weeks or even months before repairs could begin. But what if that timeline could be shortened to just a few days? What if claims could be evaluated, approved, and assigned for repair in a fraction of the time?

That’s the gap PortalPRO is looking to close. Originally developed as a platform to help property managers coordinate repairs more efficiently, it quickly proved to be a viable solution for insurers facing property-related claims surges. We realised that our service economy platform offering preventative maintenance and repair management solutions can actually address several issues insurance companies are experiencing during peak times.

From Friction to Flow: Reinventing the Claims Experience

For years, the insurance claims process has been burdened by delays - damage is reported, an adjuster is scheduled for an on-site inspection, paperwork moves between departments, and only then does the payout or repair offer reach policyholders. In the wake of a natural disaster, when thousands of claims pour in simultaneously, this system quickly becomes overloaded. Considering that insured losses from catastrophic events exceeded $135bn for the fifth consecutive year, the industry clearly needs solutions that process claims faster and accelerate real-world recovery.

As a service economy platform, PortalPRO is built for property owners and managers who need a more structured, reliable way to handle repairs. Instead of waiting for an in-person inspection, they can seek help by reporting property damage online by uploading photos through our AI- powered tool. In seconds, the damage is assessed and offers detailing potential resources are generated that prompt the users to request repair provider services.

We soon realised these processes could also benefit insurance companies when we helped manage claims following a major storm in Lithuania last year. We stepped in to assist one of our partner insurers that was experiencing a spike in claims, more than 300 requests at peak demand. We handled claims and cut down on processing time by 80%. Clients were able to proceed with repairs more quickly because what would have typically taken about 50 days was finished much faster.

This experience underscored the potential for PortalPRO to support the insurance industry at scale. The platform evolved beyond a property management tool - this new insurance damage claims self-service solution became a bridge between insurers, property owners, and repair specialists, ensuring that claims weren’t just approved quickly but translated into real action.

The Key to Customer Satisfaction and Cost Reduction

For insurers, streamlining claims means more than just efficiency. It reduces administrative costs, minimises fraud - which makes up about 10% of all insurance claims costs - and helps policyholders navigate one of the most stressful moments of their lives with greater ease. By integrating structured digital workflows, insurers using PortalPRO can cut out unnecessary back- and-forth and ensure claims move seamlessly from reporting to resolution.

For policyholders, the impact is just as important. They get quicker access to funds and repairs when they need them most, a smoother claims experience overall, and more transparency throughout the process. And it matters, Accenture found that 83% of customers who have an easy claims experience are likely to renew their policies. Insurers who don’t embrace the advantages such technology provides aren’t just falling behind in efficiency; they risk losing customers to competitors who move faster.

As extreme weather events become more frequent, insurers are facing mounting pressure to process a rapidly growing number of claims. The challenge isn’t just about keeping up, it’s about maintaining accuracy, fairness, and trust in a system that policyholders rely on during their most vulnerable moments. To keep pace, insurers need structured, data-driven solutions that don’t just speed up the process but also use the expertise of repair specialists. In an industry where reliability matters most, finding ways to remove bottlenecks and improve transparency is no longer optional, it’s essential.

Dalius Šimaitis is CEO at PortalPRO

www.linkedin.com/company/portalpro