"Software products have emerged that electronically
enhance diagramming. The diagrams can be as detailed as desired and updating
them takes only minutes. In addition, the software is easy to learn, and once a
diagram is created it can be shared with underwriters or other related
professionals.
Amerisure Insurance, in Farmington
Hills, Michigan has successfully used one diagramming program called the
Insurance Zone, since 1994. According to Ken Fischer, a loss-control manager for
Amerisure, The Insurance Zone has made dramatic improvement in the quality of
diagrams generated by his division’s consultants.
“Before going to the diagramming
software, we basically used graph paper and would hand-draw a rough sketch of
the buildings,” Fischer recalls. “The Amount of detail that we’re putting
into the drawings was not the same level that were capable of doing now using
the software.”
Diagrams of potentially insurable
buildings include details such as exterior walls, fire walls, fire doors,
sprinklers, and occupancy. The diagrams also feature exterior exposure items
such as rivers, lakes, railroad tracks, and nearby roads. With the software a
building floor plan can be easily drawn with as much detail as desired. Text and
dimensions, and even a company’s title block and logo, also can be included.
Richard Field, a property loss control
consultant with Royal & Sun Alliance, based in Charlotte, North Carolina,
also uses The Insurance Zone and likes the programs depth of design. “I have a
diagram now that’s in color, it’s saved (to the hard disk), I can edit it,
make changes, and add details as necessary.” Field says. “That provides
value to our clients, to underwriters, and to our engineers.”
Fields comments point to a linchpin of
the programs value: versatility. The software helps a loss control engineer
complete his job faster and with a greater level of detail; it helps an
underwriter conduct a more accurate assessment of the property; and it provides
the customer with a professionally drawn diagram of his site. Royal & Sun
Alliance has 300 engineers countrywide who inspect commercial and industrial
facilities. Of those, 160 engineers use the diagramming software.
The software’s ability to customize
only strengthens loss-control type reporting. For example, Field notes that his
company often must produce a water supply analysis graph for ensuring that there
is sufficient water for an automatic sprinkler system in a building. “We were
able to have CAD Zone customize our software by importing a graph into The
Insurance Zone,” Field explains. “Now, we can produce the graphs online
instead of doing them manually.”
Another advantage of the software is the
ability to import and download drawings created with programs like AutoCAD. Says
Field: “We noticed that some of our clients whose buildings we visit use
AutoCAD . They give us a disk with that file and, and even though it’s an
architectural drawing, it’s dimensioned to scale,” he said. “So, we can
use it as a basis for developing our own insurance diagram. It saves us a lot of
time,” Field adds."