AI is already transforming the operating model for insurance brokers. Where traditional automation struggled with unstructured documents, process variation and judgment-based decisions, AI can interpret information, apply business rules and support workflows across inboxes, internal systems and insurer portals. Now, entire processes can be reliably automated with minimal manual handling, allowing brokers to reduce operating costs, respond to customers and insurers faster, and grow their business without needing additional headcount.
The difficulty is knowing where to begin. With margins under pressure, customer expectations rising and competitors investing in automation, waiting for a complete AI strategy or wider technology transformation can slow progress unnecessarily.
A better approach is to start with one high-volume, repeatable workflow that creates clear operational pain. Automate the repetitive work around it, measure the results and use what you learn to identify the next opportunity.
How to choose which broker workflows to automate
The strongest starting points typically involve:
- High volumes of repetitive manual work
- Frequent movement of data between emails, documents and systems
- Clear business rules and escalation points
- Delays that affect service, revenue or capacity
- Outcomes that can be measured, such as handling time, error rates or throughput
For most brokers, three workflows stand out as practical, high-impact opportunities: submission intake and market placement, policy servicing and renewals, and FNOL and claims intake. Each involves significant re-keying, follows relatively clear process rules and has a direct impact on customer service, broker productivity and the performance of the book. Delays in these areas can slow placement, weaken retention, and limit growth.
How Virtual Agents automate broker workflows
Unitary’s Virtual Agents combine AI and software to replicate the processes your brokers follow today. They work directly within existing systems using standard user logins, avoiding complex integrations that may be difficult or impossible with legacy platforms.
Workflows can be automated end to end, with only exceptions escalated for review, or designed to involve brokers at specific points where their expertise, judgment or client relationships add value.
For each use case below, we outline what an example workflow could look like with a Virtual Agent.
Use case 1: Automating submission intake and market placement
The challenge
New business placement is central to a broker’s role, but it involves a significant amount of repetitive administration. Teams must re-key data between systems, validate risk information, chase missing details and identify the most appropriate markets for each submission.
This process has been difficult to automate using traditional tools because submission formats, underwriting requirements, portal workflows and insurer appetites vary so widely.
When handled manually, it slows time to market, increases the risk of errors and limits the number of relevant insurers a broker can approach.
How AI can streamline submission intake
Where previous tools like Intelligent Document Processing (IDP) could only automate parts of the process, AI now unlocks the ability to handle submission intake end-to-end.
It can interpret unstructured submission documents, extract and validate risk data, identify missing information, enrich submissions using approved data sources, apply insurer-specific requirements and move information between broker management systems and insurer portals.
Routine submissions can be processed automatically, while incomplete, unusual or complex cases are referred to a broker for review. Data is captured and standardized throughout the process, helping brokers improve submission quality, reach markets faster and increase placement capacity, all without adding headcount.
Example workflow: Automated submission intake and placement
- Intake & classify submissions: Virtual Agents monitor shared inboxes or portals, identify new business inquiries and classify each risk by product, class of business and required workflow.
- Extract submission data: Relevant data is captured from emails, proposal forms, spreadsheets, and other supporting documents.
- Prepare and validate the market submission:
- Check completeness: The agent compares the submission against required data fields and supporting documents, identifying missing or inconsistent information.
- Validate and enrich data: Extracted information is checked for anomalies and, where appropriate, supplemented with approved third-party data sources.
- Process supporting documents: Documents such as loss runs, claims histories, statements of values and exposure schedules are extracted, structured and validated.
- Triage and select markets: The risk is prioritized and matched to relevant insurers based on appetite, product, class of business and broker-defined placement rules. Alternatively, the submission can be routed to a broker with the relevant risk information and market context so they can review and select the appropriate insurers.
- Submit to market: The Agent enters the required data and uploads supporting documents to insurer portals or underwriting platforms.
- Track insurer responses: Quotes, declinations, requests for information and revised terms are captured and presented to the broker for review.
Business benefits & metrics
Use case 2: Automating policy servicing and renewals
The challenge
Policy servicing and renewals create a continuous flow of repetitive administrative work. Policy changes, endorsements, cancellations, certificate of insurance requests and renewals must be managed across emails, broker management systems and carrier portals.
Although much of this work follows established rules, it has traditionally been difficult to automate. Requests arrive in different formats, information is distributed across multiple systems and carrier requirements vary by product and market.
As a result, brokers still spend significant time chasing information, re-keying data and updating systems. This slows servicing turnaround, delays renewal activity and takes brokers away from client relationships and revenue-generating work.
How AI can streamline policy servicing and renewals
AI-supported automation can interpret incoming requests, extract the required information, check policy details, apply workflow rules and update broker management systems and carrier portals.
Routine servicing tasks can be completed automatically, 24/7. Requests involving coverage changes, pricing decisions or underwriting judgment can be routed to the appropriate broker or carrier with the relevant context.
This helps brokers respond to clients faster, reduce administrative work and ensure renewals begin early enough to avoid last-minute delays.
Example workflow: Automated policy renewal
- Identify upcoming renewals: Virtual Agents monitor the broker management system for policies approaching expiration and trigger the renewal workflow according to broker-defined lead times.
- Gather renewal information: The Agent retrieves the current policy documents, prior-year submission, claims history, endorsements, exposure data and other relevant records from internal systems.
- Request updated information: Renewal questionnaires or data requests are sent to the client automatically. Responses and attachments are monitored, captured and linked to the correct policy record.
- Prepare and validate the renewal submission:
- Check completeness: The Agent compares the updated information against required fields and identifies missing documents, unanswered questions or outstanding actions.
- Validate changes: Current information is compared with the expiring policy to flag changes in exposures, values, locations, claims history or coverage requirements.
- Process supporting documents: Claims histories, statements of values, payroll records, schedules and other documents are extracted, structured and validated.
- Enrich the submission: Approved third-party data can be added where appropriate to improve the quality and completeness of the renewal submission.
- Triage and route for review: Straightforward renewals can progress automatically, while material changes, complex risks or potential coverage issues are routed to the broker with a summary of key differences and outstanding actions.
- Prepare and submit to market: The Agent structures the renewal submission, updates the broker management system and enters the required information into carrier portals or underwriting platforms.
- Track carrier responses: Quotes, declinations, requests for information and revised terms are captured, matched to the correct risk and presented to the broker for review.
- Complete the renewal: Once terms are agreed, the Agent updates the policy record, distributes the relevant documentation and records the final outcome across all required systems.
Business benefits and metrics
Use case 3: Automating FNOL intake and claims routing
The challenge
First notice of loss is a time-sensitive process, but it often creates a significant amount of administrative work. Brokers and claims teams must review incoming notifications and supporting documents, capture claim details, identify missing information, update internal systems and route each claim to the correct carrier, claims adjuster or internal team.
When this work is handled manually, claims can be delayed, misrouted or recorded inconsistently. This slows the initial response to the insured, increases pressure on claims teams and can make an already difficult customer experience more frustrating.
How AI can streamline FNOL intake and claims routing
AI-supported automation can manage much of the FNOL workflow from initial notification through registration and routing. It can interpret emails and attachments, extract claim and policy information, check that required details have been provided, apply routing rules and update the relevant systems.
Routine claims can be registered and routed automatically, while coverage questions, complex losses, high-value claims and other exceptions are escalated for human review with the relevant context.
This helps claims teams acknowledge losses faster, improve data quality and reduce the administrative work required at the start of the claims process.
Example workflow: Automated FNOL
- Capture the notification: Virtual Agents monitor shared inboxes, web forms and claims portals for new loss notifications, then identify the relevant insured, policy and incident.
- Extract claim information: Key details are captured from emails, FNOL forms and supporting documents, including the date and type of loss, location, parties involved, estimated loss value and circumstances of the incident.
- Prepare and validate the claim record:
- Check completeness: The Agent identifies missing information or documents required to register the claim.
- Validate policy details: Claim information is checked against the policy record to confirm details such as the named insured, policy period and potentially applicable coverage.
- Process supporting documents: Photographs, invoices, repair estimates, police reports and other evidence are extracted, structured and linked to the claim.
- Flag potential issues: Inconsistencies, high-value losses, possible coverage concerns or fraud indicators are referred for human review.
- Triage and route the claim: The claim is prioritized and routed to the appropriate carrier, claims adjuster, third-party administrator or internal team based on factors such as product, loss type, severity, geography and broker-defined rules.
- Create the claim record: The Agent registers the claim in the relevant claims, policy or broker management system, uploads supporting documents and records a complete audit trail.
- Send acknowledgements and notifications: The insured, claimant, broker, carrier and relevant internal teams receive the appropriate confirmation, reference details and next-step communications..
- Track outstanding actions: Missing information, carrier responses and follow-up tasks are monitored automatically, with reminders sent and unresolved exceptions escalated when required.
Business benefits & metrics
Don’t wait: get started now
Unitary helps insurance brokers automate workflows in weeks and prove real ROI from AI. Virtual Agents are deployed directly inside the systems their teams already use, including broker management systems, carrier portals, Excel and Outlook. Workflows can be automated in as little as 4 weeks with no need for process changes or technical integrations.
Whether your biggest bottleneck is submission intake, policy servicing, renewals or FNOL, we can help you choose the right starting point, quantify the opportunity and build a clear business case for automation.
