RE: Xactamate buy out
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 9/16/2006 7:01:36 PM
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brighton
Posts: 39
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Prior to xact24, management reports, forms and other items were all inclusive in xactimate. When 24 came out they put forms and management reports in xactcentral. The forms in there are not anywhere near the quality of Simsol as my wife will testify to that. Xactware completely revamped the system to be more downloading of data (company assigned losses, contractor connection, ect. than individual users such as ourselves. By downloading, I mean that under xactcentral, when you download, all info is supposed to be pre-populated so you save time. If you have to input the data yourself, redundency is the norm.
Xactware is the 800# monkey sad to say. I feel that their support is about on par with msb. Too bad they do not read this web site. Think of the number of adjusters that have to use Xactware. If ISO cared, they would send out questionaires to individual users and possibly, some changes for the better will occur. No offense to you, John. As I said, my wife has used both Simsol and xactimate and feel that your product is far superior. Espicially now that you have included remove and replace in the system.
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 9/16/2006 7:14:13 PM
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aporco
Posts: 124
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As I said a few posts back, they are selling to the insurance industry. When Liberty Mutual calls with a glitch, it gets fixed. And guess what, they have free tech support. No $20 upfront on your credit card.
Remeber the new parent is ISO. The first two letters of which stand for Insurance Services....
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 9/16/2006 7:43:30 PM
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Gale
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Tom, we did add report macros along the way as well as estimating macros. The way a reports macro works in PowerClaim XML is you select the reports a carrier/vendor requires for each estimate and save that list of reports as a macro with the name of the carrier/vendor or any name you wish. The next time you go to print/email the reports for carrier “X” you just click on the name of the macro you saved and the same reports are created each time you do a loss for that carrier/vendor. IA’s that may run claims for many carriers really use this feature. Even if you are only working claims for one carrier it reduces the odds of omitting or spending the wrong reports to a carrier.
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 9/30/2006 1:38:02 AM
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rickhans
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I think I have responded to a similar discussion earlier on about this subject, but need to add some thoughts here. I am throwing out some ideas on how an antitrust fight might get started from a different angle than what is being suggested here. There are 3 different aspects to consider:
1.Look at what is actually being damaged by the purchase and spread of Xact. The price control side of the issue actually affects the contractors, not so much the insured, so long as they get their house fixed. As a restoration contractor, I have had my share of price fixing fights when bidding against an "approved contractor". I think that when insurance companies conspire with a specific software vendor to force the use of just one software, and in doing so force the use of one price base, then the price can be "fixed" in favor of the insurance company thus damaging the contractors who can't control the cost of material, and to a certain extent the cost of their labor.
2.The secondary damage is done by eliminating the competition among software vendors.
3.If this was not one of the objectives, then why have they not introduced a new standard as is used in the accounting industry, Point of Sale software in restaurants and retail stores, and many other uses. The basic standard, if you want to call it a standard, is that virtually all of these different software vendors have developed the ability to output the final data results in a text format that can be transmitted to a host elsewhere, then the software on the host takes the text and converts it into the format it needs. There are many different accounting systems that will interface with many different pos systems. The accounting systems publish their specs for the text format needed, and each POS developer has multiple modules that allow their customer to pick the format they want. This allows competition among the POS vendors with differnt features, methods of input, etc. , but at the same time allowing the accounting office to use the accounting software they want to use.
I am sure Gale knows what I am talking about . It is not an easy task once a software product is developed and no standards have been established for such software. As I said in another posting, I have not loaded PowerClaim yet to learn it, so I am still using EZbid, but hope to get time soon to start learning it. But if State Farm, for example, set the specs for what they want to have transmitted to them, it should not matter if it is created by PowerClaim, Ezbid, or Xactimate. If this were developed, it might be the first step in eliminating the antitrust problem. This may be an over simiplfied explanation, but then I am just trying to do some brain storming.
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 9/30/2006 9:59:16 AM
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aporco
Posts: 124
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rickhans, The insurance industry's reasoning behind using a standardized estimating program is to determine what is a "reasonable and fair" price for repairs. If a contractor's pricing is way above local pricing, is the carrier required to pay his bid amount? No. It is also a means to determine what is being repaired, thus the requirement for line item estimates. "Repair all damage as needed - $XX,XXX" doesn't tell much about what exactly is being done.
"But if State Farm, for example, set the specs for what they want to have transmitted to them, it should not matter if it is created by PowerClaim, Ezbid, or Xactimate. If this were developed, it might be the first step in eliminating the antitrust problem." The problem with this is that SF's estimates are uploaded to Xactimate's servers. Why should Xactimate accept data from any other sytem? Where's the antitrust problem here? In order to be cupable for antitrust actions, you must first be liable -- the insurance industry presently is not. ISO/Xactimate are not within the insurance industry. They do not underwrite risk. ISO is most likely subject to the McClaren-Ferguson Act. If ISO said to carriers, in order to use our policy forms you must also purchase Xactimate then you would have a violation of antitrust laws. As long as they offer Xactimate as another service/product to the industry and don't apply undo pressure to use, they are smart business people expanding their opportunities to service the needs of an existing customer base.
There will be attempts by Congress next session to bring the insurance industry under the Federal umbrella. My guess is it won't happen. The money to industry lobbyists is flowing now.
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 9/30/2006 12:56:21 PM
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Gale
Posts: 739
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Rick, you are on target about the need for standardization. That is why we moved to an open and defined XML Open Standard for anyone interested in sending data to PowerClaim XML or retrieving any claims data from a completed estimate. The antitrust stuff gives me a headache just to think about it plus it is expensive to prove so the federal government is about the only group concerned with proving issues like that. Alan makes a good point in that the carriers have farmed out the claims handling solutions in many cases with SF being used as a specific example. Many think ISO purchased Xactimate to get the millions of claim files that Xactimate retained ownership of from SF and the other carriers using the Xactnet solution. Will the carriers continue to give up control to one identity remains to be seen?
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 9/30/2006 2:14:17 PM
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trader
Posts: 1203
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The claims department primary duty is to investigate and verify claims presented. Third and first party claims alike.
Who could possibly presume that a software data base for reconstruction prices that can be manipulated in any direction would be creditable in the competitive world of reconstruction bids?
Why does 99 % of the contractors bids (estimates) on insurance work that hit the adjusters desk come in the ExactaMate format.
The claims department have abdicated their real duty !
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 9/30/2006 3:27:31 PM
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ranger
Posts: 186
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Trader, when I was an adjuster with Farmers Insurance Group, myself and the other adjusters told the contractors we would not look at their estimates unless it was wriiten with Xactimate. This made it easy for a bid comparison and that is the reason so many contractors estimates use Xactimate.
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 9/30/2006 3:43:15 PM
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trader
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I understand how it works. If you have 10 contractors in your area that are known as "doing insurance work".
All use x-mate how does that allow you to compare the bottom line ? Its enie, mene, mino, mo time correct ? Why don't you write the scope on a sheet of plain paper, without any measurements and ask two of the club members to bid and then pick a new home builders to turn in a sealed bid on your scope with figures in the right hand side with a total at the bottom.
Thats when I get paid for my time and expense.
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 9/30/2006 4:41:34 PM
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ranger
Posts: 186
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Trader, the bid was gone through line by line not just the bottom line. These were usually fire estimates and the contractor were also asked to start with the ceiling, go clockwise around the room and start with the room the fire started in.
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 9/30/2006 5:42:19 PM
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aporco
Posts: 124
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Many posters here seem to be very upset that Xactimate may become even popular with carriers as the result of ISO's acquisition. Would there be less animosity if ISO had acquired Simsol (which might have been possibility at one time) or Power Claim? I don't understand. Many of you have posted negative comments about Xactimate. These negative post almost always come from someone who has been forced to change to Xactimate. For the first 7 years of doing CAT work, I used only Xactimate. Last year, during Katrina, I switched to Intregi because Xactimate could not easily produce the captioned reports required by LA Citizens. The first two weeks were very frustrating learning the nuances of the new program. I have never used Simsol or Power Claim, but would bet that I would have the same difficulty with them until I learned their program nuances.
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 9/30/2006 6:37:38 PM
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trader
Posts: 1203
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I will answer Alan first. You changed tool's because the one you had been using was not working for you.
Now Ranger. FIG should be smart, but to allow a restoration contractor to write the scope of the loss does not sound smart if they lay it out and let the staff adjuster compair line by line scopes with his detail estimate in the same program.
Sounds more like "a pseudo PA" title for the insureds advocate (the contractor) is appropriate as the staff adjuster whittled the estimate down and the contractor (pseudo PA) agreed.
Does this sound like investigate and verify cost ?
If you pay for your software tools you should check on the monthly lease agreements with Simsol and PowerClaim. Big diff.
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 9/30/2006 8:14:55 PM
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ranger
Posts: 186
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Trader, 3 of the 4 companies I do daily claims for require Xactimate. The other one likes Xactimate or Simsol. Therefore as I like to have an income when I am not on a hurricane doing SF claims I will continue to use Xactimate.
I do not understand what is wrong with a staff adjuster writing their estimate and then doing a bid comparison to see if there is a difference in unit cost, measurements or items in or not in the estimate. This is part of contolling leakage and not trying to get a contractor to lower their bid. In the case of a fire there was always two or more contractors bidding and after downloading their estimates in the Xactimate bid comparison feature and doing a line-by-line comparison the contractors higher bid could be accepted.
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 9/30/2006 9:50:11 PM
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aporco
Posts: 124
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The point I was attempting to make in post #51 was that the complaints seem to come from those who have learned to do estimates on some program other than Xactimate and then have been forced to change programs. Because they do not understand the program and how to use it properly, they look for faults. The 2 programs I use (X & I) both have good points and both have bad points. My question is: Would the general feeling be as negative if ISO had purchased a different software program? Or is the underlying problem here a fear of the unknown and a resistance to change? I have never used Power Claim or Simsol but bet that I would have problems and suffer a slow in production until such time as I became familiar with the new software. Other than Gale and John, why would anyone here care if ISO is pushing Xactimate? And besides, I seriously doubt that Xactimate will ever achieve 100% market share.
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 10/1/2006 12:14:19 AM
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gordon1
Posts: 89
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It really shouldn't make a difference what software you use, as long as the scope is correct & the pricing is fair & reasonable within market standards. In my 101 class, 15 years ago, the instructor said you can send 3 adjusters to estimate the same damage & you will likely come up with 3 different estimates. Having to use 1 program is such a farce, particularly since the insured will likely end up getting more money on the supplement side anyway.
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 10/1/2006 2:26:54 AM
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Gale
Posts: 739
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Clearly in the last few post Ray, John, Alan and Gordon have all made valid points. When it comes to software there it can quickly become an emotional issue as well. It is true that Xactimate or as far as that goes any brand of estimating software will not gain 100% of the market share because there will never be 100% of property claims processed using estimating software. Still today there are about 10,000 staff adjusters without access to any estimating software package. While some software packages seem to be easier to learn than others for one reason or another there will be an operational performance hit of hours, days, weeks or even forever when moving to another brand of software or passenger jet.
Last week we visited with a carrier that has less then 10 staff adjusters but also uses 400 IA adjusters and clearly stated they will never require a specific brand of estimating software. We have worked with carriers with 500+ adjusters without estimating software. Most of these carriers have a group of 55+ year old adjusters that will never use estimating software with any degree of performance.
Have the claims department have abdicated their real duty as was stated in an above post? If I am 25 with no construction experience but have a four year degree of some flavor and 3 weeks at Vale when I start settling claims am I adjusting or just getting agreed to pricing? Several years ago we were invited to a group meeting of preferred contactors. The speaker informed the contractors they would have to work off of the provided pricing database (do not remember the source of the database) and could NOT add for any profit and overhead. One contractor was making waves over the statement. The company rep then presented some pricing for some of the commonly used items. The contractor went quite and then simply stated if they had work from that pricing database then they had NO issue with the requirement not to add O&P for any losses.
If ISO had acquired any other brand of estimating software would there be the same animosity? No would be my guess because you would not have had the main controller of forms and polices also controlling the main controller of claims handling solutions. By the way after reading post # 51 in looking back at some notes it was Feb 13th of 2006 when I was told that Simsol was in talks with ISO. A few weeks ago I was told that talks between ISO and Xactimate did not start until March of this year. Perhaps when ISO started shopping for an estimating vendor to add to their mix they had no idea that Xactimate could be purchased or at least at an acceptable price. All we actually know for a fact today is that ISO wound up owning Xactimate. Time will tell the affect of the deal on the claims handling industry. ISO has drawn attention unto itself as never before.
It had been about 90 days since the ISO/Xactimate deal made news. We have not talked with any carriers using Xactimate but some others are not so sure that it is good for ISO to be gaining more power. Personally I think it will be years before any major changes that will impact any one will be put into place. The market place mostly will prevent a monopoly unless there is a direct effort to lessen competition by directive. Alan mentioned the McClaren-Ferguson Act may come into play if that occurred. Do not assume ISO is stupid.
We all have to be concerned about keeping a roof over our heads and food on the table. Guessing about what is going to take place in the future may not address that concern. : ) I still say the best software option for an adjuster is the one that will best enable him or her to keep a roof over their head and food on the table.
< Message edited by Gale -- 10/1/2006 8:53:50 AM >
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 10/1/2006 5:29:09 PM
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trader
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Even today most of my years adjusting have been regular day in day out losses under all types of insurance property and liability contracts.
In the 1960 's the smoke odor contractors, the wet carpet contractors, the temp board up contractors and other descriptions of insurance contractors in todays US began replacing adjusters on simple straight forward routine losses . This was many years before computer estimates. It was also in the days of cigarette smoking. It was also the start of measurable units in the property claims industry. I still remember my first 47 page type written estimate on the IBM selectric. It was detailed and you could count the numbers.
A heavy smoke loss in a nice house was and always will be a very difficult loss to work for the adjuster and the homeowner. Before adjusters/carriers abdicated their job to contractors who use estimating programs "that were the insurance industry standard and the national association of reconstruction contractors "agreed standard price" ** in the sales pitch to the insureds. The adjuster has to write the scope and not a person who stands to benefit from an over scope at the underwriters expense.
I foresee a new industry within the adjusting industry. An adjuster/reconstruction-consultant on the job when the aforementioned contractors are on site. The consultant and all contractors will be on time and expense and the .45 for washing an ash trey and .060 for a dinner plate days will be over and billions will be saved on losses each year.
The policy holders have seen these invoices and they are mad.
All of you storm adjusters go out knock on doors and make some real changes.
** the contractors agreed price at the christmas price convention**
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 10/1/2006 5:44:27 PM
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newtonclaimstim
Posts: 155
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Hey Trader, having been on both sides of that fence, I would take the job it sounds like State Farms estimators. Good Luck !
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 10/1/2006 6:08:56 PM
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trader
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I don't need any more competition in Houston; but the rest of the US is open to who ever can get the work.
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RE: Xactamate buy out - 10/1/2006 6:12:42 PM
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trader
Posts: 1203
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No I am not going to start a school on how to get this type of job!
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