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Last Post 01/31/2014 12:49 PM by  camper
Simsol.......venting
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Scotty Dosent Know
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12/09/2013 1:57 AM

    I guess in a way im just venting but has anyone made the switch from Xactimate to Simsol?

     I learned on Xactimate and from the beginning was always impressed by how the program works.  This has made me want to learn more over the years and I have now become pretty good at using it.  I know MANY codes for line items and can whip estimates out in a hurry.  Complex roofs?  I can sketch and estimate them no problem.

     

    I recently got on with a company that uses Simsol............. I have only been using it for several months but compared to Xactimate, this program seems like a joke.

     Hunting and pecking for line items, having to switch to a different screen to see the "whole" estimate.  No formulas for determining area?  I dont want to try to multiply feet and inches in my head.  Just the way things are listed is odd I guess.

    Dimensioning rooms, doorways, offsets etc.  is a slow pain in the ass.   Dont even get me started on the "sketch" function which does noting except make a pretty picture.

    Even the section for up loading and labeling photos is horrible.  If you dont take all photos in order you are at the mercy of switching to a different screen to "organize" your photos then clicking one by one back to where you were.......only to delete a photo and go all the way back to the top.

     

     

    Also is it just me or is pricing LOW.  I live in a major city and I have a feeling im going to be getting plenty of angry phone calls from insured's.

     

     

    Am I over reacting or is this program really as bad as it seems to me??   I feel like I can be so precise and accurate with Xactimate and Simsol is like a blind stab in the dark.  Its so simple it actually takes longer to use if that makes sense  :(

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    CatAdjusterX
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    12/09/2013 3:41 AM

    I for one would choose SIMSOL over XM8 any day. Nevertheless Scotty, I think your angst is simply in you were trained on and became quite adept at XM8. Now that you are working with an unfamiliar system, it seems more difficult than it really is.

    Side by side, SIMSOL is much more user friendly than XM8 and the lay person could create an clear concise estimate on day one (albeit take a few hours in the beginning) Without significant and expensive training, not many folks could crank out an XM8 estimate on day one 

    It seems to me that XM8 is dominating the market to the point of having a stranglehold on the industry. Just my opinion, but I wouldn't be surprised if XM8 someday gets locked up in an Anti-Trust lawsuit.

    Regardless, that you are familiar and comfortable with XM8 is going to make anything other than XM8 less than productive in the beginning.

    I for one find SIMSOL very capable (especially with regard to flood claims) Yet at the same time I have used XM8 and was never really solid with it.

    I look at it like apples and oranges.

    With regard to SIMSOL pricing being low, I have long heard from many that XM8 pricing is far too low as well. I think that both will have a lower cost in the immediate aftermath of a significant event, but that being the result of the inflation of pricing for material and labor due to the increase in demand 



    "A good leader leads..... ..... but a great leader is followed !!" CatAdjusterX@gmail.com
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    Catmandale
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    12/09/2013 9:41 AM
    I agree with Robbie, it's what you are used to.

    If you are being required to use Simsol, you'll do well to learn all you can about it. Go to YouTube and there are tons of tutorials available.

    I think you will find that Simsol is currently much stronger in the reporting and file management area, while being very weak in the CAD module. As far as pricing goes, in my opinion, it merely depends on the item and which set of codes you use. The codes in Simsol are nested, starting with the simplest and digging down you get more specific.

    Dale
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    Leland
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    12/09/2013 11:21 AM
    If you are venting as you say, there are several Xactimate line items to choose from:

    FPL AZVDV fireplace with venting

    RFG RIDGCVC venting ridge cap shingles

    WDS DDV skylight with double venting

    What exactly are you venting?

    Seems like all venting can be done in Xactimate
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    ChuckDeaton
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    12/09/2013 11:46 PM
    Kudos to John Postava!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
    "Prattling on and on about being an ass with experience doesn't make someone experienced. It just makes you an ass." Rod Buvens, Pilot grunt
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    dpadjuster
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    12/20/2013 1:39 PM
    I actually used Simsol exclusively when I was a staff adjuster, so it was my first program. I like how Simsol is a lot simpler to understand than XM8, but I did find some of the pricing low depending on the area. In some more rural areas is typically where my problem was. Having used Simsol, XM8, and Symbility, I have to say that Symbility is my current favorite.
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    tryharder
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    01/06/2014 7:33 PM

    I have to say I echo your thoughts on Simsol being subpar to Xactimate. The sketch feature in Simsol is like using a toy Etch- A- Sketch and takes much longer than Xactimate. Also Xactimate has so many more line items to choose from, I constantly have to  open up Xactimate so I can find a price code and item to submit in my estimate because Simsol doesn't list it. I know it's easy to add line item in Simsol but that only helps once you already know how much it costs. The fact Simsol is easy to use out of the box on day one isn't a selling feature so is an Etch-A-Sketch. I will say Simsol gets a nod for customer service over X they are really good at that. I feel your pain as I'm forced to use Simsol for the day claims I'm working it is frustrating knowing I could be done in half the time per estimate. I have taken classes for Simsol to improve my ability but a Model A is never going to beat a Ferrari.    

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    johnpostava
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    01/07/2014 3:39 PM
    Thanks for the good (and the not-so-good) comments on our software (SIMSOL). As for the "Doesn't Know" poster, with a little training from one of our on-line adjusters you will be writing rings around your X estimates in 5 claims. X users who have not used other systems are "chained to a sketch" to write a good estimate. This type of workflow was created by X to serve X. I know both systems well (in addition to Symbility, Powerclaim and Vedder). IMO, SIMSOL's hard to beat for speed, accuracy and productivity (which in the cat world means more MONEY in your pocket). Problem is the carriers with most of the cat claims all use X and force their cat teams to do the same. This is totally understandable from a manager's view but it makes life hard in the trenches (and in the pocketbook) for field adjusters.

    We have taken many a "Doesn't Know" type of X user and turned them around 180 degrees to become excellent SIMSOL users. Once they get past the sketch-to-estimate workflow, they are sold on our way of preparing an estimate. Think of the movie, Matrix. Take the red pill and go back to a dreamworld where X is the only solution. OR, take the blue (simsol) pill and see how easy property estimating can be (and is). Taking off my Huckster Hat now, sorry....

    With regards to database pricing, the reasons prices are "different" are many. Two of the biggest factors are labor costs and specifications. X uses different labor rates than SIMSOL so that will change rates by sometimes up to 5-10% for labor. Both methods are valid is certain situations but neither method is correct 100% of the time in all 50 states. Another major cost difference comes from the "specification" of the estimate line item. X uses several common items which also include other operations which must be selected separately in SIMSOL. If they are NOT selected in SIMSOL, the SIMSOL estimate will appear by the reader as "low". Both estimates might say "Replace 1/2" Gypsum Drywall" on the estimate but the specification behind the written line item may be different. The only way for the insured or reader of the estimate to know is if both adjusters printed the "spec" with the line item. We seen this type of difference in items such as roofing, drywall and paint.

    At the end of the day, adjusters have to use what they are told to use or, if they are one of the lucky ones, use what they like. As a software vendor and adjuster I think SIMSOL makes building a file and estimate easy. Everyone has their opinion and I respect that. We've been around since 1989 mainly for the reason the software works and adjusters (who can use it) love it. We must still be doing something right!

    Wishing everyone a better 2014 than 2013 (both hail and flooding were down in 2013). I get sworn in as President of The National Association of Catastrophe Adjusters this year and looking forward to representing our association for the coming year. I hope to be meeting with claim originators over the next year urging them to seek out NACA adjuster-members when looking for cat adjusters. Our annual conference is next week in Panama City, FL. Hope some of you will be there to talk about software, cat adjusting, guns, fishing, motorcycles, whatever.....thanks for reading. johnp@simsol.com
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    Catmandale
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    01/08/2014 10:21 AM

    John makes some great points.

    I personally avoided sketch for years as it was poorly executed. Finally biting the bullet and spending countless hours and significant dollars becoming proficient and certified, I can use it effectively. I have modified my scoping style to suit it as well.

    How many claims could I have worked in the time I spent becoming an Xactimate draftsman? A ton, not to mention the dollars I spent out of profit.

    Databases are inherently outdated, being historic data. And they will always vary. There are simply too many moving parts in that picture. The cost of completed work is analyzed and dissected differently by the various data vendors. Some use a ground up approach and soft costs; others “parse” the project data they receive. Since contractors and projects vary widely, the absolute correctness of this data is an elusive target. Projects vary in profitability… not every project produces 10% profit. We simply do the best we can, and adjust.

    I first met John at a California Claims Conference in the mid to late 90’s while I worked for State Farm (and was forced to use Xactimate.) I was and continue to be impressed by him. Several years later I got the opportunity to use Simsol and found it a great adjusters tool. It still is, and I just wish they had more market share. The current program, aside from the CAD module produces what I consider a more end user friendly product. It is simply easier to explain, and I really like the ability to inset photos right into an area rather than as an addendum.  A picture is worth a thousand words, right?

    I can’t make the NACA conference but hope to attend the Simsol conference in March.

    Dale

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    tryharder
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    01/09/2014 11:19 PM

    Okay now that I have calmed down after a complicated claim, I guess I owe John and Simsol an apology of sorts. For starters before I handled my first claim in X I was already Level 2 certified. When I was getting started adjusting I studied and practiced X. When I started with Simsol 8 months ago I got a call out of the blue to handle claims using Simsol so the very same day I was dropped claims I installed Simsol on my computer. There was no home office to help just get the job done. If had tried that with X I would have never gotten another batch of claims and now 8 months later I'm still busy. I haven't even had the time for true instructions just figure it out on my own and a few you-tube clips. I will be taking the time to attend Simsol March conference (assuming John will let me in after my earlier remarks) to learn how to better use it. I hope after that to be a fan of Simsol it's just a lot different then what I knew how to use.  

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    Catmandale
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    01/10/2014 11:24 AM

    William,

    I hope to meet you at the March Simsol conference.

    When I started with State Farm in 1986, we were handwriting everything on 3 part forms. The first computer assisted estimating program we used was CompuClaim. It was straightforward and simple. It had a tic sheet like a scantron form that we filled out and passed to a support person(yes, I remember when we had those) for input. The system ran on 5 ¼ “ floppies.

    I did experience some initial difficulty when I first used Simsol, and that was regarding where to find scope item codes.

    Here are some of the things I experienced with Xactimate, but not Simsol:
    • Hours on end with tech support to install Xactimate on various computers.
    • Modify, delete, load and unload software, drivers and settings on my computers in order to allow Xactimate to work (SQL server versions, etc…)
    • Need to relearn the program regularly as Xactware adds (and removes) “features” and changes work flows every year or two.
    • Difficulty dealing with a myriad of custom profiles and settings.
    • Higher cost.

    No computer program can replace estimating knowledge, but having a program that works out of the box, reliably, is the key to efficiency and profitability. It is a real shame that so many clients insist upon Xactimate.

    Dale


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    camper
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    01/31/2014 12:49 PM
    I have used Xact in the past when I have had to but have been using Simsol for 14 years. I think Simsol is easer and quicker to use. The only problem I have is with the new 5.2 version. The scan feature is no longer available, you now have to scan to your computer and then load into Simsol as a PDF. This takes several more steps and more time and in a cat time is money. I hope they get a lot of complaints on this and reinstate the scan feature.

    Ken
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