Out of Box Thinking…from an Insurance Company?

I saw an interesting advertisement that highlights ‘out of box thinking’. Surprisingly, this innovation came from an insurance company.

How do you think outside the box to keep gravel in the box?

The insurer has a trucking company for a client. This client had a problem with gravel falling off trucks, creating an unsafe and expensive situation. One way to go about resolving this would have been to raise rates or cancel the policy.

Out of Box Thinking Example #1

Instead, the insurance company took a different approach. They helped the company find a way to keep the gravel in the trucks. Just teaming up with the trucking company shows a shift in values. Instead of looking at this as a win-lose problem, the insurer decide to come up with a way to reduce costs for both.

Out of Box Thinking Example #2

The solution they actually came up with was to drive the trucks over a heavy steel rumble strip that settled the load of gravel. Most people would immediately leap to some sort of cover as the solution to keep the load in the bed of the truck. This vibration process solves a problem in a creative way without adding extra work.

(As a side note, be very careful about these sorts of innovative processes, especially when there is a safety risk involved. Make sure changes like this are vetted by qualified experts.)

The Takeaway

The current way may no longer be the best way. Complacency and habit are two of the biggest obstacles to innovation.

I’d love to hear your comments about any other examples of shifts in thinking like this.  

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