Remote monitoring in water damage restoration has been possible for almost ten years, but it’s only relatively recently (due in part to reducing site visits during the pandemic) that both contractors and insurers are beginning to see its time, cost and energy-saving potential.

In this article, we’ll be explaining how remote monitoring systems such as Simplify from Dantherm Group, provide the necessary data for better transparency and more effective management of water damage restoration projects. And ultimately, how it can save time, cost and unnecessary effort for all parties involved.

What is remote monitoring?

If you’re well-acquainted with water damage restoration, you’ll have likely come across the concept of remote monitoring on several occasions. But for those less familiar, or in need of a recap, here’s an overview of what it is and how it works.

In a nutshell, remote monitoring uses sensors on buildings and equipment that monitor the drying process throughout a water damage restoration project.

They allow you to switch equipment off remotely, see live moisture readings and relay the data back to any location. There is a whole suite of benefits that we’ll be covering shortly, but the key reasons for investing in remote monitoring solutions are:

For contractors to provide insurers with full visibility of every project
Reducing the number of site visits
Being informed immediately when a policy-holder is turning off equipment
Reducing wasted running times, reducing fuel consumption and reductions in energy costs
Catching any on-site problems or further leaks as soon as they happen

All these benefits combined equate to significant productivity gains, more transparent project management, and a reduction in avoidable costs for both contractors and insurers. While initial uptake of remote monitoring was predominantly in larger companies with nationwide coverage, Dantherm Group is working with an increasing number of smaller firms who are already seeing the positive returns on their investment in the technology.

Why both contractors and insurers benefit from remote monitoring

By sending critical data to key stakeholders, remote monitoring systems can increase the level of transparency between contractors and insurers. This allows for clearer communication and more informed decisions that will streamline the management of claims.

In our experience, the use of remote monitoring can result in cost reductions of up to 30%. How does this look in practice? The below scenario, based on EU averages, emphasises where these savings are made:

Scenario

Annual damage claims: 10,000
Dehumidifiers per claim: X2 CDT 40
Energy consumption: 0.82 kWh per unit
kWh price: EUR 0.2126
Hourly wage of technician: EUR 27.7
Driving distance per onsite visit: 40km (equal to 30 minutes of work)
Transportation cost (fuel + maintenance): EUR 0.35 per km

Without Simplify	With Simplify
Drying days per claim: 24	Drying days per claim: 21
Driving distance per claim: 200 km	Driving distance per claim: 80 km
Driving distance per year: 2,000,000 km	Driving distance per year: 800,000 km
Dehumidifiers needed per year: 1,333	Dehumidifiers needed per year: 1,176
Total running hours per year: 11,667,080 (1,333 units running 24/7/365)	Total running hours per year: 10,301,760 (1,176 units running 24/7/365)
Total cost of driving (wage/transportation): EUR 1,392,500	Total cost of driving (wage/transportation): EUR 557,000
Total energy costs per year: EUR 2,035,689	Total energy costs per year: EUR 1,795,926
Total: EUR 3,428,189	Total: EUR 2,352,926

As you can see, this equates to a significant amount of money saved over time, in addition to other long-term benefits including:

Better time management
With the ability to make decisions and control units remotely, contractors can save time and costs that come with unnecessary travel to check on the status of projects. Furthermore, it offers insight into how residents are interacting with the drying equipment, such as switching it off at night, which extends drying times, so these can be quickly spotted and addressed.
A smaller carbon footprint
Carbon savings from less travel and reduced running times of equipment all add up to substantial savings over time. Plus, more effective drying processes mean that damage to buildings and materials can be prevented, saving unnecessary landfill, and helping companies to meet any environmental regulations.
Higher claims capacity
With a faster, more effective way of working, both parties can increase the amount of claims they are responding to at any one time, increasing their capacity to generate more revenue. By decreasing the time it takes to complete contracts and minimising the need to travel to jobs, teams can be more productive than ever before.

Futureproof your processes with Simplify

Simplify is Dantherm Group’s distinct remote monitoring solution, developed from our extensive experience designing and manufacturing high-quality water damage restoration equipment.

Simplify captures crucial project data, such as temperature levels and humidity in key locations, and gives you the option to share this information with those who need it. Simplify works with all Dantherm Group water damage restoration products, as well as other solutions widely used within the industry. However, it stands out from the competition with key features including:

A design built for the often harsh environments of water damage restoration. Sensor probes carry IP67 protection, minimising the risk of sensor damage.

A Global System for Mobile (GSM) system that interfaces with an on-site app and web-based dashboard.
Thorough documentation of drying processes, with feedback on drying performance measures such as temperatures, relative humidity, dew point, vapour pressure, absolute humidity, and energy usage.
Power control of the devices being used on-site, including dehumidifiers, airmovers and heaters. All energy consumption of these devices can be accurately logged.
The provision of a clear audit trail for stakeholders.
The use of hard-line or ‘ethernet’ connections to overcome poor telecoms signals.

Simplify’s ease of use and wide-scale compatibility means that the technology is in the perfect position to be implemented into existing processes without the need to update current equipment.

After being installed on-site, the system is supported by the Simplify Climate Solutions App, downloadable from Google Play or the App store. This allows contractors to commission and decommission equipment from their mobile devices and see live data in the Simplify Dashboard within 10 minutes of registration - from here, the data can easily be exported, shared and edited into reports.

To help you get the best from Simplify, Dantherm Group offers support, expertise and extensive training on the technology and where it can improve your short and long-term processes.

Why now is the best time to invest in remote monitoring

Data is playing an increasing role in productivity across all sectors. And in water damage restoration, the benefits of having access to more claims information offers huge benefits for streamlining processes during and after claims.

As well as making every project faster, more cost-effective and more efficient, remote monitoring systems allow you to build a large repository of data over time. This allows you to make more informed business decisions based on the cost, performance and duration of previous claims, and better predict the finish date of projects in the future.

New drying technology with better abilities for remote monitoring will soon become mainstream, and to get the best from them, becoming familiar with the technology sooner is an increasing priority for both insurers and contractors.

For more about remote monitoring, and all things water damage restoration, don’t hesitate to get in touch with our team via the form below.