Adrian Gilbert is the managing director of SX3 a claims consultancy service he set up in 2014 with Laurence Besemer. Claims Media recently caught up with him to find out more about SX3 and how it aims to give insurers a better choice of consultant in an increasingly uncertain claims environment.
“Claims operations typically call on consultants to help them with what I call the three ‘P’s – People, Process, Performance” says Adrian Gilbert. “I used to find consultants could be stuffy, by which I mean they came with preset solutions but limited insight into my real needs. We’re about removing the stuffiness.”
No wonder then that SX3 – a claims consultancy service that Gilbert set up in 2014 with Laurence Besemer, CEO of the Forum of Insurance Lawyers (FOIL) – aims to deliver straight-talking solutions for insurers who are increasingly looking for an independent second pair of eyes to help them navigate the unpredictable world of claims.
This, he says, is what makes SX3 stand out from some of the larger, or more established, consultancies whose work has become process-driven, meaning that it may not be fully aligned with their clients’ goals.
“They arrive with a team, sit down, agree a scope and deliver that to the letter, but there doesn’t seem to be a lot of value added to it,” explains Gilbert.
“They’ve just taken what they’ve been asked to do and churned it out the other side. But it might not be what you actually need. They’re trying to bend what they do to what the customer needs.”
In contrast, he says that SX3 would never operate on auto-pilot in such a way. Consequently, if there’s something SX3’s network of over 30 consultants can’t do, then it doesn’t accept the work. Instead, Gilbert tries to point insurers in the right direction to another consultancy.
Equally, if it takes on a project but does not deliver the goods, then the consultancy doesn’t expect to get paid.
“We want to help de-risk the chance of getting a consultant that just goes through the motions.”
How it works
SX3’s structure is not unique – a network of claims professionals who are on call to take on contracts – but it is closely managed at all stages to ensure quality output.
“What we do better than some is how we manage that network. We engage actively with customers and we’re on the phone with them a lot, monitoring progress,” says Gilbert.
“We don’t abdicate responsibility once the contract is signed. We project manage it from start to finish. It’s about understanding what the core issue is and agreeing what the genuine solution should be – and doing all that with the client up front.”
SX3 harnesses a mix of individuals as its consultants. They all have different skill sets, but share one thing in common. They have recently worked within claims. Some of them, for example, are in a transitional phase of their careers and want to carry out some consultancy work while they work out what they want to do next.
“These guys are really good for us because they are fresh out of the market, they were doing a job that was regarded as meaningful. So they’re current,” says Gilbert.
With a pool of seasoned professionals to call upon, SX3 can also help its consultants out when they come across a situation that is unfamiliar or problematic by calling upon the advice of another consultant.
“So if consultant A has an issue and has 75% of the knowledge he needs, we’ve got other people to partner with them to fill the rest of the 25% in. We do that by keeping our knowledge base current.”
Gilbert also keeps track of consultants’ reputation: “Engagement with the market i