Best applications for claims adjusters in the digital age

Change of time and change of measure

Insurance claims adjusting in today’s world is shaping up to be completely different from its traditional structure and with a pandemic in place, the prospects of remote working and onboarding virtual processes in the claims adjusting workflow have increased.

We’re done with more than half of 2020 and the world is still grappling with a global pandemic that has not only caused severe disruptions across industries but has changed the very fabric of human life and work. Our work, personal and professional relationships, and even daily routines have gone for a toss since coronavirus introduced itself in the beginning of the year.

As countries and its people are slowly coming to terms with what is being called the ‘new normal’, organizations across the world are also restructuring their operations and practices to sustain themselves and find new means to conduct business. The tech industry has been at the forefront of this change with giants like Amazon, Facebook, and many others switching to remote work in order to tackle the operational challenges caused by the coronavirus.

What is happening with claims adjusting?

With such transformations happening, what kind of developments can be seen in the work-life of claims adjusters? Adjusting has predominantly been a fieldwork- oriented profession and the current situation proves to be a curveball for daily and CAT claims adjusters who rely on multiple inspections at various loss sites throughout the country to perform their duties. Last year we wrote a speculative article on the future of virtual adjusting but little did we know that it would turn out to be a necessity in the year that followed.

With remote working setups and virtual adjusting becoming the go-to strategy in this era of ‘new normal’, claims adjusters have to maintain their productivity levels even while working from home. While there is certainly a strategy for that from a psychological standpoint, there are certain productivity tools and applications that can be incorporated in the claims adjusting workflow that makes the entire process smoother and streamlined.

Tools in the digital age

Collaboration and communication:

Claims adjusters work primarily as mediators and effective communication is one of the most important aspects of their work. While the pandemic has upended face-to-face interactions, certain tools can be used to make sure claims adjusters can collaborate and communicate effortlessly with IA firms and policyholders.

1. GoToMeeting: GoToMeeting is an easy-to-use online video conferencing tool that can be used to conduct meetings and interviews online. It also allows users to conduct remote meetings and share their screens to make collaboration over projects easy. Claims adjusters can use this tool to meet with policyholders as well as executives from the IA firms virtually to discuss assignments.
2. Google Meet: Google meet is another communication tool that offers video and audio calls. A perfect tool for remote setups where claims adjusters have to be connected to the IA firms and the policyholders.

Documentation and Note-taking

Claims adjusters often need to jot down important aspects of the discussions that happen with policyholders. Other times, they have to keep a record of all the information that IA firms provide for their own reference. Note-taking apps can be a powerful means to achieve high levels of productivity when it comes to retaining important information.

1. Evernote: Evernote is a comprehensive solution for note-taking and organization of information that claims adjusters possess. With this tool, meeting notes, inspection-related information, and even personal records can be safely organized and kept in place.
2. OneNote: Microsoft’s OneNote is another productive tool for easy note-taking and thought organization. Its easy-to-use interface and navigation can boost your ability to consolidate different kinds of information.

Cloud Storage

In today’s day and age, cloud storage is an extremely crucial aspect of any business or individual when it comes to storing information. Cloud storage allows users to access information Claims adjusters can enjoy the benefits of cloud storage in a variety of ways. Check out this article on how claims adjusters can benefit from cloud storage.

1. Dropbox: Dropbox is arguably the best cloud storage application for users right now. Users can create, store, and share all their files and information easily from any device, anywhere. Claims adjusters can use dropbox to store all claim-related documents as well as all the pictures, videos, and other inspection-related data from the loss site.
2. Google Drive: Google Drive is another cloud storage application that promises a lot of features to its users. Claims adjusters can easily navigate and collaborate with others to share and access files related to claims inspection assignments that they receive.

Routine and focus-building tools:

In order to be highly productive in a remote setup, it is important for claims adjusters to maintain a routine and stay away from distractions that can creep in the house. While a physical workspace can help segregate work time and personal time, there are certain techniques that can maximize productivity. One such technique is called the Pomodoro Technique where a workday is broken down into 25-minute sprints with 5-minute breaks in between.

1. Pomodoneapp: Pomodoneapp helps you track your workflow as well as keep track of the time and the breaks that you require. The sprint method provided by the Pomodoro technique will boost productivity for claims adjusters, especially when they are dealing with a high volume of claims.
2. FocusBooster: FocusBooster is the perfect time management tool for freelancers who work with multiple clients. As independent adjusters, you don’t work a typical 9–5 job and time management is a crucial aspect of work. With FocusBooster, you can easily navigate through multiple claim assignments from various IA firms and organize your workflow.

Takeaway

Who says technology can only be leveraged by people who are working in the tech industry? With the help of these tools and applications, claims adjusters can streamline their operations and maximize their productivity when working with a high volume of claims. Not only would these productivity tools help create a better remote work environment for claims adjusters but also help establish a better work-life balance for them and enhance their time management skills.