Case study
Transforming insurance claims through digitisation
Re-engineering insurance claims: A digital-first strategy for efficiency and experience
About the company
Liberty, a leading South African financial services provider(a division of Standard Bank). Liberty offers diverse products, including life, health, and motor insurance.
company
Liberty Group
location
South Africa
industry
Insurance, Fintech
audience
Retail insurance clients, Agents, Brokers
Platform
Web
Year
2023-2024
duration
7 months
Project context
The company faced significant inefficiencies in its claims department due to manual processing of claims. Complex claims (e.g., medical or death) often require multiple documents (medical reports, police records, death records).
Physical document submissions, prolonged verification, and high operational costs prompted a digital overhaul. By implementing a secure digital platform with automated verification, Liberty aimed to achieve faster processing, improved customer satisfaction, and cost savings.
The challenge
The company faced significant inefficiencies in its claims department due to manual processing of claims. Complex claims (e.g., medical or death) often require multiple documents (medical reports, police records, death records).
Physical document submissions, prolonged verification, and high operational costs prompted a digital overhaul. By implementing a secure digital platform, Liberty aimed to achieve faster processing, improved customer satisfaction, and cost savings.
Key challenges identified
Manual processes: Paper-based submissions caused delays (average 14-day processing) and errors.
Customer dissatisfaction: Inconvenient physical submissions and lack of transparency.
High costs: Labor-intensive verification and storage.
Compliance risks: Difficulty auditing manual processes under POPIA regulations.
Coordination issues: Complex claims required collaboration with hospitals, doctors, police, and doctors, complicating manual workflows.
Emotional burden: Customers navigated complex paperwork during traumatic times.
Manual processes: Physical submission of death certificates, policy documents, and burial invoices led to errors and delays (average 10–12 days).
Lack of transparency: No real-time updates caused anxiety about claim status.
Cultural sensitivities: South Africa’s diverse traditions required flexible documentation (e.g., customary burial permits).
Goals
Business goals
Digitise the claim process.
Automate claims verification (where possible).
Reduce average claim processing time by ≤48 hours and operational costs by 30%.
Reduce number of branch assisted claims.
Ensure compliance with South Africa’s FSCA and POPIA regulations.
Design goals
Simplify the claims journey.
Design intuitive and user friendly digital forms for claimants and advisors.
Achieve 90%+ satisfaction in “ease of use” and “emotional support.”
Improve customer satisfaction scores by 20%.
My role and team
I worked within a team comprising of product managers and developers and researchers as a Senior UI/UX Designer. Through multiple design sprints in a highly agile environment we shipped a web based platform over a span of 7 months.
Key responsibilities
Collaborated with the product team to plan user-centric product stories and conducted competitive analysis
Iterated wireframes based on IA provided by the product team and suggested UX improvements
Created layouts and components for 30+ complex screens leveraging the Liberty design system
Conducted interviews with the customer experience team and listened to customer calls to gather insights
Led the redesign ensuring seamless integration into the design system for brand consistency
Designed screens to cater for the complex journeys of different personas in the product ecosystem.
The solution
We designed and implemented a comprehensive Online Claims Portal—a web-based platform accessible 24/7 with mobile-responsive design and secure login system. The solution transformed the traditional paper-based process into a streamlined digital experience.
Key features
The digital transformation delivered exceptional results across all key metrics, positioning Liberty as an industry leader in claims processing efficiency and customer satisfaction.
Digital document submission
Built-in validation checks ensure documents are correct before submission, reducing errors and delays.
Real-time claim status tracking
Automated notifications keep customers informed throughout their claims journey with transparent updates.
Step-by-step guided process
Tailored to different user types with clear instructions and progress tracking throughout the claims journey.
Integration
Integration with internal claims management system
© 2025 Mandla Nkala. All rights reserved.
All trademarks, product names and logos on this site are property of their respective owners.