Methods and structure for insurance industry workflow processing

A computer readable storage medium tangibly embodying program instructions for a method for processing insurance automated workflow, the method performed using a computer, the method comprising the steps of:

• storing a plurality of tasks within a database, each task included within a workflow of insurance processing related matters, each workflow including a sequence of tasks from the plurality of tasks stored within the database;
• associating at least one of a plurality of skill-oriented role attributes with each task stored within the database, each skill-oriented role attribute indicating a type of insurance review entity responsible for performing the corresponding task;
• receiving an electronic document for processing, wherein the electronic document includes at least one attachment in a non-graphics image format;
• automatically converting, using the computer, the electronic document including the at least one attachment in the non-graphics image format into a single page graphics image format;
• automatically generating a first workflow based on the converted electronic document, the generated first workflow including a first sequence of tasks to be completed corresponding to processing of said converted electronic document;
• displaying, on the computer, information regarding said converted electronic document and information regarding said first sequence of tasks;
• forwarding each task of said first sequence of tasks to a select insurance review entity, wherein the select insurance review entity is selected for each task based on the skill-oriented role attribute associated with the corresponding task;
• and
• automatically updating information in the database in response to completion of each task of said first sequence of tasks.

A method of processing insurance workflow, said method comprising:

• (a) identifying a plurality of insurance workflows;
• (b) identifying a plurality of tasks;
• (c) for each workflow in step (a), associating one or more tasks in step (b) with the workflow in a computer;
• (d) receiving an electronic document at the computer, wherein the electronic document comprises at least one attachment in a non-graphics image format;
• (e) using the computer, automatically converting the attachment in an non-graphics image format into a single page graphics image format;
• (f) using the computer, analyzing the converted attachment in the single page graphics image format to determine one or more insurance workflows associated with the converted attachment;
• (g) using the computer, determining the one or more tasks associated with the converted attachment based on the results of step (f);
• and
• (h) forwarding the one or more tasks associated with the converted attachment to a select insurance review entity for workflow processing.