A claim rarely consists of just one document. The information and supporting documents required depend on the specific case. At Generali, this includes factors such as which subsidiary is the contracting insurer, what type of claim is involved, and whether the policyholder is a private or commercial customer.
These factors determine which questions, documents, and additional process steps are required. Some documents may also not yet be available when the claim is initially recorded.
This is where Generali uses Paperfly. Instead of handling individual forms or PDFs separately, claims intake by the claims adjuster is managed as a digital workflow.
Paperfly then guides the claims adjuster through exactly the steps required for that case.
What You’ll Learn in This Article:
- Why digital claims intake requires more than an online form
- How each claim gets the right process
- How captured information becomes the right claims report
- Missing documents do not stop the process
- Why not just use PDF, email, and an e-signature tool?
- What insurers gain from the process
- Conclusion: The value lies in the end-to-end process
Why Digital Claims Intake Requires More Than an Online Form
A traditional online form initially solves just one task: collecting data. In the claims process, however, the specific case determines what information is actually required.
At Generali, the process can depend, for example, on:
A fire claim requires different information and supporting documents than a water damage claim. The questions, documents, and additional steps required to process the claim therefore vary accordingly.
The challenge is to automatically provide the right process for each claim. That is why the digital form itself is not the central element. The logic behind it is. The characteristics of the claim determine which information, documents, and process steps are required next.
How Each Claim Gets the Right Process
The process is provided digitally to the responsible claims adjuster. Paperfly then guides the adjuster step by step through the tasks relevant to that specific claim.
The key characteristics of the case are defined first:
- Subsidiary: Selection of the responsible insurance company
- Basic information: Policyholder, loss location, claim number, and date and time of loss
- Type of loss: For example, fire, burglary, or water damage
- Customer type: Private or commercial customer
This information determines how the process continues. For a private fire claim, for example, the appropriate claims report is provided. The claims adjuster therefore sees exactly the questions and documents relevant to that specific case.
How Captured Information Becomes the Right Claims Report
In the next step, the claims adjuster records the loss in a structured format. Different information is requested depending on the type of claim.
For a fire claim, for example, relevant information may include:
- How the loss occurred and its possible cause: What happened, how did the damage occur, and what may have caused it?
- Type and extent of the damage: Which items or parts of the building are affected, and what does the damage look like?
- Smoke detectors: Were smoke detectors installed, and did they activate during the incident?
- Emergency response: Was the fire department notified, and did it respond to the scene?
- Information about the affected building: For example, ownership or tenancy details, information about the building, or other circumstances relevant to settling the claim.
The captured data does not remain isolated. It is transferred into the designated document. The guided data collection process therefore creates the specific claims report with all information associated with the case.
The policyholder then signs the document digitally. This can happen directly on-site using the claims adjuster’s tablet. If the signature is to be provided later, the policyholder receives a digital workflow by email or text message and can complete the process on their own device.
Missing Documents Do Not Stop the Process
In claims handling, not everything is usually available from the start. A repair estimate, for example, may not be prepared until several days later. Depending on the case, the same may apply to invoices, damage schedules, or other supporting documents.
A digital process should not require every piece of information and every document to already be available during the initial claims intake.
With Paperfly, missing documents can be requested from the right person when needed. The responsible person receives a digital workflow by email or text message and can easily submit the outstanding information and documents.
Why Not Just Use PDF, Email, and an E-Signature Tool?
Technically, individual steps can also be handled with separate solutions. A PDF can be sent by email. A web form can collect information. A separate application can provide an electronic signature. Documents can be collected through an upload link. But that does not make the overall process automated.
The insurer still needs to ensure
- that the right person receives the right document,
- answers the relevant questions,
- submits the required supporting documents, and
- provides any missing documents later.
The responses also need to be assigned back to the correct claim. The more separate solutions are involved, the more process logic remains with employees. Paperfly therefore operates one layer above these individual tools. It connects the separate steps into one workflow and controls them based on the specific case.
What Insurers Gain from the Process
For insurers, the main benefit is more consistent process control. Employees have fewer individual steps to coordinate and do not need to decide from scratch for every claim which documents or document versions are required.
Paperfly therefore improves more than just the digital interaction with the claims adjuster and policyholder. The key impact occurs in the underlying process: less manual coordination and more structured responses create a better foundation for continued claims handling.
Conclusion: The Value Lies in the End-to-End Process
Creating a digital claims report, such as the formal loss record used in this process, is only one part of the task. What happens before and after it is what matters.
With Paperfly, Generali does more than digitize a claims form. The individual claim determines the process: which information is required, which document is created, what needs to be signed, and which supporting documents may still need to be submitted later.
This gives the claims adjuster exactly the journey required for each individual claim.
Why Paperfly Is Ideal for Digital Claims Processes
Paperfly does more than digitize individual documents. The platform connects the process logic across the claim, adjuster, documents, signatures, follow-up requests, and responses in one workflow.
Key benefits at a glance:
1. Less manual process coordination
Document selection, data collection, signatures, and follow-up requests all run within one managed workflow.
2. The right process is provided automatically
Depending on the claim, the workflow displays exactly the right questions and documents. Information is captured directly in the required format and can be processed more easily downstream.
3. Documents are generated directly from the process
When required, the appropriate document is automatically created from the information collected. It can then be signed digitally within the same workflow.
4. Missing documents do not block the process
Supporting documents can be requested later and automatically assigned to the existing claim.
5. Fewer disconnected tools and manual handoffs
Paperfly brings data collection, documents, signatures, and follow-up requests together in one process.