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SBS Insurance Ltd

The School of Jewellery has conducted a knowledge transfer partnership (KTP) with SBS Insurance to investigate whether 3D printing of jewellery can replace lost or stolen items.

Working with SBS Insurance to create 3D printing of jewellery.

Researchers

Funding

Knowledge Transfer Partnership - £27,520

Research aims

SBS Insurance Ltd initially approached BCU School of Jewellery (SOJ) as they identified numerous insurance claimants who were unable to replace stolen or lost items such as older antique and sentimental pieces of jewellery on the high street. Could 3D printing of jewellery be a solution to replicate the irreplaceable?

Expertise in jewellery and precious metal, digital CAD, CAM, and rapid Prototyping found in the School of Jewellery, and within the Associate developed and embed a holistic, cost effective claims handling and digitally centred replication service for insured items. 

How has the research been carried out?

Knowledge Transfer Partnerships (KTP) are fixed term trilateral projects with an Academic centre, a Company and an Associate; graduated up to 5 years.

The SBS KTP project transferred specialist jewellery knowledge of 3D CAD technology and processes over a 30-month project. 

Outcomes and impact

SBS Insurance Services is a household insurance claims specialist, if items such as white goods, electronics, mobile devices, floor coverings and jewellery are lost, stolen or broken, SBS will provide replacement solutions for leading UK insurers.

A carefully structured Work Plan created by the BCU team and validated by KTN advisors provided a roadmap of the project developing the Validation Tool providing customers with loss-replacement in preference to financial recompense. Quarterly meetings reviewed the progress, achievements and considered the Work Plan for revisions.

This new sector and application for the jewellery industry and a radical new methodology for handling insurance claims, made this project an innovative exchange of knowledge and awarding winning.

This new sector and application for the jewellery industry and a radical new methodology for handling insurance claims, made this project an innovative exchange of knowledge and awarding winning.

  • Improved customer experience; developing a service to restore stolen, lost or damaged items
  • The new process impact upon 25 major insurance brokers and their clientele.
  • Increased service quality
  • Developed ability to pre-loss validate and value significant items
  • Evaluation of the redeemable voucher solution and sub-contracted replacement service, improving quality, costs and time management
  • Development of a unique business centre
  • Exploration of data capture capability for other valuable items
  • Created applications and templates for other replica products
  • The electronic process met with audit requirements for consistency of validation process. Ensuring that every policyholder has validation in the same manner, with the same specific metrics applied to substantiate the value of the claim. Process meets with requirements of TCF - Treating Customers Fairly.
  • The Associate collaborated with external I.T. and A.I. suppliers and provided content for the database using dropdown menus, that a non-jewellery specialist could use to validate the item and identify fraudulent claims (known as red flags)

Frank Cooper presented a research paper in the prestigious Sante Fe conference in May 2018.

Dissemination of 'outstanding' scoring helps to support the marketing of the scheme and development of new KTP projects including a second project with SBS looking at AI solutions.

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