IMS Claims Services and affiliate IMS Catastrophe Services have adopted a new XML based claims adjusting solution that helped the businesses process claims 200 percent faster while still containing costs. IMS estimates the product is 60 percent cheaper than competing solutions, and has been so happy with results that it has made the solution the sole software solution taught at its IMS Catastrophe Training Center.

The solution, PowerClaim XML, from Kentucky-based Hawkins Research, is a property estimating solution running on Windows on the client device and Windows Server 2003 on the server side. It allows claims adjusters to prepare estimates, complete with photo sheets, diagrams, and captioned reports and can be used on a variety of devices, including Tablet PCs or laptops in the field and desktop PCs in the office.

“PowerClaim speeds every part of the claims adjusting process,” said Lisa Sampson, training administrator for IMS Catastrophe Training Center. “Our adjusters in the field are faster because they don’t have to reenter data. And the automation in the software makes them more accurate, which boosts productivity in our administrative office because administrators have fewer mistakes to correct.”

IMS, which is based in Florida but provides claims adjusting to insurance companies throughout the US, handles daily claims and catastrophes. It normally processes approximately 500 claims per month, but that number can soar to 15,000 or more in disaster situations. It handled more than 100,000 claims during the aftermath of the 2004 – 2005 storm season.

An article in the upcoming spring issue of Windows in Financial Services magazine reports that catastrophe teams – whether belonging to insurers or independent claims adjuster firms – have been particularly aggressive in adopting new technology because of the challenge of processing the large spikes in catastrophe claims.

Prior to the use of this software, the traditional process for claims adjusters required adjusters to write notes by hand, draw pictures of buildings and damages, and then fax or send their forms back to the office to be processed and forwarded to the appropriate insurance carrier.

With PowerClaim XML, the adjuster uses standard forms and databases, including a property valuation database and multiple Craftsman price databases, to complete a claim adjustment report and upload it to the PowerClaim XML server in the IMS office. Administrative staff members receive on-screen notification when a new report is ready for review.     

The use of Microsoft SQL Server 2005 as the solution’s database enables IMS executives to access real-time reports – created with SQL Server Reporting Services – that show productivity indicators for each adjuster, as well as performance indicators for the business overall.