In the fast-paced world of commercial and specialty insurance, speed, precision, and efficiency in underwriting are critical. However, one of the most pivotal stages in the underwriting lifecycle is the insurance submission intake process – which remains bogged down by manual workflows, fragmented data, and unstructured documents.
It is reported that the Underwriting Operations team spends a considerable amount of time (ranging from hours to even days) processing submission requests manually, which delays quote generation and negatively impacts broker satisfaction.
Enter Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) – a transformative solution that’s redefining how insurers handle submission intake.
This blog explores how Intelligent Document Processing for insurance is reshaping the submission intake process, from the challenges of traditional workflows to the tangible benefits of automation. Whether you’re an underwriter, operations leader, or innovation strategist, understanding the potential of IDP is no longer optional – it’s essential for staying competitive in a digital-first insurance landscape.
What is the Insurance Submission Intake Process?
The insurance submission intake process is the initial stage, where brokers or agents submit documentation to carriers for underwriting and quoting commercial or specialty insurance policies. This process involves collecting, reviewing, and processing a wide range of documents, including applications, loss runs, financial statements, Statement of Values (SOVs), and other risk-related information.
A typical submission process is depicted in the below diagram.
Despite its importance, the intake process is often highly manual and inefficient. Submissions typically arrive in unstructured formats, such as PDFs, Excel sheets, or scanned documents, via email or portals. Underwriters or underwriting operations teams must manually extract relevant data, reformat it, and input it into internal systems. This includes identifying key fields, validating information, and flagging missing data.
Characteristics of Manual Document Processing/Data Extraction Process
The data extraction process step in the entire submission process is typically characterized by
- Vast volumes of data (structured / semi-structured / unstructured).
- Data in diverse formats such as Excel, PDF, scanned documents, and emails.
- Possible human errors (incorrect data capture or missing relevant data, etc.).
- Increased processing time and operational overload.
The above-mentioned characteristics lead to downstream issues like – incomplete processing, inaccurate data capture (leading to premium leakages), missed quote/policy conversion opportunities, etc.
Why Choose an Intelligent Document Processing for Insurance?
Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) is a typical solution to the stated challenges. IDP offers a transformative solution by automating data extraction, classification, and validation.
The IDP Solutions
The IDP tools surpass traditional OCR technology, capable of extracting data from various documents utilizing AI and Gen-AI technology. IDP tools, with little to no training, can help in understanding the document, extracting all relevant information from it, and making it available for consumption by downstream systems.
IDP combines the power of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language processing to automatically ingest, classify, and extract data from complex, unstructured documents. It doesn’t just digitize paperwork – but understands it.
The typical document types include PDFs such as ACORD forms, Insurer’s application forms, Broker Forms, Word (Application forms, project details, etc.), and Excel (SOVs). The attachments in the email could also include images and videos. Information also exists in the email sent by the agent/broker.
By ensuring that all data is accurately extracted, the IDP solution addresses the most critical issue of the manual submission process more efficiently and effectively.
In essence, IDP doesn’t just automate – it augments the underwriting process, turning document chaos into structured intelligence and giving insurers a competitive edge in a digital-first market.
A complete IDP solution typically consists of the following components:
- Pre-built components to extract data from standard Insurance forms.
- Component to train and extract data from new sets of documents.
- Workflow component to orchestrate document processing and routing.
- Automation modules for seamless data capture and transformation.
- Low-code or No-Code component for the human-in-the-loop scenarios and interventions.
IDP lays the foundation for a more data-driven future. With structured insights flowing seamlessly from every submission, insurers can identify trends, optimize pricing strategies, and proactively manage risk portfolios. It’s not just about doing things faster – it’s about doing them smarter.
Human-in-the-loop for IDP Workflows
Human-in-the-loop is a design pattern in AI systems that involves collaboration between humans and machines. The AI performs tasks like data extraction, classification, or prediction, and humans intervene at key points to – Validate AI outputs, correct errors, provide feedback to improve the model and make final decisions in high-stakes or uncertain scenarios.
Reimagined Intelligent Document Processing for Insurance Submission Intake
A reimagined IDP process for data extraction would look like the one below. While the entire submission process can be automated, the diagram below depicts only the intelligent document processing step of the whole process.
As can be seen, a typical IDP process automates the entire document analysis and data extraction process, enabling efficient submission.
This reimagined process enables near-instant visibility into submission quality, risk indicators, and quoting readiness. It also integrates seamlessly with policy administration and CRM systems, ensuring data flows smoothly across the underwriting ecosystem. The result is faster quote turnaround, improved broker satisfaction, and more time for underwriters to focus on strategic risk assessment and relationship building.
Key Benefits of IDP Solution in Insurance
The IDP solution eases a significant burden on the underwriting operations team by automating one of the most tedious and critical steps in the submission intake process. It helps the operations team focus more on critical activities by freeing up their time on document analysis and data extraction tasks.
IDP systems can handle large volumes of submissions without requiring additional headcount, making them ideal for peak periods or business growth.
IDP improves compliance and auditability by maintaining clear data trails and standardized workflows. It also supports better decision-making by unlocking structured insights from previously unstructured documents, allowing underwriters to assess risk more effectively.
As per analysts and market research, the IDP solution estimates indicate:
- Reduction in manual processing efforts by 70-80%.
- Reduction in operational cost by 30-40%.
- Increase in submission to quote ratio by 50-60%.
IDP Tool Options Available for Insurers
Insurers exploring Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) have a variety of tool options depending on their operational needs, technical maturity, and integration requirements.
Broadly, these tools fall into several categories.
- There are end-to-end IDP platforms that offer document ingestion, classification, data extraction, and validation in a single solution – which is ideal for insurers seeking a comprehensive, plug-and-play approach.
- Modular AI services allow insurers to build custom workflows by combining OCR engines, natural language processing models, and machine learning components. These are well-suited for organizations with in-house development capabilities.
Workflow automation platforms can be layered on top of existing systems to orchestrate document routing, exception handling, and human-in-the-loop reviews.
There are numerous tools and custom solution options available in the market. Each option varies in terms of flexibility, cost, and implementation complexity, allowing insurers to choose a solution that aligns with their digital transformation goals.
Conclusion: Transform Submission Intake with IDP Automation
As the insurance industry continues to evolve in response to rising customer expectations and competitive pressures, the need for smarter, faster, and more scalable operations has never been greater. Submission intake, once a back-office bottleneck, is now emerging as a strategic differentiator – thanks to the power of Intelligent Document Processing.
By embracing IDP, insurers are not just automating a task – they are fundamentally transforming how they engage with data, brokers, and risk. The shift from manual document handling to intelligent, AI-driven workflows enables carriers to unlock new levels of efficiency, accuracy, and agility. It empowers underwriters to make better-informed decisions, accelerates the time-to-quote process, and enhances the overall broker experience.
Many large commercial and specialty carriers have already begun their IDP journey or are seeking IT vendors to assist them with similar solutions. IDP is no longer a futuristic concept – it’s a present-day imperative. The question is no longer if insurers should adopt it but how fast they can scale it to stay ahead.
With over two decades of insurance domain expertise and an AI-driven technology mindset, Nous empowers insurers through its professional services and insurance technology solutions, helping them overcome manual document processing challenges and enhance operational efficiency.
