This week on The DYOJO Podcast we share some more property restoration history. If you listen to IAQ Radio on Fridays, you know that Cliff Zlotnik always opens the show with a question. Joe Hughes and the Z Man are the OG's of property restoration podcasting. They were podcasting before that was even an option, broadcasting live in the 2000's over internet radio. 

• Question 1: Who invented the modern air mover? 
• Question 2: From what common household appliance did this industry innovator extract his first carpet dryer? 
• Question 3: What natural disaster was the catalyst for this innovation?

We speak to this restoration founding father's sons and several others about these historic contributions that birthed the water damage mitigation industry. Cliff Zlotnik shared, "His invention of the air mover was probably the most significant invention for our industry. It was a brilliant idea. It was simple. And do you know what's even crazier? His idea to put it underneath the carpet and float the carpet." ​

Any classic loss is gonna at least involve three people, what we refer to in How To Suck Less At Estimating as The Restoration Triangle. 
​

• The policyholder, the one who suffered the loss
• The contractor, the person that's going to fix it 
• The insurance company and their representatives 

As David Princeton, guest for The DYOJO Podcast Episode 100 says, "At a minimum, those are the three those are the three people that have to be involved in the claims process." 

As The DYOJO wrote about previously in Cleaning and Restoration (C&R) Magazine, 

​Throughout his career, Pete Consigli, The Global Restoration Watchdog, trained restorers to value the Restoration Triangle. Each party brings something unique to the table that should be heard and referenced as the agreed-upon scope is established:

• The insured (who’s damaged) has a unique perspective on the pre-loss conditions and the extent of the loss.
• The carrier representative (who’s payin’ for it) has a unique perspective regarding the details of the policy and the responsibility of the carrier with regards to the source and extent of damages—as well as any relevant exclusions.
• The contractor (who’s fixin’ it) has a unique perspective on the means, methods, and material costs that will be relevant to establishing an agreed-upon scope of work to restore the structure.

Pete reminds stakeholders,

The DYOJO wrote about contractors and insurance carriers working together from the same site documentation in Property Casualty 360 Magazine on the topic of ​Expediting Claims Processing. 
​
The goal or standard of claims processing is to create an agreed-upon scope of work to restore the damaged structure to resemble its pre-loss condition with materials of like kind and quality. I believe 360-degree capture tools will continue to improve and provide a valuable resource to all parties of a claim. If we want to arrive at an expedited, agreed-upon scope of work that is as accurate and thorough as possible, everyone in the claims chain will benefit from having access to the same information.

​Increased capacity while simultaneously elevating data capture and collaboration opportunities would seem to be reason enough for 360-degree capture integration in the claims process. For those who are reviewing the claim remotely, ask whether the company you are working with will share their virtual walkthrough. If there is a claims question, it will be helpful to access one of these resources so that carrier, contractor, and insured (the Restoration Triangle) can virtually access the three-dimensional capture of the affected area. I hope that carriers and contractors will see the value in the utilization and sharing of these resources.

This content was adapted from The DYOJO Podcast Episode 100 "Matching Materials for Insurance Claims" with David Princeton and Bill Wilson. 

On Episode 99 of The DYOJO Podcast, we discuss:

0:00 Let us discuss moldy things 
0:58 Pending mold legislation supported by the IICRC
5:18 Holding bad actors accountable within the skilled trades 
8:39 Filtering through industry BS with Cliff Zlotnik
11:25 Industry regulation at the state level with Gordy Powell
20:07 Mold in pop culture - Zombie fungal outbreak in Last of Us
27:41 Can your company save the world from Cordyceps?
29:06 Helping young workers bridge the knowledge gap 

• Read more from The DYOJO blog

Thursdays are for The DYOJO Podcast - helping contractors shorten their DANG learning curve.

​Considering chasing storms or pursuing catastrophe work?

Feast upon this snippet from The DYOJO Podcast Episode 98. In this clip, Jim Thompson shares his perspective on how to set yourself up for success on a large loss.

"You can lose your company on a large loss. You do a three or four-thousand-dollar loss and then you sacrifice your credit line, you borrow money from your friends and family, you hock your truck, or you do anything to get that loss done, but then you don't do it right. Not that you don't do it right technically but politically. Then the adjuster plays the 'let's make a deal' and doesn't want to pay until 90 days later. It's a risky business. But you can protect that risk by doing things the right way."

Thursdays are for The DYOJO Podcast - Helping contractors shorten their DANG learning curve. 

• Watch the full episode from The DYOJO YouTube 
• Read more from Jim in his book "My Life Is One Disaster After Another"

Project management is an essential function of any organization offering services in the skilled trades industry. Many project managers feel they are overutilized and underappreciated by owners, managers, subcontractors, and customers. Many owners wonder why their teams cannot consistently produce profitable projects with happy customers. Contact The DYOJO about more information to improve this processes and project outcomes. 

The Three P's of Project Management are:

• PM = People Management 
• PM = Project Management 
• PM = Process Management ​

The DYOJO will be releasing more information on the critical tools for each of the Three P's. In the meantime you can purchase a copy of So, You Want To Be A Project Manager? by Jon Isaacson.