Forums

Simply Snap, Speak & Send

Tags - Popular | FAQ  

PrevPrev Go to previous topic
NextNext Go to next topic
Last Post 04/10/2013 7:40 PM by  DFWadjuster
SIMSOL VS XACTIMATE
 67 Replies
Sort:
You are not authorized to post a reply.
Page 2 of 4 << < 1234 > >>
Author Messages
HuskerCat
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts:762


--
08/19/2008 10:37 PM

Or the little blue book icon for the photo array to pick & choose until you find your way.  At least I think it's still the little blue book icon, right Bob?  I've been off XM8 for a bit now.

0
Davidad1
Guest
Guest
Posts:42


--
08/19/2008 10:47 PM
They have done away with the little blue book. It is a drop down search tab to look up items if needed in the estimating screen
Estimating is living on the edge between greed and fear
0
ChrisM
Guest
Guest
Posts:5


--
12/10/2008 7:23 PM
I have been out of the industry for awhile but used simsol when it first came out. I have tried other estimating programs recently and agree that simsol is a far superior product.
0
johnpostava
SIMSOL.com
Member
Member
Posts:141


--
12/11/2008 12:57 PM
Thanks for all the kind words of support. Even though X/ISO is required by many of the top carriers who assign the bulk of cat and everyday losses, Simsol continues to grow. Not a week goes by that a contractor or adjusting firm gets fed up with X/ISO and switches at least some of their estimating needs to our software. We currently have over 5,000 paying users who love the program and use it on every claim when X/ISO is not required. Here at simsol we very much appreciate the support and are doing everything in our power to knock out X/ISO whenever we can. We are winning the small battles but have a ways to go to win the war. X/ISO just put out a press release that they are now going to monthly price database "increases". This means the unknowledgeble insurance carriers blindly using X/ISO will be paying more for claims every month. Who in their right mind thinks construction costs go up every month. I have been in this business for 30 years and it just isn't so. X/ISO companies are paying unbelievable dollars for just using X/ISO software. Now they will be paying more every month in their estimates. IMHO, any company that contunues to use X/ISO in 2009 needs a reality check and should do some serious due dilignece before renewing their X/ISO contract.
0
yumadj
Guest
Guest
Posts:34


--
12/21/2008 3:46 PM

I have had Simsol for 7 years and really like it. I used a carrier laptop loaded with Xactimate for Hurricane Katrina. I found it to be pretty archaic. Using codes or searches to locate items is a real bore and time consuming. Sketch is also time consuming. Good luck to Simsol in getting more carrier acceptance. As for pricing, let's face it, Xactimate markets to Contractors. Although, I will admit, Simsol can be a little "skimpy" on some items.
0
okclarryd
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts:954


--
12/21/2008 10:27 PM
If you think Simsol might be a little "skimpy", wait 'till you get a dose of MS/B
Larry D Hardin
0
Tom Toll
Moderator & Life Member
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts:1865


--
12/22/2008 8:28 AM
Hopefully the NEW MS/B will have a better database, if not, they are wasting their time with a new format.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
0
Joeblack
Guest
Guest
Posts:47


--
12/30/2008 11:19 PM
Mr. Postava posted: "X/ISO just put out a press release that they are now going to monthly price database "increases". This means the unknowledgeble insurance carriers blindly using X/ISO will be paying more for claims every month."
 
Mr. Postava, A question for you: If the exact same scope of repairs were written in the current version of Xactimate and Simsol, are you saying that Simsol will be lower in all, or most all, cases? Just curious if any actual comparisons have been made? Thanks.
0
BobH
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts:759


--
12/30/2008 11:41 PM
Posted By Joe Black on 30 Dec 2008
...Mr. Postava, A question for you: If the exact same scope of repairs were written in the current version of Xactimate and Simsol, are you saying that Simsol will be lower in all, or most all, cases? Just curious if any actual comparisons have been made? Thanks.
To be clear, I believe the price database used by Simsol, and Power Claim is created by http://craftsman-book.com/products/...c_aff_link

I suppose Simsol and Power Claim provide the software tailored to adjusters, but to some extent would be at the mercy of others creating the actual prices (correct me if I am wrong John).

Over the years I have seen the typical "spike" in prices for a Catastrophe (especially roofing) and there is a point where it tapers back down (somewhat).  Xactimate Roofing prices with IKE (and the 3rd quarter petroleum prices) really spiked hard, hit a plateau, and in some regions have started drifting back a little.  Frequent updates do not always = increases. 
 
Working daily claims for years, I am amazed how slowly and gradually the Xactimate flooring & paint prices have moved when compared to my personal cost of living increases.  And yet they are almost always adequate if the scope of work is accurate (furnished house vs no content manipulation, etc.)
Bob H
0
BobH
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts:759


--
12/31/2008 2:07 PM
Posted By Jeffrey Finley on 21 Dec 2008 
...As for pricing, let's face it, Xactimate markets to Contractors. Although, I will admit, Simsol can be a little "skimpy" on some items.
I believe Xactimate's single largest client would have to be State Farm Insurance.  They have a relationship that goes back more than a decade. Also Farmers Ins, USAA, Allied-Nationwide, Century National, etc.  Don't forget that the Xactimate company was purchased in 2006 by ISO (Insurance Services Office, the same people you see at the bottom of common Insurance policy pages such as the HO-3). Read this link.

Founded in 1986, Xactware’s customers now include 16 of the top 20 property insurers and approximately 80 percent of insurance repair contractors and service providers.

Xactimate was a simple, "lean and mean" program when I first worked with it 15 years ago.   It has ALWAYS included adjuster features such as depreciation by line item, deductible, claim #, etc.   Over the years It has "added features" which made it more complex in my opinion. Not an easy program to learn.
 
Some people on this forum have a strong dislike for Xactimate, and refer to it as a "contractors program".  It is true that most water-fire restoration contractors use it, and now many roofers (that work insurance related projects) use it. To me it is a benefit to have a common price database, doesn't bother me at all if a contractor is using it.  They can (and do) change the prices, you cannot assume that the estimate you are given by a contractor is using "virgin" Xactimate pricing.

Bob H
0
Davidad1
Guest
Guest
Posts:42


--
12/31/2008 11:08 PM
Re construction contractors use Xactimate as the carriers require it to be used to be on the guaranteed programs , such as State Farm, USAA, CSAA or Contractor Connection and now Safco's Innovation program. Etc. When the 80 % of carriers who use Xact now decide to use another program such as Simsol or MS/B and the contractors follow, will those be considered a contractor program??? .... Xact has been around a long time now and however it started either as a contractor based program or whatever it has become this 800 pound gorilla that the 80 % like for whatever reason.....
Estimating is living on the edge between greed and fear
0
ChuckDeaton
Life Member
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts:1110


--
01/01/2009 12:15 PM
Xactimate and Simsol are two very different animals. Xactimate has a residential construction pedigree, while Simsol has a residential flood pedigree. Xactimate is code based while Simsol is mouse based. Xactimate develops pricing internally and Simsol uses the Craftsman books.

Simsol is the residential flood program and can be used for residential/hail wind. Xactimate is the residential wind/hail program and can be used for flood. Neither are particularly good for writing large commercial estimates. Xactimate is backed by the largest US residential carrier, which assists in developing the price database as do contractors that use the contractor version.

I expect that both will be updated as the move from 32 bit to 64 bit operating systems moves with the introduction of Window 7 and the new I7 chip.
"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
0
Tom Toll
Moderator & Life Member
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts:1865


--
01/01/2009 2:21 PM
Chuck, as you know, there is no good commercial database, you must make your own. Problem is, Integraclaim will not allow you to add it to their database, which is rather foolish. I pay for the  program and they dictate to me what I can and cannot do, even most of the companies I work in daily claims are not their clients. They all charge us a lot of money for their systems, yet won't allow us to build a good commercial data base. Now, I cannot speak for Simsol, and would hope John would allow this. I had always heard the xactimate had a good commercial datebase, not true.
Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.
0
BobH
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts:759


--
01/01/2009 2:53 PM
Posted By Tom Toll on 01 Jan 2009 
...I had always heard the Xactimate had a good commercial database, not true.
It's not like "zero" commercial items, Xactimate has lot's of metal framing components used in commercial applications, concrete wall systems, and of course commercial roofing.

So often a commercial claim will involve just the "tenant improvement" type items within the empty shell, and of course Xm8 has all that (tin-can studs, glue-down carpet). It has lots of electrical for commercial (high capacity breaker panels, every size conduit with various gauge wire), phone wiring, commercial based plumbing (anti-backflow, etc) with larger than residential capacity water and drain lines.  The HVAC section definitely includes commercial size units, with choices for commercial ducting, etc.  You would be pleased at the basic "starting point" for your commercial estimate.  Lot's of truss choices, variety of Glu-Lam dimensions.  And it seems doors are always getting damaged, Xm8 has a wide variety of commercial roll-up doors, steel doors, glass store front, etc. These items are in the ordinary version of Xm8.  You have to know the search feature, forget memorizing the codes.
 
Of course there is always the unique item that you have to research and add yourself.  Whenever you do that, Xm8 will ask you if you want to save that item to the database.  You can break the cost of that item down to materials / labor, so it can tax the material portion of the unit cost (very flexible on how to deal with tax depending on the State you are working in, but if you cannot break a database item down to at least it's material component your hands are often tied re: tax issues).
 
I know I sound like a salesman for Xm8 but I'm not. There are people like Roy that know much more than I do about the program, but we all get comfortable with what we are used to.  You can make anything work, even if it is just an Excel spreadsheet.

Bob H
0
ChuckDeaton
Life Member
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts:1110


--
01/01/2009 7:43 PM
Thanks, Bob. Almost my thoughts to a T. Xactimate is clearly the best program for the general commercial adjuster and the adjuster on that odd piece of property.

At the moment I am doing some litigation support for a defense firm which involves commercial claims from Katrina. I would like to put my observations down in writing here, but it is hard to provide a view of what got the claim into suit. None of the adjusters used Xactimate, all of the hired estimators did. Generally speaking the hired estimators researched commercial pricing for specialty items, to quote Bob, "Of course there is always the unique item that you have to research and add yourself." and none of the adjusters appeared to have done much research. Simsol, Powerclaim and MSB are the three estimating programs used by the several adjusters involved. And please don't take my observation as any negative comment, it is what it is a personal observation.

At the moment I am following 2 other adjusters and a contractor on a metal roofing claim.We all know that seemingly minor things like the gauge of the metal, profile and coatings change the price of the materials and labor. 29 gauge metal with Weather-X top coat and a primer backing in a residential profile is cheaper and easier to install than 26 gauge with Kyanr 500 or Hylar 500 coat and a resin backing in a commercial profile, but none of the estimating programs adequately describe the line item. As far as I know Xactimate is the only estimating program that allows me to write a line item and save it for future use.

I am going to buy a copy of Xactimate contractor just to see the differences. Surely Xactimate contractor allows the contractor to install specialty items and prices and to retain them. Maybe Simsol contractor would also. I have never seen any mention of an MSB/Integraclaim contractor version.

My whole plan is to move away from utilizing a laptop to write estimates and move to a workstation with virtually unlimited RAM and at least 4 screens. Then run Xactimate contractor, Photo Adjuster with Microsoft Word for reports and abstracts of coverage and Microsoft Excel for the Statement of Loss. I also want to be able to run wave files so that I can listen to my dictated scope notes. Is there a pure 64 bit estimating program available?
"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
0
okclarryd
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts:954


--
01/02/2009 8:31 PM
And, you're gonna mount this up in an Aveo in the back seat, right?
Larry D Hardin
0
ChuckDeaton
Life Member
Senior Member
Senior Member
Posts:1110


--
01/02/2009 9:06 PM
The Daewoo Kalos is a subcompact automobile manufactured by GM Daewoo (the South Korean subsidiary of General Motors) introduced in 2002 and marketed globally in 120 countries — prominently as the Chevrolet Aveo[1] (ah-VAY-o)
"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
0
katadj
Founding Member
Member
Member
Posts:256


--
01/03/2009 12:01 AM
And uses a lot less fuel than the bus Chuck runs.
"Anyone who has never made a mistake has never tried anything new... Albert Einstein"
0
okclarryd
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts:954


--
01/03/2009 9:52 AM
I can custom build you a satellite dish mount for the roof of your ah-VAY-o but then you'll need outriggers to keep the thing from turning over in the turns.
 
Keeping on topic,  I have used Xactimate on many commercial losses and like it a lot better than MS/B.  I'm a bit of a fan of MS/B and have used it since it was called DDS.  But, the database and pricing has been manipulated, folded, spindled, and mutilated until it's not the program that I used for many years.
 
I have reviewed Simsol files on homeowner claims but have never used it so I have no frame of reference as far as commercial losses go.
 
I am of the opinion that the adjuster using the program is what makes the difference.  We could still hand write estimates with local pricing, if we had to.  But, I, for one, would rather not.  Sorry I brought that up.
Larry D Hardin
0
Medulus
Moderator
Veteran Member
Veteran Member
Posts:786


--
01/03/2009 11:32 AM
I can speak to having used Simsol for several years. I could customize the database to fit the pricing recommendations of any company for which I was working and save that as a separate database. I always made sure my narrative reflected that I had written the estimate using the pricing dictated by that carrier to cover myself. 
I could also create a whole separate database or create custom items to add to the database that was already there.  I frequently did just that.
Steve Ebner CPCU AIC AMIM

"With great power comes great responsibility." (Stanley Martin Lieber, Amazing Fantasy # 15 August 1962)
0
You are not authorized to post a reply.
Page 2 of 4 << < 1234 > >>


These Forums are dedicated to discussion of Claims Adjusting.

For the benefit of the community and to protect the integrity of the ecosystem, please observe the following posting guidelines: 
  • No Advertising. 
  • No vendor trolling / poaching. If someone posts about a vendor issue, allow the vendor or others to respond. Any post that looks like trolling / poaching will be removed.
  • No Flaming or Trolling.
  • No Profanity, Racism, or Prejudice.
  • Terms of Use Apply

    Site Moderators have the final word on approving / removing a thread or post or comment.