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< Previous10 guest feature GUEST FEATURE What are your golden rules for innovation success? Hire people with an entrepreneurial mindset – people that are prepared to challenge the norm and challenge the thinking of your senior executives – then give them the freedom and resources to experiment. These days most people are too busy to worry about how they would change something for the better, especially if their KPIs are based on them doing their day job well. With a framework in place, you enable people to drive innovative projects forward at pace and quickly kill off those that are unlikely to deliver the desired outcome. If you don’t encourage and incentivise people to create their own internal start- ups, they’ll only leave and create them outside of your business. Are you interested in registering for the BDMA e-Academy Innovation Training? Visit: www.bdma.org.uk/bdma-lmpcommercial loss Greg French 11 commercial loss How is the industry embracing new technologies? Greg French: Commercial insurance claims teams are embracing new technologies by encouraging the use of new systems, such as 360 imagery, to help reduce the time taken to survey damage on commercial property claims. Rapid developments with drone and 3D laser scanning technologies are beginning to change how damage from fires and floods is assessed, as 360 imagery is able to capture details of hard to reach parts of buildings, that surveyors cannot physically reach. 360 imaging allows the capture of complex details of the property and contents damage that can be rapidly reviewed off-site, reducing the need for surveyors and damage management practitioners to enter structurally unsafe properties to gather vital information. The embracing of other technological innovations, like remote monitoring via moisture probes, has also been incredibly helpful to technicians and the industry, as these help to assess drying remotely without needing to go and visit the property to take ‘manual’ moisture readings. Using remote monitoring through the internet helps to manage the environment within a property, without the need for constant manual intervention, which reduces technician call-out-time and involvement from the policyholder. The continuous flow of information to technicians, enables quicker decisions to be made, as real time drying data is immediately available leading to fewer site visits and shorter drying durations. How do you see the industry adapting further to technology changes in the next five years? Greg French: The Internet of Things (IoT) is going to make the biggest difference to the industry, as the growth of IoT and sensor technology has increased the amount of data that is available to us. Unfortunately, new technology also has a cost associated with development and implementation. Historically, the insurance industry has had a perception problem around the pricing of work such as drying; always looking for the cheapest unit cost rather than looking at the most appropriate technology for any given situation. Obviously, this does not pair well with the costs associated with developing and implementing new technology. Better education is needed for those procuring damage management services to ensure they fully understand what they are procuring and why, especially in relation to awareness around the cost of technological innovation and implementation. With technological innovation, there are the costs in research and development along with the costs of implementation. There are obviously costs associated with recruiting and employing staff who have the specialised knowledge to fully utilise new technologies, these costs have to be reflected in what can be charged. In order to implement this technology, to deliver better outcomes for policy holders in shorter time periods, pricing for such services needs to be a ‘win-win’ situation for both insurers and damage management contractors in order to fund the research and development needed for these new technological advancements. OPINIONS AND EXPERTISE FROM THE BDMA EXECUTIVE BOARD 12 residential loss residential loss James Parsons OPINIONS AND EXPERTISE FROM THE BDMA EXECUTIVE BOARD How is the industry embracing new technologies? James Parsons: If you can remember the TV quiz Mastermind I have to say technology would not be my specialist subject... this said I don’t think that the technology already available is being utilised as efficiently as it could be. When considering the volume of claims involving drying, how many damage management companies are offering or encouraging the use of a remote monitoring platform? With an ever- increasing need to focus on having a sustainable claims management process any chance to reduce your carbon footprint ought to be embraced. Personally, I can only see positives around remote monitoring, all parties to the claim will be able to access drying data and see real-time results, the technician is able to keep track of progress and ensure drying is kept within optimum parameters, it will provide far more accurate energy consumption data as well as hopefully allowing remote switching off of devices to prevent wasting energy. It will reduce technicians having to drive to site to check on moisture levels and mean any visits that are scheduled will be for a purpose, off hiring, re-locating machines, etc. The presentation of BER inventories has improved, we have inventories with photos and often replacement prices validated and all set out in a customer friendly way. How do you see the industry adapting further to technology changes in the next five years? James Parsons: The speed that technology moves makes predicting what we will have in 12 months‘ time challenging let along guessing what could be available 5 years from now. I tend to look at what companies outside the insurance and DR sector are doing. Would a live booking system be how customers will tell us when they want to be visited, rather than offering them a time slot around our own availability? Video imagery feels like it will only increase in its usage. Web-based training will reduce the environmental impact of having to travel to training venues. I maintain a view that the job we do will continue to benefit from the face-to-face human interaction and while technology will help make the job easier, I hope, I believe the need for human interaction won’t lose its place in the claims handling space we all occupy.13 specialist loss OPINIONS AND EXPERTISE FROM THE BDMA EXECUTIVE BOARD www.captiondata.com +44 1905 754078 Wireless sensor (5+ Years battery life) delivering following measurements to the SmartHub:- • ERH (Equilibrium relative humidity) • WME moisture content • Surface temperature • Ambient temperature and relative humidity • Leak detection Other measurements from other sensors include:- • Co2 • VOC’s • Light • Dust and much more…. Via Cellular gateway ü Reduce cycle time ü Increase policy holder satisfaction/retention ü Increase efficiency ü Reduce carbon footprint ü Audit trail of all drying projects (reduce risk) ü Better quality of relationship with customers Data from a real loss showing ineffective drying Remote monitoring for water damaged properties Remotely switch equipment on/off 1-Equipment being switched off every night by policy holder 2 -No drying progress Any device, any browser www.captiondata.com/bdma01 Follow this link to learn more on how the Matrix+ can help your organisation specialist loss Chris Edwards How is the industry embracing new technologies? Chris Edwards: It is widely reported that the insurance industry is one of the least innovative areas for customer experience. The sector has lagged behind others, but technology and technical innovations are now determining its growth and revolution. Technology to enhance the customer experience is an area that the industry is fully embracing. Over the last 12 months, we have seen many insurers and claims management companies adopt self-survey technology which is particularly useful for low value claims. It is welcomed by customers who would prefer to log in details of their claim at their own convenience thus improving the customer experience, it also keeps the overall claims lifecyle and cost low. How do you see the industry adapting further to technology changes in the next five years? Chris Edwards: As an industry struggling with outdated processes, I believe that technology will continue to enhance the claims process. As the market becomes increasingly competitive insurers need to look at areas that they can stay ahead of the competition and provide a unique offering. Making the claims process more straightforward and more convenient is key to this.14 our industry in action CASE STUDY : The case of the flooded florist the standard insightour industry in action Overview Rainbow International Derby West was approached by policyholder Robert Young Florists on a Friday evening in November after a local park flooded in the Matlock area and resulted in all three of the florist’s cellars becoming severely flooded. Problem The flooding left Robert Young Florists up to their knees in water in their three cellars, which all contained Christmas stock. The damage caused the stock to become not fit for sale at a peak time for the business. In order to assess the damage and make the space functional for further stock, the cellars required immediate drying. To ensure the water was pumped out quickly, the entire Rainbow International Derby West team was enlisted for the job. Solution To keep the interruption to Robert Young Florists to a minimum, Rainbow International Derby West ensured that the extensive drying work could be carried out while the shop remained open for business. Following the initial call-out on the Friday evening, the team started work on the Saturday and the property was fully operational for business by the Tuesday, when further drying was able to take place. The team also met with the loss adjuster on behalf of the policyholder to ensure the process went as smoothly as possible. Added value The policyholder was delighted with the service they received. From the initial call, the work was delivered quickly and efficiently to reduce business interruption and enable the florist to quickly re-open, limiting any further losses. In a time of digital and technological advancements, connecting with policyholders on a human level is more important than ever; keeping the human touch is an integral part of the Rainbow International offering. Rainbow International Derby West has a company-wide policy on ensuring excellent service is delivered to all customers. 15 our industry in action the standard insightour industry in actionMoisture mapping is a vital discipline, essential for every water-damage practitioner or building surveyor specialising in damp diagnosis. If you’re a budding surveyor, just starting out in the industry, this article provides an overview of what it is and how it works. Learning the basics of moisture mapping now and practising these skills over your career will ensure you have a much higher success rate when it comes to making an accurate diagnosis. So, what is moisture mapping? Moisture mapping is the process of collecting instrumental measurements from a structure and plotting the recorded data to assist in either diagnosis or repair. Moisture mapping, often referred to as profiling, is used to record and plot the distribution of moisture or salts through a structure. The pattern of readings can then be interpreted in support of diagnosis to ensure the source of moisture is accurately located. Moisture mapping can be undertaken on walls, over floors or even directly through the structure. In the restoration of flood or water- damaged properties, this same technique is used to monitor a building following an incident. Mapping the building at the start of this process provides insight into what parts of the building are affected by water and to what extent. Taking measurements from a part of the structure unaffected by moisture and crucially, of the same method of construction, provides a drying goal. A drying goal is a target measurement that is used as a comparative benchmark to which the affected materials should be returned. In this scenario, the affected materials are considered dry when their instrumental readings match those of the drying goal (or unaffected parts of the structure). The building is then regarded as having been returned to its pre-loss condition. Repeating the moisture-mapping process throughout the drying phase allows progressive monitoring of the affected building materials. This provides vital information about how effectively the building and materials are responding to the drying conditions and how easily moisture is being released. Monitoring the atmospheric conditions during this process also provides information on how balanced the atmosphere is during the process and the effectiveness of the drying regime. This allows practitioners to establish whether any changes are needed to the drying system. What type of moisture mapping equipment do you need? The type of instrument you use isn’t as crucial as you might think, providing your method and the instruments used are consistent. Stick with one instrument throughout the mapping process as the results will be comparative to that device. You should never compare the results of one instrument to another, especially if those devices are from different manufacturers as their measurement methods may vary. Electronic moisture- meters unfairly receive a lot of bad publicity for being unable to provide quantitative data, especially when used on masonry. However, as you’ll learn, this isn’t as important as it may seem, particularly when the instrument is simply being used to measure comparative data from one reading against another. Ideally, it’s best to take readings via a non- destructive method first, either using scan or penetrating instruments as opposed to surface pins, which can be destructive and permanently damaging, particularly to expensive flooring or decorations. How do you keep record? When learning how to moisture map, it’s essential that your method of record keeping is as efficient as your process of measurement taking. Being able to record the instrumental data in a method that is consistent and legible is important. You should, therefore, develop a system that enables you to record this data accurately. By referring to industry acronyms for instrumental readings you’ll be able provide an indication as to what instrument was used and their relationship to the material being tested. I use the following acronyms with readings when taking instrumental measurements. Using this basic method allows me to quickly establish which material was being tested and the equipment used: • Electronic moisture meter – measurement pins used on timber – WMC (Wood Moisture Content) • Electronic moisture meter – measurement pins used on masonry – WME (Wood Moisture Equivalent) • Electronic moisture meter – scan mode on masonry – RF (Radio Frequency) • Electronic moisture meter – analogue impedance meter – FSD (Full Scale Deflection) • Hygrometer – Hygrobox or chamber – RH% (Relative Humidity) • Calcium carbide meter – (CC) – % Moisture Content (Calcium Carbide) • Gravimetric Analysis – (OD) – % Moisture Content (Oven Dry) It’s important to remember that if you’re using the gravimetric process you must state whether your results refer to TMC (Total Moisture Content), F.M.C (Free Moisture Content) or H.M.C (Hygroscopic Moisture Content). By using the correct acronyms, your method of record keeping will record the instrumental readings and also their quantitative / qualitative relationship to the material tested. guest feature MOISTURE MAPPING A VITAL DISCIPLINE BY RUSSELL RAFTON, DIRECTOR AND SENIOR SURVEYOR - DRY FIX PRESERVATION LTD. Russell Rafton 16 guest feature17 guest feature Some instruments are calibrated specifically for certain materials, for example for concrete or timber. Obviously, it’s always best to use these instruments where these materials are present. How moisture mapping and profiling can be used to aid diagnosis The below reading is based on an average wall that exhibits symptoms indicative of rising damp or a low-level flood. We’ll start at one end of the wall and take our first reading using whatever chosen device from the lowest accessible location of the wall. Usually this will be the skirting boards, which, if present, are ideal, particularly if your instrument is an electronic moisture-meter calibrated for timber as this reading will be quantitative. We’ll then proceed to take readings from the base upwards at increments of 100mm or 200mm and note the change or deviation in the instrumental readings. As mentioned before, if you start taking readings using surface pins, you must continue to use the same technique for your entire profile if the material is the same. Repeating this process at intervals upwards over the wall will then provide you with a catalogue of data which can be used to aid your diagnosis. Here’s an example (shown in Figure 1) of a wall that’s been profiled up to the height of 1.5 metres above internal floor level and at one-metre intervals along the length of the wall. We’re going to call this wall A. The readings taken from the wall’s surface are recorded as Wood Moisture Equivalent to indicate the readings have been taken from the plaster using an electronic moisture-meter using surface probes. Figure 1 As can be seen, the wall displays high moisture levels recorded within the skirting boards entirely across the length of the wall. The profile of readings also emanates from the base of the wall then terminates with a decline between the heights of 500mm and 750mm. This is a profile consistent with rising-damp activity or a low-level flood event. A cross-section detail of the profile is shown in Figure 2. Figure 2 Admittedly, at present the profile doesn’t complete the diagnosis, it simply provides a record of information which may be used to aid your opinion. In the event of establishing a profile similar to the above you may now be prompted to investigate the following: • Has the property recently suffered from a flood or escape of water event? • If so, what height did the ingress of water affect the property? • How long was the flood water present and what is the risk of further capillary dampness above the flood line? • Is progressive monitoring of the wall required? • Is a damp-proof course present? Is it original or retrofit? • Is the damp-proof course positioned appropriately in relation to the ground externally? • Is the damp-proof course positioned appropriately in relation to the internal floor structure? • Is the damp-proof course compromised by a breach in any way? • Has the profile been taken using a quantitative method? If not, then ideally quantitative assessment should be undertaken to ensure the results are accurate and are not influenced by anything which may have been electrically conductive. • What is the risk of salts or other conductive materials influencing the results? Moisture mapping throughout a structure We now move on to cover moisture mapping through the composition of a floor structure. The construction of a floor can often be far more complex than a wall as multiple layers of different materials can exist which can often be separated by damp-proof membranes – often the case with floating floors or floors which incorporate underfloor heating systems. In this circumstance, identifying the source of moisture can be extremely difficult. Below is an example (Figure 3) of a profile taken through a floor’s composition, in this case a floating floor with underfloor heating. You will note that I use an electronic moisture-meter to map through the various layers of the floor’s construction. However, I then use a calcium-carbide meter to sample the final concrete base. This is fine as long as I use this method consistently when profiling another section of the same floor. The calcium-carbide reading also has the benefit of being quantitative. Repeating this process allows you to create a map of not only the affected floor area but also the moisture through the floor’s composition. guest feature Height Profile 1Profile 2Profile 3Profile 4Profile 5 1500mm10% WME10% WME10% WME10% WME10% WME 1250mm10% WME10% WME10% WME10% WME10% WME 1000mm12% WME12% WME12% WME12% WME12% WME 750mm18% WME16% WME15% WME18% WME17% WME 500mm75% WME78% WME78% WME75% WME77% WME 250mm90% WME88% WME91% WME90% WME86% WME 100mm 100% WME98% WME 100% WME100% WME94% WME Skirtings 40% WMC 40% WMC40% WMC 40% WMC 40% WMC Wall A18 guest feature guest feature Advances in technology As the process of moisture mapping involves repeatedly taking samples or instrumental measurements through or over a structure, the procedure can be painstakingly time consuming. Advances in technology have, however, improved the way buildings can be mapped or profiled, and the data recorded methodically. Thermal imaging is a significant advantage in the water- damage industry as thermography allows a quick visual assessment of the structure via thermal variation. This allows your profiling regime to be concentrated to the affected locations, saving time and money. In this scenario, profiling is generally only used to assess the degree of saturation rather than determining the area affected, which can be seen in the thermogram. It is, however, important to remember that thermal imaging does not provide quantitative data regarding the moisture content of the materials affected. As such, thermography should not be used as an alternative to moisture mapping or profiling. Verification of the thermal image will still need to be undertaken with a moisture meter or equivalent instrument. Readings taken from the surface screed Readings taken from the insulation below the cement board Final readings taken from the concrete floor structure beneath. Readings taken from the cement board beneath the surface screed Figure 319 guest feature guest feature For further information on moisture meters, their use and interpretation, see the BDMA’s training courses here: www.bdma.org.uk/training-and- education/#training-calendar Next >