How to reduce communication gaps as a restorer

Restoration contractors work with multiple stakeholders, from adjusters to policyholders. Strong communication is integral to keep any job moving, and to be successful overall. Yet, there are three main communication gaps—linear workflows, manual data entry, and information lapse— that affect restorers and their KPI scores.

Linear Workflows

A linear workflow is one where tasks are completed sequentially, meaning that people are waiting for tasks to be finished before they can start the next one. An example would be an admin cannot start their report until the technician returns to the office with their notes. Or, techs and office admin could be waiting for confirmation from the policyholder on whether they are to be cashed out or work with a preferred contractor. In a linear workflow, both insurance companies and restorers could be waiting up to a few days for information.

Manual Data Entry

Data entry can be classified into three key areas: photos, reports, and work-in-progress meetings.

1. Photos have to be manually organized and labelled.
2. Reports may take several hours to create, format, and share. For example, when working on contents, creating a schedule of loss report in excel can be tedious, costing a lot of non-billable hours.
3. Work-in-progress meetings are managed through Excel where multiple PMs, field technicians, admins share their updates. It can be very difficult to collaborate through spreadsheets.

Simple tasks like labeling photos can take up a lot of the contractor's time, which in turn directly affects their KPI scores and SLA scores. It can also increase their non-billable hours, leading to lower productivity and reducing their work capacity. A high administrative workload could cost restorers thousands of dollars in lost business.

Information Lapse

Sometimes restorers not only delay reporting and documentation, but also share wrong or missing information with carriers. This increases their liability and reduces transparency between the two. Ideally, restorers should align their scoping documents with the visual information they are providing. Missing key information makes it harder to get the estimate approved and to proceed with the job.

We recommend following the Property Insurance and Restoration Conference’s (PIRC) suggestions in documenting photos and sharing with stakeholders.

Automating Manual Data Entry

A web application that seamlessly connects with a mobile application and a platform that is a central location for all of the documentation that is required by adjusters/carriers can save a lot of time. With Encircle, restorers can manage multiple claims, create reports within a few clicks, and share documentation with adjusters/carriers. This allows restorers to scale and improve capacity without burning productive hours on paperwork.