Claims Summit Brings Together Industry Leaders

Enservio Inc., a market provider in Contents Inventory Creation and Valuation Software and Services, hosted the Third Annual Claims Innovation Summit in Scottsdale, Arizona last month. The event included insurance executives and decision-makers representing more than 20 major carriers and well over half of the property insurance market.

The Claims Innovation Summit was originally conceived to provide insurance industry leaders with ideas and tools to lead their organization into the future with increasing innovative strategies and processes.

An entire day was devoted to the teaching of "Lean," or the Toyota approach, with an eye towards improving efficiencies and increasing productivity within claim organizations. The Lean Day was led by three nationally recognized practitioners of Lean or the Toyota Production System. At the end of the day, attendees left with the knowledge to apply Lean to their business operations which could help to double and triple productivity in their organizations.

Summit participants and sponsors delivered a number of excellent presentations citing real world examples from leading innovators in the property space. Michael Gantt, former President of FiServ and PMSC, provided insight to why innovation is so rare in the insurance space and what it takes to create it. Jeremy Bowler, director of the Insurance practice at JD Power & Associates, shared what it takes to make it to the top of the JD Power Homeowner's rankings. Three top industry veterans led a roundtable discussion on "How to Lead from the Chief Claim Officer Chair," bringing a wealth of experience to the room.

New to the Claims Innovation Summit were the Claims Innovation Awards. Winners will be announced on Feb. 17, 2009, and include:

-- Best Product Innovation

-- Best Process Innovation

-- Most Likely to be Implemented

"Everyone is constantly looking for a competitive advantage and a way to deliver more cost-effective solutions to our partners," said Tracy Bachtell, vice president of Business Development for Paul Davis Restoration. "The Enservio Claims Innovation Summit gives us a chance to interact with our key customers and partners and to learn about processes and products that help us deliver on those promises."