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johnpostava
USA
35 Posts |
 Posted - 07/31/2003 : 11:24:50
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I have been reading CADO member posts on the MSB software thread and wanted to comment on some current trends that will eventually affect every adjuster.
As one of the owners of a software vendor company that currently has 2 of the top 10 property insurors sending claims through its data warehouse I can see some new writing on the wall. Larger carriers want to data mine property claims. In order to do that all claims must be adjusted/estimated using the same software. Whether the file is handled by an I.A., staff adjuster or preferred contractor, they all have to use the same system so the data can be uploaded to a central server.
As more carriers sign on with SIMSOL's Discovery data warehouse tool, MSB's Analytics or Xactware's Xactnet, adjusters will be told which system to use. Just like in today's big insurance body shops, their appraisers know CCC, Mitchell or ADP's auto estimating software, property adjusters will have to know all estimating software packages if they want to work for multiple carriers. Carriers that don't specify specific software packages will become the exception rather than the rule.
Is this a good thing or a bad thing? I don't really know with the exception that adjusters don't like to be told what system to use. Everyone has a pet system and adjusters will be able to still use that system if a carrier doesn't specify (and if they can afford to carry 1,2,3 or more softwares on their computers).
The three vendors I mentioned above are all promising their clients that by using their data warehouses and analyitical tools they will save them money. If the results don't pan out for the carriers, data mining property claims and estimates may dimish but it will never go away. |
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claimsadjuster2004
USA
3 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2003 : 09:25:36
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John ,
your not 100 percent correct about the auto platforms , the auto world has been open by cieca creating choices for end users on what software they need to use for writing estimates on . Leading Companies such as SceneAccess.net Proccessclaims , CCC Autoverse can dispatch and collect the estimates from all the packages creating lower cost for the insured and the end users . Carriers no longer have to be limited to users list from software vendors . property estimatics need to be open and standardizes not proprietary. I belive PowerClaims.com two years ago create the XML open exhange paltform but no other property estimating companies seemed interest in joing the movement . Data is the key element to carriers to control cost and anylsis outcomes of thier claim operations. If system are built with walls that essence of the internet and connectivity is compromised .
John are you going to lead the battle for change ,open exchange and choice for adjuster's ?
I would like to see all the companies join in with thoughts about creating an PIECA standard for proerty claims inforamtion exchange. |
Blake Ricahrd |
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johnpostava
USA
35 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2003 : 10:39:22
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Blake:
Thanks for the info. I am not familiar with several of the companies you mentioned with the exception of SceneAccess. If I am correct, they do handle all auto estimating systems through their system but they store those appraisals in a TIF format which is an image file that can not be easily data-mined and analyzed.
All of our users can output their property estimates in an XML format. This feature has been in our system for about 2 years but no adjuster or carrier appears to be interested in doing their own warehousing and data analysis - they would prefer we do it becuase we do it faster and cheaper than their own I.T. departments. In their defense, insurance carrier I.T. departments are responsible for such an enormus amount of other programming responsibilities property claim issues seem to always take a back seat.
What is "PIECA standard"? I am unfamiliar with the term. |
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TomWeems
USA
24 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2003 : 13:25:51
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John, I'm looking at your product right now, and all I can say is good job. It matters not at all to me what package I'm using, as long as I have the flexibility to actually adjust the claim. Locking a database to me is not an act of good faith towards the insured.
When we start insisting on Home Depot pricing in custom homes, historic buildings, and commercial losses, where is our good faith duty to the insured? There are many people out there that have no idea what fiber roof deck is, what size it comes in or how much trouble it is to lay. Bulb Tees? I know GA's that can't even tell you what they are, and yet tens of thousands of buildings out there have this material and unless you know what it is, how can you get it off a database?
There are many good manuals out there for General Contractors, such as RS Means and FW Dodge, but even using them requires a knowlege that is sadly lacking nowdays as far as I can see. So the databases, all of them, are inadequate for all situations and buildings. How then can you justify locking it so prices cannot be changed?? You seem to have a good product, please don't ever do that, some of us actually KNOW how to estimate... |
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claimsadjuster2004
USA
3 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2003 : 15:37:49
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John ,
the Pieca standard would be a take on the auto Cieca standards. All the auto systems can handle live data reporting and auidting of claims data .
I suggest that you look into Cieca.com to understand how an open enviroment would impact the carrriers , the vendors and end users .
As to Simsol if your system is propietary in nature it seems that it might be best suited for staff heavy companies .
I feel that the Carriers and Ia will want to have open acccess to exchange assignments data and field data thru without having to rely on proprietary technolgy .
You might be on the right path with the Discovery system , but what Data reports are you delivering . LAbor rates, constuction materials , roof sqaure footage , estimate amount ? |
Blake Ricahrd |
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claimsadjuster2004
USA
3 Posts |
Posted - 08/01/2003 : 15:41:08
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| Property Industry Electronic Commerce Association |
Blake Ricahrd |
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Gale
USA
231 Posts |
Posted - 08/03/2003 : 17:39:15
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Clearly there will be/is a trend towards live claims data being warehoused as John states. There perhaps is currently more interest (based on head count of carriers) in what Richard is doing at SceneAccess.net for example even if it seems counter intuitive to those of use preaching paperless claims.
Paperless claim is a term with many meanings. As I have stated before I believe as many as 50% of staff adjusters do not have any estimating software today. Paperless does not mean live claims data that can be data mined to most carriers. We have just added a carrier with 25 adjusters that were all handwriting (or working from contractor estimates). When I initially called on them I asked them if they had though about going paperless and the advantages of it. I was blown away when they told me they went paperless last year. They had put in a document imaging system. Hey if it takes at least one eyeball to mine data it “ain’t paperless” in my book but then what is in my book is of little concern to many.
Live claims data only make sense but until adjusting software vendors provide a common output format it may not go main stream. It has to be affordable and not require the carrier to marry only one software vendor. Being over a barrel is not a desirable place in the minds of a large number of carriers but there will always be the exceptions.
I am pro data warehousing because it makes so much sense yet I realize today first the carriers have to move their staff to software and then get the IA’s to do the same. It is crazy for any software vendor to expect a carrier to get all IA firms to embrace brand X of software if they want to do business with the carrier. There is a test case in FL where a carrier is trying this for daily claims. It is interesting to what the outcome of this venture will be for the carrier, software vendor and IA firms involved.
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Edited by - Gale on 08/04/2003 00:45:01 |
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Gale
USA
231 Posts |
Posted - 08/05/2003 : 00:19:48
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Here is a shorter version of my post that may be more to the point and hopefully more clear.
What the XML Open Standard is NOT.
It does not provide a way for a Simsol (any software brand) user to start a claim file and transfer it to a PowerClaim (any software brand) user or the other way around for example even when both programs are set up to import/export in the XML Open Standard format. My dad use to say NEVER is a long time but that will be about how long it would take for this to happen for purely technical reasons.
Besides there just is no reason to even attempt such a thing because the point is to receive and send data between the CMS and the estimating package, not different brands of software. Like with cars/trucks every adjuster has their preferences, etc so the “brands” of estimating software are not going away, just the proprietary data structure formats that have hamstrung the industry for so long but even they will take years to totally disappear.
What the XML Open Standard IS.
It a very inexpensive, clean and simple way to receive and send data between a claims management system and the estimating package. Usually in the matter of weeks the XML feature can be added to many CMS packages.
For example at the ACE Claims Convention in Tampa in October of 2001 after only a few short weeks to prepare Hawkins Research, http://www.powerclaim.com or 800-736-1246 along with SunDial Software, http://www.sundialsoft.com or 888-840-6116 and Scene Genesis, http://www.sceneaccess.net or 877-253-9894 demonstrated live bidirectional exchange of claims data with PowerClaim using the XML Open Standard.
This is perhaps an over simplification of what XML makes possible for the claims industry but even technically it is not a hard thing to do. As more interest develops and more vendors contribute to the Data Types that can be downloaded from http://propertyclaimXML.org , the open standard becomes even more valuable in reducing claims handling cost.
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Edited by - Gale on 08/05/2003 12:44:59 |
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OBHF
USA
6 Posts |
Posted - 08/06/2003 : 14:10:37
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Damn good thread. Unfortunately, most significant software decisions are political.
Paperless Claims destroy more trees than forest fires!
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Future Trends in Adjusting Software
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