If your motor claims process still runs on WhatsApp photos, email assessments and Excel trackers, you’re not alone.

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The good news: you don’t need a core system replacement to see real impact.

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Here’s a simple 3-step sequence you can use to automate just enough in 60–90 days and set the stage for AI-powered claims with tools like Curacel Auto.

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Step 1: Fix First Notification of Loss (FNOL) First

If you only automate one thing, make it FNOL.

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FNOL is the lever because it:

• Sets the customer experience from day one
  
  
• Determines data quality for every downstream step
  
  
• Reduces back-and-forth between teams
  
  

When FNOL arrives via messy emails or incomplete WhatsApp messages, everything slows down.

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What “good” FNOL looks like:

• A structured intake (web/WhatsApp form, not free text)
  
  
• Required fields: policy details, location, date/time, brief description
  
  
• Photos + timestamps captured upfront
  
  

Quick wins to automate:

• Auto-acknowledgement with ticket ID and next steps
  
  
• Basic rule checks: policy active, coverage type, obvious red flags
  
  

AI-powered intake can also read photos and forms, extract key data and push it into your existing claims setup, even if that’s still spreadsheets.

Step 2: Automate Status Updates and Simple Decisions

Once FNOL is cleaner, attack the next big pain: “What’s happening with my claim?”

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Your call centre and relationship teams are swamped with repeat questions that automation can handle.

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Automations to start with:

• Proactive status notifications at key milestones
  
  
  • Claim received
    
    
  • Under review
    
    
  • More information required
    
    
  • Approved / rejected
    
    
  • Repair started / completed
    
    
• Straight-through processing for simple claims
  Define a fast-track rule such as:
  
  “If claim amount is under ₦X, no injury, no third party, no recent suspicious activity → fast-track or auto-approve.”
  
  

Rule engines and AI can triage claims, recommend decisions, and let humans override when needed. Your team focuses on edge cases, not routine approvals.

Step 3: Standardise Workshop / Garage Interactions

Even with better FNOL and updates, garages can still create leakage and delay.

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Common issues:

• Inconsistent estimates
  
  
• Slow or incomplete invoices
  
  
• Disputes over parts, labour or repair time
  
  

Automate the basics:

• A standard digital estimate form for garages
  
  
• Auto-matching invoices to approved estimates
  
  
• Simple flags for outliers in cost, parts or repair time
  
  

Over time, this structured data powers better fraud checks, leakage control and garage performance management.

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If you want to see where AI fits into this picture, you can read our 48-hour motor claims AI playbook.

How to Roll This Out in 90 Days

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You don’t have to wait for a big system project. You can layer automation on top of email, Excel and your current claims tools.

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Weeks 1–2

• Map your current journey
  
  
• Choose 1–2 FNOL channels (e.g. WhatsApp + web form)
  
  
• Define fast-track rules for simple claims
  
  

Weeks 3–6

• Launch structured FNOL intake
  
  
• Turn on auto-acknowledgement + basic checks
  
  
• Add status notifications at 3–4 milestones
  
  

Weeks 7–12

• Start straight-through approvals for low-ticket claims
  
  
• Standardise garage estimate and invoice flows
  
  
• Track impact on handling time, call volume and leakage

Turn This Plan Into a Real Workflow 

Every insurer’s reality is different: some have modern cores; others run motor claims on shared inboxes and spreadsheets. The 3 steps stay the same but how you implement them changes.

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If you’d like help mapping this to your current process:

Share your current motor claims flow (even if it’s just a spreadsheet and screenshots), and our team will suggest a practical 90-day rollout.

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Book a Curacel Auto demo : see FNOL, status updates and garage automations in action, and how they can sit on top of what you already use today.