Taking the following steps in preparing a business interruption insurance claim to help boost and expedite recovery of losses.

1. Appoint a coordinator/key contact:
   • Request that individuals from the insurer notify the key contact in advance of gaining access to a damaged facility and ensure that person is at every meeting with loss adjuster
   • Ensure all staff are aware that any requests for access or information are to go through the key contact
   
   
2. Take photographic or video evidence to depict:
   • An item’s existence
   • An item’s condition
   
   
3. Quarantine the following pre-loss information:
   • Maintenance records for real and personal property
   • Fixed assets lists
   • All budgets/forecasts
   • All historical sales data
   • Meeting notes/minutes dealing with plans for business, including capital movements
   
   
4. Back-up all computer files and relocate a copy to a separate site:
   • Ensure all critical files are copied and removed from the affected area
   • Engage your it or it security function to manage these tasks
   
   
5. Capture costs:
   • Maintain a seperate voucher package for each claim disbursement. the voucher package should include description of disbursement, copies of purchase orders, invoices, etc.  Allocate a special po number and ask suppliers to quote this on invoice.
   
   
6. Create a separate general ledger account or sub-accounts for:
   • Permanent repair/replacement costs for each damaged building affected by the loss event and track loss-related disbursements by building
   • costs to mitigate sales loss or impact of damage (e.g temporary hire of equipment)
   • If in any doubt record it and it an be reviewed at a later date
   
   
7. For all in-house labour, note:
   • employee movement details
   • Additional labour hours, by employee, by building location (if can be allocated), including a breakdown for straight time and overtime
   • Maintain employee time cards indicating straight time and overtime
   
   
8. Employees should Be instructed to file “separate” expense reports for all costs incurred relating to the loss event.


9. Maintain:
   • Chronology of events related to the loss and the impact that the loss has on their operations
   • Diary notes of phone call and discussions with customers and suppliers

For more information, please contact your local Marsh representative.