| Author |
Message |
    
Gale Hawkins (Gale)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Monday, December 24, 2001 - 2:08 pm: | 
|
Jeff you will find the current specs for the http://www.propertyclaimxml.org open standard under the Download section. After the 1st the more technical discussions can be taken up again. A Very Merry Holiday to all. |
Gale Hawkins (Gale)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 19, 2001 - 12:18 am: |
|
Jeff and Russ thanks for the good questions, which I am sure others will answer in detail. First Jeff there is NO done deal on the structure and never will be. Just like there are new versions of software there will be new versions of the PropertyClaimXML Open Standard as more players come on board.
The software developers that develop around the open standard are the ones that create it and at this time I do know it covers the notice of loss and some of the estimate’s final numbers but by midyear we expect to be passing the entire claim data in the XML format.
Actually Prism (Crawford recently renamed them and I forget what it is) invited all of the adjusting software vendors out to their convention last spring to talk about making all of the packages communicate with their claims management software through XML. Simsol and we showed up and it was a positive meeting so Prism was the first to officially talk to us about using XML to send claims data and they gave each of us vendors that showed up the work they had done in XML at that point.
Well Crawford and Company were hot for an end-to-end claims solution and apparently after three years with MS&B (then the DDS component) they decided last September that Xactimate’s end-to-end was the best for them to go with in the mean time since it was apparently the only game in town. So at this time the old Prism is on the Xactimate’s end-to-end solution so temporary there is no need to work with Simsol or us.
Next Scene Genesis called us asking if they could work with us on the Open Standard so they could break into the property claims market with their web based claims folder system. Now they can post the first notice of loss and PowerClaim users can import it with no typing of the claims information so they are ready to start scoping. When finished they can in turn upload the file to the Scene Genesis site.
On the claims management site of things Sundial can send the loss info to PowerClaim and receive totals from PowerClaim when the estimate is finished. Also there are two other web based property claims handling software developers involved with the open standard but they are located outside of the US but develop for the US market as well. Other developers are considering embracing the PropertyClaimXML Open Standard so they can tap into the world of property claims handling through the PropertyClaimXML Open Standard.
Many see the days of proprietary standards as being few. We do not see PowerClaim as becoming a MS&B or Xactimate but as being a strong spoke in the wheel of property claims handling solutions. The PropertyClaimXML Open Standard opens the door for all players to compete in their niche as before they were often too small or weak to go up against an 800-pound gorilla long enough to become a financial success. We all can think of some names that have disappeared that had good software but proprietary standards kept them locked out of the good accounts.
Jeff with your software background I think you will be excited to learn that there is no proposed standard being discussed on this forum to investigate. The PropertyClaimXML Open Standard is in use today. Can it become more efficient? We all know the answer to that question. There were three vendors at the ACE Claims Conference in Tampa over two months ago with working versions of their individual software packages based on the new standard.
The XML Open Standard will continue to evolve as more developers address more needs but the Open Standard in the world of property claims was spoken (typed) into existence on June 8th of 2000 right here on CADO by the man leading the revolution in the way the property claims industry does business. Hopefully he will soon post and answer your more technically questions that need to be addressed properly. |
Jeff Goodman (Jgoodman)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2001 - 2:56 pm: |
|
I also think an "Open" standard would be beneficial.
Where might this "Open" standard be openly published? What are the fields and their lengths? Is this a done deal on the structure, or will it evolve as the data necessities do?
Does the record structure for coverage’s include a loss location to cover for losses at disparate physical locations under the same policy? Is contact information stored, as well as insured information, for those insured's whom do not speak English well and need a separate English speaking contact?
The website only details who supports this standard, and that is the one thing I already knew about this standard.
It is extremely hard to investigate the efficacy of a proposed standard when you have no facts, just marketing, on that proposed standard.
Looking forward to learning more.
Jeff Goodman
www.stormcentral.com |
Russ Lott (Russ)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Tuesday, December 18, 2001 - 2:32 pm: |
|
Gale
Who is determining the field lengths and associated field order in the xml files. I agree with the open standard. To require any adjuster to use a specific program is like telling a carpenter that he can only use a particular brand of hammer or saw. Breaking the power play that Marshal and Swift and xactimate have on the market will be worth the investment. As an Independent I do not like being told that I have to use someone's software to be employed. The new open standard will eventually get us back to "Adjusting" rather than appraising. The more time spent learning an estimating program the less time is spent "Adjusting" the loss. For one peril adjusters this may be frightening but it is time we got back to the basics. Investigate, evaluate and negotiate. |
Gale Hawkins (Gale)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Saturday, December 15, 2001 - 3:07 pm: |
|
P.R. the Open Standard just means for example the insured’s name field length is defined and that the data is sent or received in the XML format. Technically MS&B, Xactimate and Simsol that you mentioned specifically and all other vendors are only 30 days away from having a shipping version of their estimating software importing/exporting on the new PropertyClaimXML Open Standard.
Your question as to how the Open Standard is going to help you as a CAT adjuster is not hard to answer because you answer your own question when you said an Open Standard would mean you would only have to pay for only one adjusting software package instead of 2 - 4 like several CAT adjusters do. The hard question is “WHEN” will the carriers demand software based on the Open Standard?
Now that the carriers are beginning to understand the cost savings associated with the Open Standard versus the old “Proprietary” standards that each vendor promoted prior to the new Open Standard, the “WHEN” will be sooner rather than later base on what happened in the world of auto claims handling software vendors. I was told that a “major” auto and P&C carrier said, We are tired of hearing the body shops complain that they have to buy and maintain 2 – 3 different “brands” of auto adjusting software so we are going to specify an Open Standard instead of “brands” of software.
The ball is now in the property insurance carriers court and only they control the “WHEN” as in when you will be able to use your estimating software of “CHOICE” on any CAT job. Now that they realize that all of the estimating software vendors on the market today are technically only “30 days” away from shipping a version that adds the power of the new Open Standard described at http://www.propertyclaimXML.org the “WHEN” will not be the next century I predict.
You are correct in that all of the property estimating software vendors use a similar database but you are not correct that the databases can be married with the others for the carriers to use for data and reports at this time but that is possible. With the new PropertyClaimXML Open Standard the marrying of databases is not an issue. It is true that Xactimate and MS&B create their own databases where as PowerClaim and Simsol derive their databases from the databases that researchers with the Craftsman’s Book Company develop and update quarterly. Being a CAT adjuster you know that in a major storm you are often handled a materials and labor pricing list to use on that storm. That means within 24 hours or less each estimating software vendor could have uploaded those storm specific prices so each adjuster can automatically update and be working with that storm’s pricing guide without having to do any typing or editing, saving you the CAT adjuster time (money). By the way, on daily adjusting say on a $10K - $20K loss the final price is typically within a 1 – 3% difference regardless which of the different “carrier accepted” databases you use. Of if a PA is involved pricing can be a haggle anyway.
You raised the issue of reports and that is one of the strong features of the Open Standard for the carriers since it is XML based. The carriers can receive claims from all of the different software packages and if they wanted to print them out they could have them all look alike because all of the claims files are sitting on their server are in the defined, open standard so they can quickly define how they look when they print out. As I think you and all CADO readers can see the evolving PropertyClaimXML Open Standard is opening the door for the carriers to save millions annually.
Now your more difficult question to answer. You asked, “Gale are you having any resistance from the other companies regarding the open standard and their users. The open standard if it is what I think it is, can be a great winner for us adjusters and carriers but could cost the estimating companies users because there wouldn’t be a need for multiple estimating packages. What are your thoughts on that ?
First, Simsol has openly expressed support for an Open Standard as most CADO readers have read but Xactimate and MS&B have not. At CADO 2001 last year, Scott (that was with DDS and now is with MS&B) expressed that in his view the secret to success was to emulate Xactimate but as you and most CADO readers know we at Hawkins Research, Inc. are not big into emulating others if our research indicates that “others” are going the wrong way down a one way street.
Where strong support is coming from are the other vendors of property claims handling software like developers of claims management software. All of the dotcom’s that are working to grab a piece of the web’s business-to-business transactions involved from first notice of loss until the final estimate with photos being sent over the web MUST have clients that have estimating software based on the open standard to become a player in one very large industry. We are working with some from the later group that develop solutions for the property claims handling industry in the U.S., Europe and Australia. Actually the non US carriers may lead the US carriers in the area of reducing claims handling cost.
Your point about current adjusting software vendors maybe not liking to see an open standard since CAT adjusters would then only be buying their software of choice is not really much of an issue because there are so very CAT adjusters. But knowing human nature some most likely are upset but that is not the reason we should be upset. The fact that the Open Standard will increase the use of adjusting software.
Business failure is real issue. All adjusting software vendors have to be concerned now that an open standard has arrived in the world of property claims. One can predict that the same thing will happen in the world of property claims as it did with the world of auto claims. In short order the three major players in that market embraced that Open Standard because some major carriers started requiring the standard. If in January of 2002 a few of the major carriers sent a letter to each property adjusting software vendor stating that starting in January of 2003 that the first spec of any adjusting software contract signed will be that it would import/export in the PropertyClaimXML Open Standard then CAT adjuster would soon be freed from having to own more than one estimating system.
Open standards have be talked for a long time and Accord has done some work as far as the notice of loss goes but what the industry needed was an open standard so that all of the final claims data can be set back to the carrier in a truly open and defined digital format so they can create with no real effort any report they want on the fly as they learn to use data mining to reduce claims and claims handling cost.
Well, P.R. those are my thoughts at this time. Thanks. By the way the PropertyClaimXML Open Standard exists today because of CAT adjusters on CADO were complaining. The Open Standard became a reality on 8 June 2000 as you will see if you go back and read some of the old treads. If the 3000 P&C carriers listed by AM Best would send Roy only $100 per year it would be less than 1% of what he is doing thought CADO to save them in “cash” and he could afford to stay home and develop CADO even more, which would result in CADO bringing them more “cash” savings. The PropertyClaimXML Open Standard is by no means a static standard but replies right here on this forum provided by CADO is pushing it to meet the carriers growing demands at this time. |
Gale Hawkins (Gale)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Thursday, December 13, 2001 - 11:04 pm: |
|
DH you asked a good question. It is clear you are enjoying the feature of exporting files in the PDF format that Simsol recently added to their software. The PDF format was introduced by Adobe several years ago as document imaging software and Hawkins Research, Inc. introduced it to the world of property claims in the late nineties. You are correct about some of the carriers really liking it because they can open the file without loading any proprietary reader, as Simsol was requiring before moving to the PDF format.
The PDF format is kind of “bridge” software the property adjusting software vendors used while they were awaiting the PropertyClaimXML Open Standard that the carriers have requested. The medical and auto claims world already are on an Open Standard so in a few years all of the property adjusting software that will be on the market will have embraced the new PropertyClaimXML Open Standard as well. The PDF format does what it was designed to do very well but it was not designed for property claims. It has two major drawbacks.
First it is a “dumb” digital file, which does not lend itself to data mining because it requires at least one eyeball to retrieve data from the file. Even to find a PDF file later requires one to create by typing, a database with key info from the PDF file. DH you can see how this artificially drives up a carrier’s cost over having a claim in the new PropertyClaimXML Open Standard.
The second drawback is it not a one step process to edit a claim and requires one to purchase the complete Adobe Acrobat software package that is $200+ per user but the Adobe Acrobat Reader is freeware. The difficulty of editing is not an issue in many cases but I know some adjusting firms make “corrections” after they are receive claims from the adjuster and prior to the file being sent to the carrier. Another minor issue is the lost of quality in digital photos that natural occur in the conversion process.
DH if you will go to http://www.propertyclaimxml.org it has some more info but the last time I hit the site not all of the pages had been competed because it is a new site but that was a couple weeks ago. XML files contain “live” digital data.
Take the notice of loss form for example, all of the carriers can set up their mainframes to export the notice of loss in the PropertyClaimXML Open Standard which will import into any adjusting or claims management software package developed around the Open Standard. This means the adjuster just imports the notice of loss and it automatically “types” the info into the estimate for the adjuster regardless of the “brand” of adjusting software.
As you have already figured out DH that saves all parties time and cash. Currently many carriers print and fax the NOL to the adjusting firm who types it into their claims management software, prints it and then faxes it to the adjuster who then types it into their adjusting software and then there is the return trip. We all know the errors that are introduced which cost the industry millions per year.
This is the reason some developers of claims handing software have come together and created an evolving Open Standard so the carriers can save millions in cash and increase customer satisfaction at the same time. Although you like the PDF format because it saves you ink and postage it does little to reduce a carrier claims handling cost over paper. If this article raises other questions DH just post them. Adjusting firms can use the fact they can produce claims in the PropertyClaimXML Open Standard that shows the carriers they are using cost saving technology at their firms.
Another current feature is the adjusting software that has embraced the new XML Open Standard cost the adjuster 60% less cash. That means it is not only much more efficient but it is also 60% less expensive for the adjuster to move to the latest technology. |
DragonHeart
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2001 - 8:02 am: |
|
Our adjusters send in their claim files using SIMSOL and it's PDF print driver. Our clients receive a copy of these PDF files and can read or print them using Adobe. We are happy, our adjusters are happy and our clients are happy - what could be better?!
Would someone please explain how an "open standard" would improve upon this process. |
Roy Cupps (Admin)
Rating: N/A
Votes: 0 (Vote!) | | Posted on Wednesday, December 12, 2001 - 1:21 am: |
|
Quote from site:
"The need for an open standard for the electronic transfer of property claim data has been growing for a number of years. Although several significant hurdles have existed, such as broadband internet access and affordable high-quality digital photography, many of these hurdles are rapidly disappearing. With the vigorous pace of advancing technology comes the need for a standard that can provide a framework for developing applications today with the flexibility to respond to the needs of tomorrow. PropertyClaimXML.org has been established with these needs in mind. The members of this organization are committed to adopting standards that are made available from existing standards organizations and promptly creating standards where none exist." |
