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< Previousspecialist loss In your view, how has the specialist damage management sector progressed over the past 20 years? Kathryn Rodgers: I am pleased to say that in 2019 specialist restoration is increasingly recognised as a valuable part of the supply chain in property damage claims. However, over the last 20 years there have been some challenges and there continues to be. When I joined the industry 17 years ago, I recognised the struggle that specialist restorers faced in the era of a move towards national “one stop shop” restoration contractors. Specialist restoration was not on the radar of procurement teams and there was an assumption that specialist restoration would be covered by the core damage management practitioners. Whilst many damage management companies recognised the need for specialist restorers in their own supply chain, the need for specialist restoration was often overlooked and the value it could bring to claims underestimated, especially when cash settlement has been prevalent. However, today I am pleased to see so many specialist restorers growing and so active in our industry, working with core damage management practitioners, loss adjusters and insurers directly. The understanding of the value of specialist restoration continues to grow: cost savings, environmental benefits and policyholder satisfaction. Chris Edwards: We’ve come a long way in the last 20 years. The option to repair rather than replace an increasingly wide and varied number of items means that a repair is a genuine option for the customer. Sustainability and corporate social responsibility have never been so important, yet 20 years ago, being sustainable was just not on our agenda. Today it’s at the very core of our industry. The industry is continually developing new processes, equipment and technologies to further improve its approach, but to look how far we’ve come in 20 years it really is extraordinary. 20 years ago, insurers would just strip out and replace, but now they are realising the benefits of a restoration over replacement strategy which not only improves their sustainable practices but drives down costs too. How have regulations had an impact on the specialist damage management sector in recent years? Kathryn Rodgers: Environmental legislation and more of a focus on social and corporate responsibility has brought more of a focus to the environmental benefits of restoration over replacement. Consider the carbon footprint of replacing domestic contents – electrical items, clothes, furniture, books etc. If these can be economically restored and it is more sustainable to do so – why replace? Chris Edwards: Environmental regulations have certainly become more rigorous, which has impacted massively on what we and the industry are doing. The Climate Change Act continues to have an effect, with businesses keen to do their bit to reduce climate change. What we do is highly sustainable, and this act is one of the reasons our work has grown. 10 specialist loss OPINIONS AND EXPERTISE FROM THE BDMA EXECUTIVE BOARD Kathryn Rodgers Chris Edwards11 specialist loss specialist loss It is looking more likely that stricter building regulations in relation to material performance and safety are to be implemented in the near future for new buildings. Better material performance will improve building protection and limit damage, which some could say will have an impact in terms of reducing the work we do. We however see it as a positive. There will always be an element of damage, however with the effects lessening this has to encourage insurers to further use a restoration vs. replacement approach to claims as more and more claims will become less large scale. What are you most looking forward to about the BDMA Conference 2019? Kathryn Rodgers: The conference is always a great opportunity to meet with industry colleagues and exchange views on the industry as it is today and on the future of damage management. I am particularly looking forward to seeing specialist restoration on the conference agenda and meeting with specialist restorers attending as delegates and those exhibiting. Chris Edwards: I think this year, with the main focus looking at the future and the landscape that awaits us, coupled with the collaboration between attendees and a focus on interactive engagement, I am particularly looking forward to speaking to others in the industry. I am keen to look at their key challenges and their goals, in order to understand in a bit more detail what we can do to assist. As my first conference as a BDMA Executive Committee member it will also be fantastic to see the conference from a different point of view.The insurance industry has changed dramatically over the past decade especially with the advancement of technology, new digital tools, machine learning and artificial intelligence. Insurance companies are reinventing themselves to integrate digital technology into all areas of insurance in order to survive the digital disruption that has reshaped businesses and human interaction. Looking back at the year when I was working at my first brokerage, the IBM AS400 email system was the only thing we had. The text was green, on a black screen, and the addresses themselves were lengthy (this was long before the simplicity of .com or co.uk addresses) and we could only type the briefest of messages with no more than few lines of text. Fast forward to today, now any loss adjuster is equipped with a smartphone, tablet and apps which allow them to complete their job in a more effective manner. Adjusters can now do much more than simply sending an email from site and with the digital tools at hand they no longer need to be back in the office to progress the claim. Today’s on-site technology allows insurance and claims professionals to capture infinite information that satisfies the hungriest of information-driven clients. For example, Sedgwick’s bespoke field data capture app provides very detailed information and on-site notes, which is sufficient to replace the need for a preliminary report for clients. The insurer and insured are also gaining benefits from new technology through smartphones, automated processes, data-driven insights and increasing productivity. Prior to setting foot on a loss site, an adjuster can triage, validate and guide the customer, using a live video connection or SightCall that can be recorded. For example, within subsidence claims, the scope, extent and cause of damage, potential recovery and contribution, can all be determined within just a few minutes of the SightCall . As a result of its performance, this technology has been expanded into non-subsidence claims and allows customers to see how making the right decision at the right time can benefit the whole claims process. In our industry, the drive towards digital requires agility, which includes investing strategically and planning for technology innovation to achieve significant competitive advantage in the market. While the use of video on site is nothing new, we are constantly looking for new and innovative ways of bringing information to the client. Provision of narrated videos for insurers, including the ever growing drone usage has been used for a number of years. However, in the recent case of Whaley Bridge, Sedgwick adjusters were deployed to the site and carried out a virtual reality survey, enabling clients to virtually navigate the site from an aerial viewpoint, either on a desktop, tablet or by using virtual reality glasses. With new technologies revolutionising the way we operate there has been a change in focus to lower value, simple claims being settled without human intervention. However, many claims are more complex and customers need our support and guidance, so just having a technological solution isn’t the only answer. While we are embracing new technology and innovation, we are putting our adjusters at the forefront of our digital strategy. This ensures that any new technology is used to support and enable our adjusters to do the best possible job they possibly can for our clients and their customers. guest feature Making digital transformation a reality in insurance 12 Guest Feature Steve Gargano By Steve Gargano, Business Development Director - Sedgwick13 Technology The demand for quicker, streamlined claim life cycles has meant that in recent years, the technology used within property damage restoration has had to excel. It is impressive how much dedication and intelligence has been invested by the damage management sector to drive this progression. From automated technology, to targeted drying and artificial intelligence, the ways in which claims are managed and resolved have evolved. With the ability to reduce claim life cycles with advanced technology, we have seen lower claims costs for insurers, declining rates of required hard strip- outs, and decreased disruption times for policyholders. Expertise The specialism of property damage restoration can sometimes be overlooked. Yet, the techniques and expertise applied to restore damaged buildings, contents and other items is complex. From launching The BDMA Standards, to working with The BSI to develop the BS12999 – the British Standard for Damage Management, the BDMA has helped to ensure that the damage management sector is best placed to deliver quality damage restoration. Meanwhile, with sustainability at the forefront for the entire industry, damage management has shown demonstrable value in reducing environmental impact. The level of expertise hasn’t gone unnoticed by the wider insurance industry, with insurers, loss adjusters, brokers and suppliers eager to find out more about the restoration process and techniques. For example, in recent years we have seen a more diverse growth in BDMA membership and participation in our training courses from insurers, loss adjusters and brokers. By continuously learning and developing, the industry can continue to move in a positive direction in terms of expertise. Stakeholder collaboration Collaboration always has and always will be essential within the wider insurance industry, from knowledge sharing through to developing new initiatives with external stakeholders. Beyond the wider insurance industry, the BDMA has relations with professional trade bodies, government bodies, consumer groups, academia and more, which provides mutually beneficial insights into the needs of policyholders and communities. Collaboration is helping our members to have more of a presence in initiatives involving issues that affect our industry and beyond, such as flood resilience, climate change and terrorism. Furthermore, it can bring to light where more progress is needed in the insurance industry and prompt change. Partnerships will remain key to shaping the future success of our industry. The BDMA originated in December 1999, and since our launch 20 years ago we have been committed to driving high industry standards and advocating best practice for the damage management industry. As the certifying body of choice, we proactively provide our members with advice, training and accreditation to help policyholders and communities get their lives back on track following incidents. Over the years, we have achieved great recognition within the wider insurance industry and have demonstrated that we have set the standard for property claim solutions. Here we explore how the damage management sector is driving the change necessary to secure a bright future for the industry. the standard insight Securing a bright future for the property insurance market the standard insight14 our industry in action CASE STUDY : Is modular construction going to change the way we deal with claims? the standard insightour industry in action Overview Halifax Home Insurance received notice of claims for three of its customers who lived in modern ‘Huf Haus’ homes. A nearby Thames Water pumping station in their cul-de-sac failed causing foul water to pool beneath the basement of each property. Halifax's Major Loss Personal Claims Consultant, James Parsons, visited immediately and set about considering how best they could help. Problem At first glance damage seemed slight with only very low levels of water damage showing at skirting level within the basement. Huf Haus are built in two phases, initially a UK contractor completes ground works and mains services. Once complete, Huf Haus come over from Germany and supply and install their pre-fabricated structures typically completing within 5 days which clearly demonstrates all that is good with modern methods of construction (MMC). The Huf Haus comprises their signature timber post and beam structure (removing the need for load bearing walls) which is then predominatly clad in prefabricated glazing panels. The Huf Haus basement has a floating floor design and the voids beneath had filled with water. The basement is block built and tanked with studs that support modular pod rooms. Each wall has plumbing and electrical connections built in that then connect to one another to form the pod. Polygon designed a vacuum drying system that minimised the level of strip-out required. The bathroom had suffered water damage and Huf would only offer to remove the entire pod, without any in-situ repair being available. One of the main challenges was how Huf constructs the modular wall panels. Halifax could see a composite top surface and made the assumption of insulating material being in the wall panel. However, Huf would not share technical specifications and they could not core drill the material as it would invalidate the warranty. This made drying more challenging as Halifax didn’t fully know how the materials were sandwiched together and how they would respond to drying and the need to release the moisture they were holding. Halifax sought the assistance of Smithers Purslow Chartered Surveyors and Engineers to give specialist advice around how best to manage the repair process. Each Huf Haus has a plant room in the basement. The quality of installation is exceptional and the insurer wanted to ensure that drying would not require the strip-out of the plant room. Solution High pressure vacuum (HPV) targeted drying achieved the objective of returning the basement floor void back to pre-loss condition and allowed the void to be cleaned and sanitised.17 Queen Street, Southwell, Nottinghamshire, NG25 0AA. Tel:01636 812288 / 07720 412468 Email: fletchersurveyor@btconnect.com • DisputeResolutionforProblem andContentiousSituations • ExpertWitness • DefectiveWork • FloodResilience •BRECertifiedFireDoor Inspector • PartyWalls • ThirtyThreeYearsExperience • MemberCharteredInstitute ofArbitrators 15 our industry in action the standard insightour industry in action Repairs required a full strip-out of all basement rooms but thankfully not the plant room. The construction meant that each room was linked to the next. As a result of all elements of the basement being connected it led to a relatively small incident, resulting in a disproportionally high-value claim. Huf Haus require work during warranty period to be carried out by them, in order to preserve the warranty. This means insurers face travel and accommodation charges on top of repair costs. The future face of claims that will include MMC, where it is being favoured to speed up the construction of homes in the UK, is clearly going to bring new challenges for the damage management industry and insurers. Both parties need to better understand the risks they are insuring and what options for repair will exist with detailed understanding of design and construction techniques needing to be shared openly by the developer or contractor.the standard insightBDMA CONFERENCE Name: Chris Shorten Job title and company: Client Relationship Manager – IFIC Forensics Brief overview of what you will be exhibiting at the conference: IFIC Forensics will be sharing trend-related insights on fire claims and why they are increasing in severity. This information has been developed in direct response to requests from leading insurers who are seeking to better understand and address fire claim severity and frequency. Building construction and design, societal evolution and social/political drivers are all contributors to the changing nature of fire claims. We will have factsheets on fire claims insights and an IFIC Forensics’ service overview available at our stand, alongside team members on hand to answer queries. Stand visitors are also invited to take away an environmentally friendly travel coffee mug and leave their business card to enter a prize draw to win a set of Apple AirPods. Name: Chris Edwards Job title and company: Head of Insurance Services – Plastic Surgeon Brief overview of what you will be exhibiting at the conference: This year we really want to showcase the range of benefits available to the industry by working with specialist restoration companies like Plastic Surgeon. Specialist restorers can contribute significantly to reducing the claim life cycle, reducing costs and saving huge amounts of unnecessary waste from heading to landfill. As the focus this year is on looking ahead to future trends, I’m looking forward to engaging with others in the industry. BDMA Conference 2019: Exhibitor Spotlight 16 BDMA CONFERENCE the standard insightBDMA CONFERENCE Have you booked your delegate ticket for the BDMA Conference 2019? Join us to define the 21 st century landscape. Visit: www.bdma.org.uk/ bdma-conference-2019/ 6th – 7th November 2019 Hinckley IslandMOISTURE METERS & DATA LOGGERS www.tramexmeters.com TEL: 07595 411142 sales@tramexmeters.com Non-destructive Moisture Content Hygrohood Relative Humidity DataLogger BDMA CONFERENCE 17 BDMA CONFERENCE BDMA Conference 2019: Sponsor Spotlight Name: Billy Cooke Company: Edge Equipment Hire Job title: Managing Director Sponsorship of: BDMA Conference brochure and BDMA Award – Damage Management Technician of the Year. What made you want to be a BDMA Conference Sponsor? Edge is wholly committed to help raise standards across our industry and as a Gold sponsor of the BDMA it’s a very natural expression of our support to contribute in some way to the conference. What are you most looking forward to about the BDMA conference? ’Defining the 21 st Century Landscape’ – the theme of this year’s event will look at how we as an industry can drive the change needed to ensure that all the stakeholders in the claims process experience great outcomes. I am really looking forward to meeting industry colleagues to discuss how we can meet the challenges and opportunities to achieve this. Edge will also be an exhibitor at the BDMA Conference18 bdma CONFERENCE the standard insightBDMA CONFERENCE Name: Mike Farley Job title and company: Divisional Director – Woodgate & Clark What will you be speaking about at the BDMA conference? In our technological age there is much talk about the need to embrace digital solutions and use all available technology when delivering adjusting and specialist drying and disaster restoration services. However, does this drive for technological solutions impact on the client experience? I will be discussing the imperative that service providers do not lose sight of the need to deliver top quality customer outcomes and providing excellent communication throughout the claim experience, whilst enabling the sense that all are working in close partnership. Name: Kate Goodwin Job title and company: Director of Network & Engineering – The Innovation Group What will you be speaking about at the BDMA conference? To compare the management of vehicle damage claims to property claims, specifically around the construction of approved network programmes. Name: Ian Sutcliffe Job title and company: Director & Co-Founder – Valentis Advisory What will you be speaking about at the BDMA conference? Understanding the changing dynamics of the claims market, the impact of these changes and what the Damage Restoration community can do to underpin their future success. BDMA Conference 2019: SPEAKER Spotlight19 BDMA NETWORKING The benefits of business networking bdma NETWORKING Business networking is extremely beneficial to any individual looking to develop professionally. However, it’s often overlooked by many due to busy schedules and everyday working life. Whether you’re looking to progress in your career, find potential sales leads or build your knowledge base, networking is key to building relationships in the wider insurance industry. It’s important for industry professionals to prioritise networking and recognise the benefits of doing so. Here, we explore just some of these benefits further. Industry collaboration Industry collaboration is fundamental to the damage management and wider insurance industry, and more practitioners are understanding the importance of this. Opening up to networking opportunities allows individuals to reinforce this collaboration further, by building new and existing relationships with other professionals in the industry. For every new person you meet, it is another addition to your professional network and you are actively strengthening your partnerships in the industry. For example, if you’re an insurer and you meet a supplier at a networking event, you can exchange details for any future projects that may require their services. An integrated supply chain does not only benefit yourself and the industry, but policyholders too. Enhanced knowledge Everyone in the industry has their own specialisms and expertise, but it is always beneficial to widen your knowledge base through conversations with other practitioners with different skill sets. Networking allows you to find out what is going on in other aspects of the industry, which will benefit you and your business in the long run. As we all know, upskilling and staying up to date with industry trends is vital to the industry, and this is just one easy way to stay in the loop. You can also use the opportunity to impress other professionals with your industry insights. By providing advice to others, you are more likely to be remembered in the future for your expertise! New opportunities The opportunities you can gain from networking are endless and being visible amongst industry professionals can only be a positive thing. Networking allows you to expand your contacts; whether you’re looking to recruit, be recruited, secure new partnership contracts, or collaborate with new organisations, networking opens the door for you. Seize these moments as they are opportunities to raise your industry profile. BDMA Conference 2019 The BDMA Conference 2019 offers many networking opportunities across the two days and will be a hub for insurance companies, damage management companies, loss adjusters, brokers, surveyors and other associated sectors. Unlike past conferences, this year’s will focus on enhancing collaboration amongst attendees through enhanced networking opportunities and interactive engagement. Next >