June 2020 update

New projects completed

This month we bring news of the finalisation of some projects that make us more efficient but also add value to our clients. The quieter months of lockdown have given us time to implement Scoper into Revival and launch “Attachments to services”. Both developments have enhanced our abilities to validate well and efficiently, and provide clarity and detail for our clients.

More information is provided below, but if you would like to know more about either project please get in touch with Paul Hayman or Alex Kilpatrick if you are a client, and Stephen Pomfret if you are a supplier.

Scoper for Revival

We have successfully launched Scoper into Revival this month. Scoper is our in-house mobile estimating and scoping tool which was already being used extensively in Virtus.

All of our Revival branches are now enjoying the efficiencies and accuracy that this mobile software brings:

• On site they are able to download the details of the claim onto an Ipad, prepare the scope and costs whilst still on site and submit the detailed scope and costs back to the office from site.
• Scoper is fully integrated into our claims management system Pulse – the scope of works and costs are automatically populated in Pulse using the data submitted from site, and the estimate report for the claim is automatically generated within Pulse for forwarding onto clients.
• Scoper can be used for the initial visit, for leak detection jobs and for collecting customer feedback at the end of the job. The ability to update the claim and costs during follow up visits will be available in a few weeks.

This now means that Scoper is now operational and integrated into Pulse for both Virtus and Revival.

Attachments to services

We have also launched a new system development, “Attachments to services”. Every claim has always undergone a reconciliation process to ensure each line item is covered by the peril in operation, is correctly priced and has certificates/documentation uploaded to Pulse when necessary. This new IT development is designed to improve this validation process and create efficiencies for claims within Pulse.

After inspecting a property the supplier creates a schedule of works by adding individual line items to Pulse in the usual manner, but now a new icon becomes visible and will either appear clear or highlighted in red.

Red icons are an indicator that the line item code used must have a document assigned to it before completing the work order – for example invoices to support provisional sums and electrical certificates for electrical works on site. If the icon is clear the supplier is not prompted to upload supporting documentation against the line item as it is not required.

The suppliers now have a clearer view, from the first submission of costs, as to what they will need to provide evidence for at closure.

Suppliers can upload supporting documents at any time throughout the claim by clicking the red icon in the scoping section which will navigate them to a document upload screen. The icon turns clear once the document is attached.

There is now an “Edit costs” feature that gives the supplier the ability to amend provisional sums once final costs are known. The supplier is also instructed to provide additional comments for any increase or decrease in the provisional cost so there is a record of amendments.

Suppliers are not able to submit their claims for closing and invoicing until all the required documents have been submitted, which also reduces the time we spend chasing suppliers for documents. A red flag next to the relevant line items makes it clear to the suppliers that documents and evidence are missing.

MA Group MAD Awards

The May MAD winner was Charlie Key in the Aylesbury control centre..

Charlie demonstrated how the group has continued to deliver a great service wherever possible throughout the Covid-19 lockdown, recognising the challenges for customers who have found themselves in the middle of a claim during this difficult period. Charlie managed to turn a claim around for a customer, which led to the customer passing on his gratitude for the assistance and branding Charlie a “life saver”.

The customer’s claim was being held up due to Covid-19 as the builder originally assigned to job had to close down for a while. As the customer was living in one room this was having a significant impact on his living conditions. Charlie took ownership of the situation, found a contractor able to take on the works and carried out a conference call to arrange a visit on the next working day. This left the customer extremely happy with our intervention and has changed a negative experience into a positive.

This is exactly the type of initiative we love to see from our claims technicians, well done Charlie.

MA Group Awards Lunch postponed

We are very disappointed to announce that we have decided to postpone the inaugural MA Group Awards Lunch which was due to take place on Thursday 15th October 2020 at Chartered Accountants Hall in Moorgate, London. It is highly unlikely that the hospitality industry will be operating normally by then, so rather than compromise and lay on a reduced event, we would rather postpone it until early next year.

We will be in touch later this year with our revised plans.