ADP Claims Services Group to Demonstrate Automated Solution for Eliminating Re-Keying of Claims Information at NACE 2005

SAN RAMON, Calif., Nov. 1 /PRNewswire/ -- ADP Claims Services Group today announced that it will demonstrate ClaimsElement(TM), a forthcoming Shoplink(R) add-on module that allows collision repair shops to electronically retrieve data from insurance staff estimates prepared using ADP solutions. A secure, server-based solution, ClaimsElement eliminates the need for shops to re-key estimates by retrieving estimate data directly from ADP in an encrypted format and importing it directly into Shoplink. ClaimsElement also allows carriers to control access to their estimates by specifying whether their Direct Repair Program (DRP) shops, all shops or no shops can access claims data. ADP will demonstrate ClaimsElement for Shoplink in its booth (#W3066) during the NACE 2005 Conference at the Mandalay Bay Convention Center, November 2-5, 2005.

Re-keying is a widespread and time-consuming problem for the collision repair market. Surveys by the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) indicate that of the 9 million auto claims each year, 2.5 million require re-keying. According to the CIC, re-keying an estimate takes an average of 21 minutes when the insurance adjuster and the shop use the same estimating system. (That time increases to 33 minutes when the adjuster and the shop use different systems). While there are situations where adjustor estimates are written in-person and remotely, ADP's ClaimsElement solution addresses both scenarios via an innovative retrieval mechanism.

"Based on ADP's presentation to the CIC San Francisco meeting, their proposed solution appears to address the 'download' scenario identified by the Re-keying Task Force and facilitate the transfer of ADP estimate data from the adjuster to the repair shop," said Cindy Granse, Chairman of the CIC's Electronic Commerce Committee.

Using the ClaimsElement module in Shoplink, shop estimators need only to enter basic identifying information (such as the claim number, vehicle owner's name, date of loss) from a paper estimate prepared by an insurance adjuster in order to instantly retrieve the estimate data. If the estimate is on the ADP system and the relevant insurance company has agreed to share their estimates with the shop, ClaimsElement then imports the information directly into the Shoplink application. Both the estimate search and retrieval are handled electronically without the need for phone calls. Data imported includes administrative and estimate line information. And because the carrier's rate and tax information is also included, the shop's estimate total will match the estimate of record (EOR).

"Balancing data security with the desire for streamlined business processes is a critical issue for the automotive claims industry," said Daphne Li, vice president of Marketing for ADP Claims Services Group. "Our aim from the outset was to develop a product that simultaneously meets both the repair shops' need for efficiency and the carriers' need for information security. ClaimsElement does that."

In addition to the time saved in preparing estimates, ClaimsElement improves DRP compliance by eliminating the errors that occur as a result of re-keying. ClaimsElement also improves workflow in repair shops by making it easier to get estimate information into shop management systems. (Many shops today re-key estimates for the sole purpose of putting the information into their shop management systems.) For carriers, ClaimsElement provides a greater degree of efficiency and data security than existing manual methods and proposed removable media solutions. It also provides the capability for carriers to track estimate sharing.

ClaimsElement will enter Beta testing late in the first quarter of calendar year 2006.

About ADP Claims Services Group

ADP Claims Services Group, a wholly owned subsidiary of Automatic Data Processing, Inc. , is a leading provider of software, services and information that enables insurance carriers, collision repair shops and automotive recyclers to run their businesses more efficiently and profitably. ADP, with $8.5 billion in revenues and approximately 590,000 clients, is one of the largest providers of a broad range of premier mission-critical, cost- effective transaction processing and information-based business solutions.