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Good day, Mr. Toll

I must agree on the impact of a good diagram in the claims closing process. I often receive positive comments on the diagrams I produce.

I have no idea what you used, but I could whip that baby up in Visio in 20 minutes easy.

Visio handles many diagramming tasks. I use it to document workflow processes, perform site surveys for my computer clients, produce network diagrams to show how computer assets are deployed, as well as do site, floor plan, room and roof diagrams for my claims.

Each finished diagram can be used as a template; after using the program for several years I have a library of diagrams to start from.

It is a Microsoft Office product so it is not cheap, but I am Microsoft partner so they sell me it cheap so I will recommend it when asked about diagramming software. This is one of the few products that the process actually worked.

The downside other than the cost? It took me a long time to figure out how to make it do most of this stuff. It is not intuitive or easy to figure out. There are things I still have not had the time to figure out how to make it do. I would not wish that process on the average adjuster. I often have to learn new software very quickly, and I still had a hard time figuring it all out.

But I have found most things worth knowing are not easily learned.

Not that this has application for most claims handling, but you can add custom fields to the diagram objects and then pull reports into both Excel and Word. It almost adds database functionality to the diagramming program. When I use it for network diagrams, my computer objects have fields for operating system, processor class, and hard drive size. This allows me to present reports showing how many of which type of operating systems the client has, just by doing the diagramming. Very handy.

Sorry for the Microsoft commercial, but Visio is one of the most powerful and versatile software apps I have discovered.

Now if someone created a series of Visio templates for required diagrams, that might make Visio a more viable tool for adjusters. But for most I expect it would be too complicated to use.

Kind of reminds me of the Integra diagram format I used several years ago. 

The finished product looks a lot like diagrams I have made using the draw toolbar and the Word Art toolbar in Microsoft Word.  I use these toolbars when I want to color code items and make annotations, which come in handy for interior diagrams and/or perimeter diagrams showing the layout of multiple buildings.

Sherry Price

Definitely is not Integraclaim. I wish MS/B could do this and they could if so inclined. This program is rather simple and would be easy to learn. Like Visio, you can make macro's to be used later in other claims. I tried Visio, did not like the complexity of it. Of course I am not a young computer geek either.

Jeff, I assume you are an adjuster and live in the U.S. There is nothing in your profile to indicate what you are. Are you a programmer, as you are a MS partner?

I am both a programmer and an insurance adjuster.  And while I tell everyone that I am a computer geek, I do not believe the young label applies.

I reside and work in Virginia Beach, VA.

I graduated with a BS in Computer Science (and a BA in Political Science, how's that for a pairing) from Va. Tech in Feb of 88.  Go Hokies!  I got a job writing accounting software for a local firm in May of 88.  One of the accounting software clients was an insurance restoration contractor.  He approached the company I worked for to write an estimating system.

In December of 88, a software company was formed to create estimating software to sell to State Farm to replace Comp-u-Claim.  (How many of you remember when Big Red used Comp-u-Claim?).  This was the CJET system.  It used an OpScan form filled out with a number two pencil to scope a loss and the scanner could produce a twenty page estimate in less that two minutes.  I just recently found copies of these scope sheets and I plan on posting them soon.

By 1994, it became obvious that we were too small to support the software for a large company, so we became storm adjusters using the software to close claims.  For several years I was on the road doing insurance claims as often as I could.  I worked for Thomas Howell Group, Ward THG, GAB and several small mom and pops.  Northridge Quakes and Beaufort/Hilton Head floods in 1994, Erin and Opal in 1995, Louisville tornados and hail followed by Bertha/Fran in Wilmington, NC in 1996.  The whole time I was working on the software as well.

In 1997, a hailstorm hit here in Tidewater, and my truth-challenged partner told a carrier locally that we were an adjusting company.  Since Virginia does not license adjusters or adjusting companies, after a few insurance purchases, we were an adjusting company. 

It was around this time I started creating Windows versions of my software.

I worked as the manager of the adjusting company until the end of 1999.  It eventually grew to nine staff employees using 40 sub-contract adjusters.  I tired of not being told the truth and decided to make computer services a full time job.  In 1998, I had joined the Microsoft partner program.  This allows me to purchase discount software and attend MS training sessions.  I also joined what MS calls Empower ISV (ISV - Independent Software Vendor), which gives me all the development software MS creates.  For the next four years I focused solely on computer services.  I continued to attend the flood certification seminars, and continued working on my software.

Late in 2004, one of my old employers had a few flood claims here locally, and asked me to do them.  From there it progressed to where I opened Good Man Adjusting in June of 2005 and I have been working claims pretty steadily ever since.

My computer business prevents me from traveling, unless it is overnight, so I only work Southeastern Virginia and flood in Northeastern NC.

So I am an adjuster and a programmer. And a network admin.  And a software trainer.  And when I cut my grass, I am a lawn mower.

But since Ernesto, I have been much more an adjuster than anything else.  I received around 70 claims, most of them million dollar rental beach house flood claims. 

Dave Hood turned me on to CADO back when I was working tornado and hail claims for GAB in Lua-val (Louisville), KY in 1996.  Been checking in almost daily ever since.  Things sure have changed since I first started surfing in.

I find it hard to believe it has been almost twenty years since I started in this industry.  Once again, much has changed. 

I first met John Postava at a technology expo at American Bankers Insurance Group in Cutler Ridge, FL six months before Andrew hit in 1992.  He had his software running on a touch screen computer, by far the earliest I ever saw a pen computer, as they were called back then. 

Tom S, one of the posters here, got a taste of my truth challenged ex-partner in the aftermath of Andrew, and I met him trying to install and train folks on that software, during our first attempt to get storm adjusters to buy and use the software.  We have exchanged email about the experience, and I have the highest regard for Tom S. and his experience, knowledge and attitude.

Just as I have the highest regard for your experience, knowledge and attitude, Mr. Toll.  I hope I can one day say that I survived as long in this industry as you have.

Jeff Goodman

Good Man Adjusting

Goodman Enterprises