Grinnell Mutual Adopts Kespry Drone-Based Aerial Intelligence Platform 

The regional P&C carrier uses Kespry to significantly reduce inspection time, expedite claims processes, reduce loss adjustment expenses, and enhance customer satisfaction.

(Image credit: Larry Doucet.)

Grinnell Mutual Reinsurance Company (Grinnell, Iowa), a regional property/casualty insurance company and the nation’s largest primary reinsurer of farm mutual companies, has implemented the Kespry (Menlo Park) platform for residential and commercial property roof inspections.

The insurer is currently using Kespry drones and its aerial intelligence platform routinely to take detailed, high-resolution photos that are rapidly blended into single, composite 3-D images of roofs, according to a Kespry statement. The images, combined with AI and machine learning-based algorithmic assessments made in the Kespry Cloud, help Grinnell Mutual’s adjusters determine storm-related damage, including hail impact, in support of more accurate claims decisions, the vendor says. Grinnell Mutual also benefits from using Kespry to assess complex, multi-property claims, according to the vendor.

“What’s nice about the Kespry system is we can knock out an average inspection within about 15 minutes,” comments Chuck Tremain, Property Large Loss Specialist, Grinnell Mutual. “Without a drone, a roof inspection can take up to two hours. With the drone, I have the data right there. I can look at it on-site and actually make some decisions on the spot, which is nice. Our policyholders and contractors have trusted the data and found that it is accurate. It makes us feel like we’re doing our job and getting policyholders taken care of. We’re making good on the promise we make to our policyholders.”

In addition to improving customer service, the safety benefits of using Kespry were also a key factor in Grinnell Mutual’s choice to acquire the system. Roof inspections often require climbing tall ladders and walking across unstable surfaces. Drone inspections mitigate this risk.

More Efficient and Accurate Claims Experience

George Mathew, Chairman and CEO, Kespry.

“Through our partnership with Kespry, Grinnell Mutual is expanding the tools we use to provide a more efficient and accurate claims experience for our customers,” comments Paul Boonstra, Director of Commercial Claims, Grinnell Mutual. “It also creates a safer working environment for Grinnell employees. Ultimately, Grinnell Mutual is building on a future in which our customers can trust that their claim will be handled fairly and quickly.”

“Both Grinnell Mutual employees and customers are experiencing the benefits of using Kespry to enhance accuracy and dramatically decrease claim cycle times,” comments George Mathew, CEO, Kespry. “Our platform delivers incredibly high-resolution, accurate aerial imagery and unbiased reports, creating transparency and trust among everyone involved in Grinnell Mutual’s claims cycle. We’re incredibly pleased to play a role in enhancing how Grinnell Mutual conducts inspections for the better.”

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Anthony R. O’Donnell // Anthony O'Donnell is Executive Editor of Insurance Innovation Reporter. For nearly two decades, he has been an observer and commentator on the use of information technology in the insurance industry, following industry trends and writing about the use of IT across all sectors of the insurance industry. He can be reached at AnthODonnell@IIReporter.com or (503) 936-2803.

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