Hey Insighters, welcome to the very first Actionable blog post! Our blog will feature lots of insightful content, including questions from you, tutorials, and other updates from our team. Our first blog post centers around a submission from Cole’s Common Questions: How do you use the Insight Sheet Database?

First things first: What is the Insight Sheet Database?

The Insight Sheet Database consists of 3700+ pages of Xactimate invoicing templates (that’s a lot of pages!) that help clarify which line items should be used in a restoration claims environment. We began building out this database in 2016 with the goal of helping adjusters and contractors write more informed and justified Xactimate estimates. Actionable members can access this entire database through their account at getinsights.org.

Understanding the Insight Sheet

Our Insight Sheets are intuitively designed to outline important line items and F9 note information in a concise, easy-to-understand format. Here's a breakdown of its layout:

1. Front Page: The front page displays the title, version number, and color-coded categories (Mitigation = tango, Repair = teal).

2. Loss Snapshot: This section gives background information on the loss the template was written for, including detailed information about the specific scenario.

3. Line Item Index: A quick reference guide to all the line items covered in the Insight Sheet. Think Cliffsnotes for invoicing!

4. Main Content: This section contains the category, selector code, activity, calculation, quantity, unit of measurement, and line item description, followed by a detailed F9 note for each line item.

5. Key Concepts: Located at the bottom left corner, this green box highlights essential industry knowledge, traditions, and background information to help you understand and justify using the line items.

6. Additional Line Item Info: In the bottom right corner, this blue box contains information pulled directly from Xactimate, including details about the line item itself, specific notes, depreciation, or life expectancy.

7. Imagery: All Insight Sheets include images that illustrate certain aspects of the work performed, such as a mitered corner.

8. Situationally Relevant Line Items: These are additional items that didn't make the cut for the specific scenario in the Insight Sheet but may be relevant for your particular loss.

9. Contributors & Editors: Last but not least, we want to give a big thank you to those who have and continue to help write and curate these Insight Sheets. If you're interested in being a contributor or editor, feel free to reach out to our team at support@getinsights.org.

Conclusion

The Insight Sheet Database is your resource for creating well-informed, accurate, and standardized Xactimate estimates. This growing database is intuitively designed to help you access and utilize information for your estimates.

If you have any other questions or need further clarification, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. Our team at Actionable loves hearing from you and is always here to help. Stay tuned for more posts from us — happy scoping!

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