Allianz introduces "digital assistant" to help simplify recovery process for injured workers

1 July 2019

Allianz Australia is simplifying the recovery process for NSW workers with the introduction of a new smartphone app to help people navigate their workers' compensation claim – from payments to accessing recovery tools and resources.

Working in partnership with Deakin University, Allianz Australia is piloting the new Claims Companion by Genie, an industry-first, voice-controlled app that acts as a digital assistant for people who have been injured at work.

The new digital assistant will be rolled out to a cohort of workers' compensation claimants within Allianz Australia’s clients, including Sydney Water, the NSW Department of Finance, Services and Innovation and TAFE NSW. The trial began on Monday 24 June and will run for 3 months.

Mark Pittman, General Manager, Government Services at Allianz, said the Claims Companion by Genie would revolutionise the way injured workers interact with and understand the claims process.

“We are always looking at ways to better support workers in their recovery journey. The Claims Companion by Genie is an important, easily accessible tool that puts workers in control of their recovery whilst also providing them with the right level of support, care and motivation as they navigate what can be a complicated claims process,” said Mr Pittman.

“The digital assistant aims to simplify the claims process by bringing together many information sources into one interface and at the same time, motivate people in their recovery journey by ensuring they get the most from the support services available to them.”

The Claims Companion by Genie uses the award winning Genie platform developed by Deakin University. The software uses a chat interface and voice recognition to respond quickly and accurately to customer enquiries. Its user-friendly interface brings together various aspects of the claims/recovery process into one application helping users to understand what treatment is available to them, how they receive payments and also to clarify workers' compensation terminology. The digital assistant is also supported by machine learning which enables it to continually learn and become more intuitive as more workers access the application.

Deakin Chief Digital Officer William Confalonieri said the Claims Companion by Genie was the first commercial partnership for the Deakin Genie multi-award winning smart personal assistant since the technology was introduced to students in 2018.

“Deakin Genie has become a go-to resource for our students to ensure they’re supported, organised, and in control, and we’re excited to extend that software solution to the broader Australian public through Allianz and its customers,” Mr Confalonieri said.

“Our designers and developers have worked hard to bridge the gap between the human and the digital, so that every interaction with Genie feels as natural, comfortable and authentic as possible.

“With our Deakin Genie digital companion, Deakin is dedicated to driving commitment to digital innovation and our goal of being Australia’s premier university in the digital frontier.”

“We are proud to partner with Deakin University who are at the forefront of innovation. Together we are working to improve communication, engagement and recovery for workers. We look forward to sharing the learnings from the initial trial, as well as expanding the knowledge and capability of the Claims Companion by Genie. This is just the beginning." said Mr. Pittman.

Deakin, named after Australia’s second Prime Minister, is a young contemporary university with a reputation for being innovative. We aspire to combine excellent research and outstanding teaching with a strong focus on the communities we serve. Deakin is ranked in the top 2 per cent of the world’s universities in each of the major rankings, and ranked 211 in the Academic Ranking of World Universities (ARWU). Deakin researchers are making a difference through world-class research and innovation.

2018 Australian Financial Review Education Technology Award Winner

2018 iTnews Benchmark Awards IT project of the year

2018 Reimagine Education Awards ICT Support and Services Award Gold Award Winner

IDG Communications Digital Edge 50 Award Winner

2018 iAwards Victoria – Artificial Intelligence or Machine Learning Innovation of the Year

Victoria OpenGov Leadership Forum – Recognition of Excellence Award

Powered by artificial intelligence and machine learning, the Deakin Genie smart personal assistant uses a familiar chat interface and voice recognition, which enables it to continually get smarter and more intuitive as more users access the software and build on their conversations. Deakin students can ask Genie about almost anything to do with university life. Genie provides conversations and responses, drawing on personalised content from enterprise systems to provide a seamless user experience.

For more information, visit Deakin University.

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Allianz Australia has been securing the future of our customers in Australia since 1914. We deliver a wide range of personal and commercial insurance products and services to more than 4 million policyholders. We also provide support for workers' compensation insurance to around 25% of the top 200 ASX companies, making us one of the leading workers' compensation insurers in Australia.

Allianz Australia Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of the worldwide Allianz Group. The Allianz Group is one of the world's leading insurers and asset managers with corporate customers in more than 70 countries. Allianz customers benefit from a broad range of personal and corporate insurance services, ranging from property, life, and health insurance to assistance services, credit insurance and global business insurance. Thanks to our systematic integration of ecological and social criteria in our business processes and investment decisions, we are among the leaders in the insurance industry in the Dow Jones Sustainability Index.
This article has been prepared by Allianz Australia Insurance Limited ABN 15 000 122 850 AFSL234708 (“Allianz”). In some cases, information has been provided to us by third parties and while that information is believed to be accurate and reliable, its accuracy is not guaranteed in any way.

Any opinions expressed constitute our views at the time of issue and are subject to change. Neither Allianz, nor its employees or directors give any warranty of accuracy or accept responsibility for any loss or liability incurred by you in respect of any error, omission or misrepresentation in this article.
Allianz acknowledges Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples as the Traditional Custodians of the lands on which we live and work across Australia. We pay our respect to First Nations Elders past and present.



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