Software Integration to Improve Data Validity
Background
RCIS is a leading provider of agricultural insurance. The company serves farmers in all 50 states, providing insurance for more than 130 crops, plus livestock, dairy, nurseries and aquaculture.
Background
RCIS is a leading provider of agricultural insurance. The company serves farmers in all 50 states, providing insurance for more than 130 crops, plus livestock, dairy, nurseries and aquaculture.
Challenge
Insurance is one of the most important and least technically developed aspects of modern agriculture. RCIS was relying on paper reports and early web processes to gather the crop data necessary to determine if a grower was a good candidate, for which policies, and to verify the accuracy of claims.
RCIS needed the equivalent of “photos of damage”, yield and harvest reports with interpolated satellite imagery, but was experiencing problems gathering the data from policy holders. Between reluctance of the policyholders to administer the data themselves and technical hurdles with differences in data formats between different brands of equipment, this was a difficult and laborious effort.
Challenge
Insurance is one of the most important and least technically developed aspects of modern agriculture. RCIS was relying on paper reports and early web processes to gather the crop data necessary to determine if a grower was a good candidate, for which policies, and to verify the accuracy of claims.
RCIS needed the equivalent of “photos of damage”, yield and harvest reports with interpolated satellite imagery, but was experiencing problems gathering the data from policy holders. Between reluctance of the policyholders to administer the data themselves and technical hurdles with differences in data formats between different brands of equipment, this was a difficult and laborious effort.
Solution
Skyward created an integration between two software systems to automatically retrieve the required data directly from farming equipment in the field. By automating an error prone and manual process and consolidating data into a usable format in one step, this increased the validity of the conclusions RCIS reached.
Additionally, Skyward created an administration portal that granted agents insight into the processing of data in real-time and allowed the agent to administer data on behalf of individual growers in order to avoid putting a burden on the farmer himself. By doing this, RCIS could control the accuracy and consistency of the data that came into their system, ensuring that they had the information they needed to contribute to their processes.
The application increased the insurer’s processed acreage by 1900% and more than doubled its expected processed acreage for the year. Based on this success, RCIS has retained Skyward to create a user interface for agents to make registration for and management of the program easier.
Solution
Skyward created an integration between two software systems to automatically retrieve the required data directly from farming equipment in the field. By automating an error prone and manual process and consolidating data into a usable format in one step, this increased the validity of the conclusions RCIS reached.
Additionally, Skyward created an administration portal that granted agents insight into the processing of data in real-time and allowed the agent to administer data on behalf of individual growers in order to avoid putting a burden on the farmer himself. By doing this, RCIS could control the accuracy and consistency of the data that came into their system, ensuring that they had the information they needed to contribute to their processes.
The application increased the insurer’s processed acreage by 1900% and more than doubled its expected processed acreage for the year. Based on this success, RCIS has retained Skyward to create a user interface for agents to make registration for and management of the program easier.