Customized drone programs can help speed up the decision-making process for business owners and the insurance industry while improving safety and the bottom line.
Drones Deliver Actionable Data, Efficiently
In 2022, UAV and UAS (drone) programs provide business owners and insurance professionals across industries the opportunity to mitigate risk and drive new growth in real time. By delivering actionable data more efficiently than ever before, these next-gen drone platforms offer a sneak peek at the future, today.
Risk Management and Profitability Go Hand in Hand
From claims processing and applicant qualification to loss adjusting and recovery planning, the pace of business requires innovation to remain competitive, especially for business owners and risk professionals.
The evolving intersection of drones, data distribution, and the global insurance marketplace is poised to take advantage of efficiencies like:
- Rapid deployment of powerful data capture platforms
- Data visualization and insights
- Real-time accessibility for multiple stakeholders
- Technology advancements that lower costs
- Payload capabilities and emerging options
FAQs About Drones for Business and Insurance Use Cases
All of the above represents a new frontier for drones, and in the modern economy, this technology can support tangible growth opportunities for businesses without sacrificing safety (and in many ways, improve it).
Below are questions we have received from business owners and insurance professionals about drones:
- What does efficiency mean for MY unique industry?
- Who benefits most from a custom drone program and drone efficiency?
- Does the potential value of a drone program warrant the expense?
- Are there any potential data privacy concerns to know about?
- What are the key features of a successful drone program?
- What steps should my business take to incorporate drones or build a program?
Drone Efficiency and Proactive Risk Management
To capitalize on drone efficiency, business owners and insurance professionals must embrace proactive risk management. Threats associated with underinsurance, risk compliance, insurance policy renewal process, and more are manageable.
- For Adjusters, this means more facts to support the adjustment of the loss.
- For Brokers and Underwriters, this means greater data insights and acquisition-related to physical risks.
- For Engineers and Inspectors, this means better and more accurate data points to help measure and assess the cause of a loss
- For Owners and Executive Leadership, this means more certainty of risk and more accurate assessment of insurable values
Drone Efficiency Helps Decision Makers Improve Safety and Protect Profits
Drone efficiency provides different advantages to different industries, but the bottom line is the same: faster, more accurate data to help decision-makers improve safety and protect profits.
Below are a few examples from industries we serve:
Agriculture
Near-infrared and multispectral cameras enable farmers to collect real-time insights on crop and livestock health. By identifying how and where problems occur in everything from soil to topography, farmers are empowered to balance market pressures and the consequences of supply, poor yield, and waste.
Hospitality
Drones offer hotels and any associated businesses the ability to observe and survey the integrity and condition of current infrastructure before a CAT happens, allowing claims managers the opportunity to compare damages before and after.
Security
For highly trafficked (or even low traffic) parking garages – specifically around retail centers and universities – risks like ingress and egress, line of sight, and potential construction hazards represent unique premises liabilities that drones can highlight quickly and efficiently.
Real Estate
While the housing market may have cooled in 2022, essential tasks like roof inspections and land surveys – along with aerial photography – are now established use cases for drones, enabled by real-time data accessibility providing improved speed and greater transparency.
Transportation
For transportation companies, government highway commissions, and accident reconstruction services, drones now provide incredibly useful insight into previously unobserved risks and hazards with 3D imaging, improved camera resolution, and greater line of sight.
Building Your Business Case for Drones
Empirical data can help make sense of drone efficiency, specifically ensuring positive ROI for businesses using drones when compared to current market conditions.
The below insights answer common questions regarding drone data acquisition costs, data privacy, and turnaround times:
Aren’t drone programs expensive?
A partnership agreement can lower costs. And companies can save money by using a drone partner that integrates the data collection, distribution, and assessment process into one easy-to-use platform. Technology is improving and equipment has become more affordable making flexible and customized solutions more accessible.
Do drones share private data?
Yes and no. The majority of data privacy concerns are linked to equipment manufacturers. For example, DJI is the largest producer of drones in the world, and China’s government has invested in the company. Currently, DJI drones are not approved for U.S. government use. However, commercial applications typically capture data and then push it to a secure cloud server, either owned by the drone operator or an affiliated partner
How quickly can drones get you imagery video footage?
Circumstances will often dictate turnaround time, but best-in-class programs average about 72 hours from when the request is submitted to being able to access and analyze the data in an easy-to-use dashboard. Simple deployments, including pre-risk assessments, agriculture surveys, or real estate inspections, can often be completed in less than 48 hours.
How to Get Your Drone Program Off the Ground
When policyholders and insurance companies ignore opportunities to support their decisions on improving safety and profitability, a loss event occurring can have unexpected and devastating effects on businesses.
To take advantage of the efficiencies that a modern and successful comprehensive drone program provides, here are a few suggestions you can quickly deploy:
- Book a pre-risk survey or damage assessment with the LDS team
- Read this case study on how drones helped gather solar panel thermal data fast
- Check out this video of hurricane damage in Tortola
