At a recent RESTORE event, Tony Derbyshire (pictured), head of the UK network at Crawford Contractor Connection, stressed that the era of “business as usual” in managed‑repair and claims operations is over. With pressures like inflation, supply‑chain disruption, emerging technologies and changing customer behaviour, Derbyshire believes the industry needs less fragmentation, more collaboration and a rethinking of contracts and KPIs.
RESTORE began in 2016 as a small awards event for contractors. Over time, it grew into a wider industry forum, drawing in insurers and service providers. Derbyshire said this evolution mirrors the broader shifts in the sector, which is now grappling with complex, macro‑level challenges.
He credits the Contractor Connection event in the USA earlier this year for influencing RESTORE's new direction. “I’d learned something… what truly is the future of claims, and what does that environment look like,” he said. This year’s conference was redesigned to look forward, not just back, while keeping space for recognition and learning.
Topics ranged from AI and skill shortages to claims inflation and global disruptions. In Derbyshire's view, the time for surface-level changes has passed.
Repair and claims processes remain too siloed, Derbyshire argues, with stakeholders often “carving their own route to a solution.” True collaboration means contractors, loss adjusters, claims handlers and insurers aligning on a shared outcome.
“You get lots of good ideas being developed by one party,” he said, “but without that collaboration … the problem is how to integrate that solution.” His vision is a shift from fragmented transactions to a coordinated ecosystem built on shared goals and risks.
From self‑service claims to carbon‑neutral materials, innovation is taking hold. Derbyshire highlights AI, VR and sustainability-focused scoping tools as signs of change. But adoption is inconsistent.
“It can very easily become costly and inefficient,” he said, “because of misalignment among parties in the value chain.” Innovation alone isn’t enough, it has to be coordinated across the ecosystem.
Insurer–contractor agreements are evolving beyond traditional KPIs and penalty clauses that defined the relationship many years ago. Derbyshire said, “The future lies in models built on partnership and shared outcomes that fosters genuine collaboration. This shift opens the door to innovation and efficiency, supported by cultural change and leadership that champions fresh thinking.”
“The customer of today is completely different than even the customer of last year,” he said. “People do everything … from their phone these days. And this sector’s got to get up to speed with that.”
The future of managed repair, Derbyshire suggests, will be shaped by those willing to move from isolated fixes to shared, strategic systems. That means updating contracts, redefining KPIs and investing in innovation that works across the board. RESTORE, he emphasized, is more than a conference, it's a call to rewire how the industry thinks and works.
