Digital sharpens adjusters’ focus

Emerging technologies are having a great impact upon the insurance industry, in particular the adjusting field. One innovation that is leaving its mark on adjusting in particular is digital photography. Incorporating photos into insurance reports is critical to developing comprehensive case reports, and the advent of digital photography has meant adjusters are able to do so quickly, and conveniently, allowing them to work smarter in a time-strapped world.

It wasn’t always so easy. At one time, insurance professionals used 35mm cameras to document their work. It sounds easy enough, but what happened when an adjuster returned from a remote site, dropped off their film at the processing outlet and returned only to find it had been destroyed in the lab process? They were then left without photos for their client reports.

Then came digital cameras. Some of the earlier digital cameras used by adjusters were bulky and required an actual floppy disk to be inserted into the camera in order to store images. These cameras served their purpose, but were limited in how many images they could store. Digital images tend to be large files that take up a lot of space on a floppy disk. The adjuster would have to download the images to a PC hard drive when the disk was full, or insert another floppy disk.

Newer digital cameras, such as the Epson Photo PC 750Z that I use, have come a long way from those earlier models. This new generation of cameras takes photos comparable to those of a 35mm camera and has numerous other features that make it much more convenient than a traditional camera.

Perhaps one of the greatest features of the camera is the memory. A tiny card called a media card often comes with newer digital cameras. This media card, depending on its storage capacity, allows the adjuster to take a large number of images without having to download to a PC. The adjuster can even switch between multiple media cards to take even more images. Certain digital cameras have their own built-in memory so that a person can still take photos between switching cards. Many cameras also come equipped with battery chargers, an extremely useful feature for adjusters at remote sites. The camera can be charged on-site, eliminating the need to run to a photo store.

With digital cameras, adjusters can view their pictures right on the camera before they leave the site. Most digital cameras have a LCD (liquid crystal display) viewer on the back of them that allows users to view the photographs to make sure it isn’t blurred or useless. The adjuster can then compensate for images that aren’t appropriate by taking more. If necessary, media cards can even be erased and used again.

Another key convenience of digital photography lies in what adjusters can do with the images. For instance, take an adjuster who is travelling from one job site to another, or who wishes to go directly to a vacation destination from a job site. Digital photos can easily be embedded into a report and the report e-mailed back to the office. Images can also be e-mailed to anyone who needs to see them, saving time and money formerly spent on extra sets.

Also, software generally comes pre-packaged with digital cameras. This software allows an adjuster to manipulate photos to fit any type of report. The adjuster can enlarge areas of photos pertinent to the case, or stitch together a series of photographs taken in sequence to show the whole picture.

Depending on the camera, there are also other features available that appeal to insurance professionals. Date and time features allow adjusters to document when photos were taken, while album features allow them to file and store photos on a CD-ROM so they are always within reach and in the correct sequence.

The Image Authentication System (IAS) on the Epson Photo PC 750Z allows me to make my photos tamper-proof. This is particularly crucial for industries such as law enforcement and insurance. IAS software can be purchased separately from the camera for approximately $150. The software is loaded into the camera and onto the PC so that adjustments cannot be made to the photos without being detected by the system.

All of these features, found in different configurations on different digital cameras, allow adjusters to go about the business of insurance in a much more effective manner.

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