Technology and The Independent Adjuster

By Allen Lyle

It is absolutely astounding how far technology has advanced in the last 30 years. Remember the bag phone? I still have mine as a keepsake. Every time I had to set it up to make a call, I felt like I was about to call in an air strike on some distant battlefield. The VHS is barely over 40 years old, but already a dinosaur; and network television is rapidly declining due to the likes of streaming services and web series. Speaking of the web, who remembers the obnoxious sound of dialing up the internet? Download speeds were at a whopping 56kb per second, and God forbid if a phone call came in while you were online.

Yes, technology has definitely made some leaps and bounds in those 30 years, and the same holds true for the technology of the independent adjuster. Tape measures have been replaced by lasers and, in some cases, ladders have been replaced by drones. Of all the improvements, the influx of software that aids in the streamlining of photo captioning is one of my favorites. Goodness knows I always dreaded having to sort photos and add captions to each one. Couple that with having to write up the narrative, and that was a good 40% or more of my entire estimate process. So, with all the software currently on the market, you may be wondering which one do I use? Well, I’m glad you asked. Let me introduce to you ScopeQuick.

As of this writing, you won’t find this in use among the 130+ independent adjusting firms across the U.S. because it is a proprietary platform of Integrity Adjusters LLC. What sets this apart from other software, in my honest opinion, is that in addition to sorting and captioning your photos for you using its unique algorithms and speech-to-text function, it also communicates with Integrity Adjusters’ CMS and their Narrative building program. This means by incorporating all their tools, you walk away from an inspection with all of your photos sorted and captioned, and practically all of your narrative written without ever having to type a single word. It has cut down the time I spend per estimate by nearly half, and it allows me to concentrate more on writing the estimate. Plus it gives me the additional time to complete more claims or use that added time for family, friends and leisure.

Oddly enough, there are still adjusters in the field who are desperately clinging to their estimating routines of yesteryear and refuse to learn the ins and outs of software-enhanced reporting. To those adjusters I say, “I applaud your loyalty to the old traditions, and when today’s tech-savvy adjusters begin taking all your claims, I have a spot reserved for you next to my bag phone.” Times are changing and those who refuse to change with them will be left behind. I would highly encourage you to check out some of the new programs available for the independent adjuster. I particularly recommend you to sign up for active duty with Integrity Adjusters and use their ScopeQuick tool. It’s a very easy tool with a minimal learning curve, but having your narrative written for you in addition to the time-saving photo captioning ability is what puts this software in the #1 position on my list.