How this tech is speeding up the property restoration claims process

One B.C-based startup is mobilizing the often tedious property restoration management process for adjusters and contractors through a smartphone app.

RocketPlan founder and CEO Joe Tolzmann experienced the inefficiency of the restoration claims process first-hand during his time in the field.

“Generally speaking, [documenting losses] is a big challenge…It’s very inefficient to get it all sorted out and report to the insurance adjusters and carriers, and so on.” 

The legacy platforms used during restoration projects were built “before smart phones became smart,” he said.

“Back in the day, that workflow was to send people out [to the field], taking photos, taking notes. Then, it took some time to organize it and send it to somebody in the office who wasn’t even on the job site [who had to] organize and make sense out of it, report to the insurance companies and [home]owners, and then use that information to do estimates and do the billing.” 

The process usually required contractors to use multiple platforms to keep track of progress. Tolzmann said it left room for a lot of confusion between field and office staff.

The experience made him realize there had to be a better way to manage restoration projects. 

The app enables restoration contractors and adjusters to use only one platform to track their project — from data collection to automating paperwork and reporting — and connect in-office staff with the necessary information.

The app’s platform also enables moisture logging and equipment tracking, and users can directly capture and upload photos.

“We built RocketPlan to help those people in the field do what they’re already doing: taking photos, taking notes, running equipment, atmospheric readings…and do it right there and then on a mobile device,” Tolzmann said. 

“[It] overall shortens the entire claim cycle, because now every stakeholder in the chain can get the data they need to process their work efficiently, ultimately reducing the claims cycle and bringing people’s lives back to normal sooner.”

Plus, RocketPlan is adding time tracking, payroll processing and job costing features to speed up contractor payments. 

The app requires almost no training downtime, Tolzmann added. Contractors need only the tech they already have on hand and in the field — their smartphones. 

“Things are happening in the field, on-the-go, so it’s not practical to do on a laptop or computer. As for mobile, it’s the key solution for this type of work.”

The majority of the app’s users are U.S-based but Tolzmann said Canadian uptake is growing.

“But the workflow is the same whether it’s in Canada or U.S,” he said.

Feature image by iStock.com/champja