The Cincinnati Insurance Companies has cut data entry time by nearly 90% since adopting Acord Transcriber, an AI-powered document processing tool that extracts and digitizes information from more than 800 insurance form types. The insurer began deploying the technology in 2021 across sales, claims, commercial lines, and its subsidiary Cincinnati Specialty Underwriters, becoming the first carrier to use the system.
Manual data entry remains a persistent drag on property-and-casualty insurers, where legacy systems and rekeying introduce errors and slow workflows. Cincinnati Insurance faced the same hurdles, with form updates and data consistency becoming harder to manage at scale. These pain points are common across the sector, driving interest in AI for Insurance solutions that target underwriting and claims efficiency. Building a proprietary platform was both risky and expensive, which pushed the carrier toward an off-the-shelf alternative.
How the technology works
Acord Transcriber uses machine learning and large language models (LLMs) to read any insurance document, pulling structured data from over 4,700 versions of standard Acord forms. It handles formats ranging from paper to fillable PDFs and e-forms, then feeds clean, digital information directly into downstream systems without manual rekeying. This type of intelligent document processing falls under AI Agents & Automation, which is transforming how carriers handle high-volume repetitive tasks.
Faster development, sharper focus
"When we first created AI workflows that included Transcriber, we spent almost no time developing the Acord form capability. This got our entire solution into production significantly faster," said Frank Neugebauer, vice president and generative AI director of The Cincinnati Insurance Companies. "We originally allocated eight months for Acord Form reading development; it took us less than a month."
The insurer also reported a 90% reduction in AI platform development time. "Acord Transcriber was greatly welcomed and continues to add significant value. We're no longer just moving data around, but spending more time focused on underwriting and claims," Neugebauer said.
Why it matters for insurance professionals
Rakesh Tangri, senior vice president and global chief solutions architect at Acord Solutions Group, described the volume challenge: "Insurance carriers process thousands of Acord forms every day in a variety of formats-from paper forms to fillable PDFs to fully digital e-forms. To keep businesses moving, they need an intelligent solution that can accurately extract and validate critical data, ensure alignment with Acord Standards and seamlessly populate downstream systems with confidence."
For underwriters, adjusters, and operations teams, the time reclaimed from manual data entry translates directly into deeper expertise and stronger relationships with agents and policyholders. Cincinnati's experience shows that adopting a pre-built, form-specific AI tool can accelerate production timelines far beyond what custom development typically delivers-a concrete benchmark for any insurance firm weighing automation investments.
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