Collaboration, capability and customer outcomes

The insurer panel at ARC360 2026 opened with a question that reflected many of the themes discussed throughout the day: is the current model sustainable?

Moderated by ARC360 Co-Founder and ILC Content Director Mark Hadaway, the discussion brought together Scott McCammon, Head of Motor Repair at Admiral; Natalie Horton, Head of Motor Claims Operations at The AA; Kate Nash, Head of Outsourcing & Supply Chain Management at Tesco Insurance & Money Services; and Richard Ketley, National Repair Network Manager at esure/ageas.

Collectively, the panel represented more than a century of experience across motor claims, repair and supply chain management. While each organisation operates slightly differently, there was clear agreement on one point: the motor insurance landscape is changing, and fast.

Vehicle technology is evolving, regulation continues to increase, customer expectations are shifting and geopolitical uncertainty continues to influence costs and supply chains. As a result, insurers are increasingly reassessing what they need from their repair networks and wider supply chains.

Structural change

Early in the discussion, Scott reflected on the themes that had emerged throughout the day and suggested the industry was experiencing something more significant than a typical cycle of change.

“I think the industry is familiar with ongoing change, but when you think about vehicle technology, regulation and consumer expectations, it feels less like cyclical change and more like structural change,” he said.

For insurers, that means traditional measures of success are being supplemented by new requirements.

Historically, capacity and cost management have been critical factors when building and managing repair networks. While those considerations remain important, Scott explained that insurers are increasingly looking at a broader range of capabilities when assessing partners.

Technical competence, customer delivery, operational resilience and ESG credentials are all becoming more prominent considerations.

“I think it’s becoming a lot broader, what insurers are looking for now across the network,” he explained. “Those suppliers and repairers that embrace that broader picture will become the more stable networks within the insurer world.”

Kate supported this view, highlighting the importance of information exchange. “Topmost on my list of things to focus on is how do we make sure that we’ve got the right information flowing through the business,” she said. “It really is a two way relationship.”

Capacity to capability

That shift from capacity towards capability was a recurring theme throughout the discussion.

As vehicles become increasingly complex, insurers are placing greater emphasis on technical expertise and specialist knowledge.

Reflecting on the changing nature of the vehicle parc, Scott noted that repair networks are increasingly being assessed on their ability to repair modern vehicles rather than simply their ability to process volume.

“We’re moving from a capacity-led market to a capability-led market,” he said. “When we look at repair partners now, we’re looking more at EV accreditations and ADAS calibrations and less about capacity and postcode coverage.”

For repairers, that observation echoed many of the themes raised earlier in the day by both Paul Sell and Matthew Freeman. Investment in capability is becoming increasingly important as vehicle technology evolves and repair methodologies become more sophisticated.

Collaboration

Alongside capability, the panel returned repeatedly to the subject of collaboration.

Natalie explained that The AA’s approach remains focused on maintaining strong, long-term relationships with its repair partners. Operating a network of approximately 180 repairers, she emphasised the importance of consistency, trust and continuity at a time when many businesses are navigating uncertain market conditions.

“We have a lot of partners that we’ve worked with for a long time and they are true, genuine partners to us,” she said.

That partnership approach also extends into repair versus total loss decision-making. The subject generated considerable discussion as panellists explored how insurers balance repairability, customer outcomes and affordability.

Preferred outcomes

Richard acknowledged that insurers would always prefer to repair vehicles where possible. “We all want to repair more cars. We don’t want to write cars off,” he said. “It’s costly for us as an insurer and it’s not a great journey for customers.”

However, he also highlighted the commercial realities facing insurers. “Sometimes we’re going to have to make a commercial decision that means we do write something off because we’ve got to keep insurance at an affordable cost for the public.”

Natalie agreed that repair remains the preferred outcome wherever possible and outlined how The AA has actively sought to increase repairability over the past 12 months.

“The customers largely want their car fixed,” she said. “It’s very inconvenient for them to not have it fixed and to go through having to search for a new vehicle.”

She explained that the business is increasingly working with repairers to review borderline cases and identify opportunities to safely repair vehicles that might previously have fallen into total loss territory.

“We’ve already made really big inroads in the last 12 months in terms of our repairability and we are repairing more cars than we ever have.”

Technology

Technology was another major theme throughout the session. As claims operations become increasingly digital, insurers are exploring how automation, AI and integrated systems can improve efficiency while maintaining customer service standards.

Richard described esure’s ongoing digital transformation programme, explaining that the organisation has invested heavily in technology while remaining conscious that not every customer wants a fully digital experience.

“We’ve put a lot of AI systems into our business. We haven’t lost headcount. We’ve just enabled people to be more efficient,” he said.

At The AA, Natalie shared an example of how AI is already helping streamline communication between insurers and repairers.

Rather than relying on multiple daily telephone calls, repairers now receive automated job summaries requesting specific updates. The initiative has already delivered significant operational benefits while reducing unnecessary disruption for repairers.

“They don’t want us ringing them. They are busy enough as it is,” Natalie said. “We’re probably getting about 40% of our updates coming through that way.”

Human value

Yet despite the growing role of technology, panellists were keen to stress that human judgement remains essential.

Discussing repairability decisions, Richard explained that automated systems are increasingly used to support decision-making, but they are not infallible. “Technology is great, but sometimes it still needs a human being,” he said.

As the conversation progressed, attention turned towards regulation and the growing influence of Consumer Duty.

The panel highlighted how regulatory requirements now extend well beyond insurers themselves and increasingly influence expectations throughout the wider supply chain.

Non-negotiable

Natalie described compliance as a non-negotiable consideration for insurers. “Nothing happens unless we’re compliant,” she said. “The consumer is more aware than ever of rules, regulations and expectations.”

Richard echoed that view, explaining that insurers are ultimately accountable for ensuring customers receive the right outcomes and that supply chain partners understand their responsibilities.

“Every part of that ecosystem needs to understand that the customer is there and we need to provide that service,” he said.

Scott suggested that regulation will continue to influence how insurers engage with suppliers in the future.

“I think there’ll be more due diligence going forward,” he said. “Less about contractual SLAs and statements made about things and more about can we track it and can we prove it?”

ESG, security and governance

The discussion also touched on ESG, cyber security and data governance, all of which are becoming increasingly important considerations within insurer procurement and supply chain strategies.

Kate highlighted the growing importance of reliable data and consistency across the supply chain.

“One hundred different suppliers coming up with one hundred different methods is not going to help,” she said. “How can we get simple and efficient about doing this?”

Despite the breadth of topics discussed, the panel repeatedly returned to one central theme: The customer.

Whether discussing repairability, technology, regulation or future partnerships, every panellist emphasised the importance of delivering positive customer outcomes.

As Kate observed, relationships need to move beyond traditional transactional measures.

“We really want to move away from those transactional relationships where it’s about cost and SLAs,” she said. “We need to understand each of our resources and capabilities in this value chain because we can’t operate without each other.”

Success

The final question of the session asked what defines a successful insurer-repairer relationship.

The answers reflected many of the themes that had emerged throughout the discussion.

For Scott, it was stability; for Natalie, it was collaboration and shared learning; for Kate, it was moving beyond transactions and understanding the strengths each organisation brings to the relationship; and for Richard, it was recognising that everyone is operating within the same ecosystem and facing many of the same challenges.

“We don’t know it all,” he admitted. “We’re facing the same problems.”

The challenges facing the sector are significant, yet the insurer panel reinforced a message that surfaced repeatedly across both insurer and repairer discussions: future success will depend on stronger partnerships, greater transparency and a shared commitment to delivering the right outcomes for customers.