Development of a mobile application for customer data capture: a case of Cooperative Insurance Company Limited

Date
2014
Authors
Chebet, Daizy
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Strathmore University
Abstract
Mobile Technology has a high impact on the way of doing business for many insurance firms in Kenya today. Mobile devices are therefore quickly becoming part and parcel for insurance business; this is because mobile devices allow real time access to important insurance data and information. Mobile technology therefore accelerates the speed of mobilizing insurance customers which in turn improves the value proposition of mobile applications and solutions. Technology is inevitable for insurers and has become a catalyst that the insurance companies need so as to keep abreast with the rising needs to real-time business processes of agents and customers. Despite the wide coverage of mobile phones in Kenya, Insurance firms have not ventured a lot into mobile application as a solution to data capture. This may due to a major challenge which is the definition of the line of business to be made mobile. This is because Insurance processes are complex while mobile solutions are simple and easy to use. There are not so much studies done to evaluate the impact of mobile applications (app) on data capture in insurance business. The main goal of this study is to assess whether the implementation of mobile phone has had any influence on data capture and management as a whole. The total population of study was 80 including CYC senior and middle level management staff and back office staff. The location of study was CIC head office at CIC plaza, Mara Road, Upper Hill. The questionnaire and observation methods were used for data collection. The research findings revealed that the majority of the employees had a positive feedback on the implementation of mobile phone app for data capture. Management staff had the opinion that business has improved with the use of mobile app and the app had a relatively low cost. A greater percentage of the CIC back office staff respondents attested that customer complaints related to missing data in the system has reduced with the use of mobile application. Recommendations for further study by the researcher included: Evaluating the influence of the implementation of mobile app on the level of insurance sales, the influence of the use of mobile app for data capture on customer satisfaction and on cost of data capture. The researcher also recommended the use of other research approaches other than descriptive and explanatory models.
Description
Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Science in Mobile Telecommunication and Innovation
Keywords
Mobile data capture, Data collection, Research, ICT, Mobile technologies, Insurance, agents, Mobile app, Mobile application, CIC Insurance
Citation