The Lawlegal noteschuck@livgard.comdeb@livgard.comDocument/Data Preparednessby Chuck Lloyd and Deb LingenIN OUR LINE OF WORK, WE SPENDan awful lot of time analyzing information.We gather data fromboth our clients and the other side andtry to figure out an offensive as well asa defensive theory and then attempt todetermine how each fact, each tidbit ofinformation, fits within the mix.Whether it’s a claim based on shortpays or steering or whether it’s respondingto a regulator or an insurancecompany, mastering the facts andgaining control of the data is an essentialelement of success.Getting organized and having ahandle on your data now will save youtime (and therefore quite likely money)and headaches later when you reallyneed to be able to call upon your information.It’s just like the old cliché thatthe time to fix your roof is when thesun is shining.To begin, understand what informationyou have available to you. Most ofyou should, by now, be generating thebulk of your invoices by computer.Depending on thesoftware that you use togenerate your work ordersStoring records—and knowing how to locatethem—is an essential element of success.“While you can say the discountshave been getting deeper and deeper,that claim is much more powerfulwhen you can document exactly howthat is true over time.”and invoices, do your EDI billing, etc.,there is a wealth of information storedabout your business. The real questionis, can you use it? We have to admit,we’ve been spoiled by clients who, withvery little effort, are able to generatespreadsheets setting forth dates of service,customer names, policy numbers,part numbers, amount billed, amountpaid and every other item of data thatshows up on work orders and invoices.Recently, however, we were assistinga client in the midst of an investigationwho had a need to identify every transactionwith a particular insurance companyand then to organize that data bypart number. Unfortunately, the client’spoint-of-sale software was so limitedthat we could generate a report showingevery transaction with the insurer,but could not list all of the data abouteach transaction. The only waywe could get the informationwas to regenerate everyinvoice, print every invoiceto hard copy andinput the data into aspreadsheet by hand.Unfortunately, the insurerinvolved was notone of those three- orfour-windshields-amonthcompanies. As aresult, the process wastime consuming andexpensive.Fixing Your Data “Roof”Now is the right time to start fixingyour data “roof.” Make inquiries ofyour point-of-sale software companyand ask them if you have the ability togenerate a report showing every itemof data input into the system. If theytell you that you can’t do that, ask themwhy not and push them to deliver anupgrade that will do just that. If theywon’t, you may want to consider talkingto other point-of-sale softwarevendors.When the Independent Glass Association(IGA) convention rolls aroundnext year (May 14-16 at the South PointHotel in Las Vegas), there will undoubtedlybe a few such venders presentat the trade show. Show them thiscolumn or have them come talk to oneof us about what we would expect to beable to do with the data and then havethem tell you whether they can meetthat challenge. We know it can be donebecause, as we noted above, we’ve gotclients who can do exactly that.Another report that you need to beable to generate with relative ease is apayment report. How much did insurerX pay you for each of the claims thatyou have submitted? Chances are, thisis another category of data that goesinto your software. Here, however, thedata comes from the outside, either incontinued on page 108 <strong>AGRR</strong> <strong>Nov</strong>ember/<strong>Dec</strong>ember <strong>2008</strong> www.agrrmag.com
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