Mike's Carwash

Every Claim Tells You Something: How Mike’s Carwash Moved from Paper Forms to Predictive Insight

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Industry: 

Retail / Carwash Operations

Solution: 

Cloud Claims and First Report Portal by APP Tech

Key benefits: 

  • Enforced documentation at the point of incident
  • Faster claim resolution
  • Network-wide trend identification
  • A claims process that doubles as a customer service tool

A Family Business and Relationships That Matter

Mike’s Carwash has been shining up cars in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana for decades. It’s a family business at its core, built on customer service.

Behind that front-of-house experience is a claims and incident management operation that requires speed, precision, and the ability to see the big picture. APP Tech has been part of that operation since 2014, when Mike’s first adopted APP Tech’s Incident Management System (IMS) to move accident and damage claim reporting off paper forms and into a structured digital workflow. That original implementation set the foundation, and more than ten years later, Mike’s made another big move: transitioning to Cloud Claims, APP Tech’s updated, modern SaaS platform for claims and risk management. The result is a process that’s faster, cleaner, and for the first time, genuinely useful for identifying trends before they become problems.

The Challenge: Speed, Service, and the Truth About Pre-Existing Damage

Running a high-volume carwash means incidents. Every day, across every location, cars enter the tunnel and emerge. Most of the time, customers glow with the satisfaction of a clean, shiny car. When a claim happens, the goal is to resolve those quickly. n.

Mike’s relies on a network of cameras at tunnel entry points and inside the wash itself to investigate damage claims in real time.  For example, if a customer says a scratch or dent appeared during the wash, the team pulls footage and determines whether the dent was already there when the car arrived. The camera system is the first line of defense.

But investigation is only part of the equation. Mike’s prioritizes customer service over everything and makes deliberate decisions that build loyalty. The goal is retention, not just resolution. That means the claims process is as much a customer service function as it is a risk management one, and the team needs a system that can support both.

The Old System: Functional, But Fragmented

Before Cloud Claims, Mike’s was using APP Tech’s IMS platform — a significant upgrade from the paper-based process it replaced in 2014, but one that had grown harder to work with as the team’s reporting needs evolved.

Natalie Fryerson, who leads the claims team  at Mike’s and has been with the company for nearly 19 years describes the old system as functional, but pulling reports meant navigating to different areas of the system and cross-referencing data that often ended up in spreadsheets. There was no single view. And getting photos and videos attached to claims was a persistent challenge. It was possible, but it wasn’t enforced.

“Getting photos and videos submitted with the claim was a real challenge with the old system. Now it’s locked down — you can’t move forward without them. That’s been one of the biggest game changers for us.”

— Bethany McAlister, Director of Marketing and Customer Support, Mike’s Carwash


The Transition to Cloud Claims: Fast and Smooth

When Mike’s made the move to Cloud Claims, they approached it strategically. Rather than rolling it out across all locations at once, they piloted with a select group of stores. Those general managers learned the system, worked out the early questions with APP Tech’s team, and then presented the new process to the broader organization.

The rollout took less than two weeks to fully stabilize. Bethany and Natalie both describe it as smooth, a transition that didn’t generate significant disruption at the location level and was helped by a responsive APP Tech team.

“Hector was great working with Dan, our IT Business Analyst  — answering questions, helping configure things when we needed it. Paul made sure we were getting what we wanted out of the transition. Their customer service was really good, start to finish.”

— Bethany McAlister, Marketing and Customer Support Director, Mike’s Carwash


What Changed: From Compliance to Insight

The most immediate operational change was structural. Mike’s enabled a business rule in Cloud Claims to ensure locations can’t complete a claim submission without attaching photos or video. The system enforces documentation at the point of entry — which means the problem of missing evidence largely disappears.

“It’s helping train our managers to get all the information that’s needed, up front” Natalie explains. That discipline at the front end also protects the team downstream, where having complete documentation speeds up both the investigation and the resolution.

Trend Identification Across Locations

The bigger shift has been in reporting. Where pulling data once meant working across multiple system areas, Cloud Claims surfaces trends at a location level in a way that’s actually actionable.

A recent example: Over a period of a month or two, the team began seeing a cluster of incidents involving equipment getting caught on truck hitches with hook-style tow receivers. The incidents were being seen across locations, not isolated to one site. Because Cloud Claims made it possible to identify the pattern quickly, Mike’s was able to trace the root cause and take corrective action across the whole network.

“We started seeing multiple incidents where our equipment was getting caught on truck hitches — the hook style. It was happening across locations, not just one site. We were able to pinpoint the issue, figure it out, and get ahead of it. That kind of thing, you might not catch it as fast without the reporting.”

— Natalie Fryerson, Customer Support Supervisor, Mike’s Carwash

That kind of catch, a network-wide operational issue surfaced through claims data, is the difference between a reporting tool and a management tool. The data is no longer just a record of what happened. It’s a signal for what to fix.

The First Report Portal: Closing the Loop at the Location Level

Alongside Cloud Claims, Mike’s is also using APP Tech’s First Report Portal, which supports frontline managers in capturing incident information at the point of contact. The portal generates the form customers fill out on-site, feeding structured data directly into the claims workflow.

For Natalie and the central claims team, the First Report Portal and Cloud Claims work as two connected layers. The location captures the initial incident in a consistent, structured format, and the claims team works the file from there. The result is a cleaner handoff and a complete record from the first touchpoint forward.

What’s Next

For now, Mike’s is focused on getting the most out of what they have. The team has what they need, and the priority is continuing to build on the reporting capability — using the data to identify trends, inform equipment maintenance decisions, and support location-level training.

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Aerial view of construction workers in safety vests and hard hats installing a dense steel rebar grid

Miller & Long streamlined claims operations and improved risk response with Cloud Claims

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CASE STUDY: MILLER & LONG

Miller & Long streamlined claims operations and improved risk response with Cloud Claims

Industry: Commercial construction
Solution: Cloud Claims by APP Tech
Key benefits: Centralized data and workflows, faster processing, real-time insight and collaboration, simplified compliance, and long-term platform stability

Building and evolving on tradition

Founded in 1947, Miller & Long has grown from pouring sidewalks to reshaping city skylines. As a structural concrete contractor, with operations across the Mid-Atlantic region, the company manages complex, high-risk projects that demand operational precision — especially when it comes to risk and claims management.

Deborah Carr, vice president of insurance at Miller & Long, has been part of that evolution for more than 25 years. “We’ve always believed in building from within,” Carr says. “From skilled trades to claims systems, we believe in keeping our expertise in-house. But even that model needs to evolve with the times.”

For more than two decades, Miller & Long relied on a homegrown, custom-built claims management system called Odyssey. While functional in its early years, Odyssey was aging out of relevance. “It was built on Delphi 7, which hasn’t been supported for years,” says Doug Shobe, Director of IS at Miller & Long. “We couldn’t modernize, and we couldn’t scale.” 

“This wasn’t just a system upgrade — it was a shift in how we manage risk, respond to incidents, and align technology with our business goals.”
— Deborah Carr, Vice President of Insurance, Miller & Long

The challenge: Legacy technology meets operational risk

Odyssey was developed internally during the Windows XP era and remained unchanged for years. But as business needs changed, the system couldn’t keep up, Shobe explains. It required manual code updates for even minor changes, and critical components were increasingly incompatible with modern IT environments.

“Our original developer had retired, and our newer team members were struggling to keep the platform alive,” Shobe says. “Every time we needed to tweak a form or respond to a regulation, we were in the weeds — testing and debugging just to stay compliant.” 

The lack of agility was more than an IT problem — it was a risk. Miller & Long’s insurance operations support a 24/7, 365-day business. With complex cases, ever-shifting compliance requirements, and multiple involved stakeholders, the company needed more than just a place to store claims data — it needed a living, responsive system that could drive productivity and efficiency now and grow with the company.

The solution: A claims platform built for modern risk management

In 2024, Miller & Long began searching for a replacement that could offer security, configurability, and real-world usability. After evaluating several options, they selected Cloud Claims by APP Tech — a modern, cloud-based claims management software built specifically for organizations in medium- to high-risk industries managing high-volume, high-stakes claims.

Carr notes a unique alignment in culture as well as technology fit: “It felt natural to partner with a team that truly understands the space, and APP Tech understands the insurance industry because they’re rooted in it. Their deep industry knowledge and practical experience made them stand out, and they proved that they deliver big — innovation, responsiveness, and real-world solutions. Their flexibility and their approach is the right fit for our needs, both operationally and culturally.”

Miller & Long officially transitioned to Cloud Claims on January 1, 2025. The migration from Odyssey was substantial, moving over 20 years’ worth of data, but the rollout was smooth, and user adoption began immediately.

“Cloud Claims brought us structure, speed, and visibility we didn’t even realize we were missing.”
— Victor Villacorta, Insurance Claim Representative, Miller & Long

The results: Streamlined operations and real-time visibility

Today, Cloud Claims is deeply integrated into Miller & Long’s daily operations. The system manages claims from intake to closure, centralizing all activity logs, documents, correspondence, and timelines. It also enables collaboration with legal partners, case managers, and adjusters — ensuring that every stakeholder has access to accurate, timely information.

“Cloud Claims brought us structure, speed, and visibility we didn’t even realize we were missing,” says Victor Villacorta, Insurance Claim Representative at Miller & Long.

Carr adds: “This wasn’t just a system upgrade. It was a shift in how we manage risk, respond to incidents, and align technology with our business goals.”

Among the most relied-upon features is diary management, which supports accountability and transparency throughout the claims lifecycle. “You need to be able to tell the story of every claim,” Carr says. “With diary management, we don’t lose sight of deadlines or follow-ups. It’s helping us maintain control over a complex, fast-moving operation.”

A platform — and partnership — for the future

While Miller & Long is still fine-tuning its new environment and adapting workflows, the benefits of Cloud Claims are already clear: better visibility, faster processes, reduced manual effort, and scalable modernization.

More importantly, the organization feels confident in its technology partnership. “We’re not a number to them,” Carr says. “APP Tech listens. They respond. They help us tailor the system so it works the way we work. That kind of relationship is rare — and it’s why this was the right move.”

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Simplified claims management from startup to scale

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Case study: Inspector Claim Management (ICM)

Overview

Founded in 2019 by Michael Lang and Joseph Denneler, Esq., Inspector Claim Management (ICM) specializes in providing claims- and risk-management services to home inspectors and other real-estate professionals. With a focus on helping their clients navigate insurance challenges and mitigate risks, ICM quickly established itself as a leader in this niche industry. The company has grown to serve thousands of home inspectors across the United States, with expert guidance and comprehensive claims solutions.

To enhance their service offerings and address unique operational needs, ICM implemented Cloud Claims by APP Tech. This solution gave them a way to scale operations, comply with rigorous security standards, and streamline claims management.

“Cloud Claims is a fantastic system. It provides great, customizable reporting so we can make decisions quickly and confidently. Everything is very user-friendly, and the data is presented in a very easily-digestible format.

 “We’ve never thought of switching, because the product and support are outstanding.”

— Michael Lang, co-founder, ICM

Challenges

Specialized needs, scalability and security, affordability, future-proofing

Michael and his team needed a robust claims-management solution, but most of the platforms they encountered were prohibitively expensive or they lacked the specialized features ICM couldn’t live without. For a startup with ambitious goals, affordability and adaptability were non-negotiable.

Furthermore, ICM’s requirements went well beyond basic claims management. They needed a system capable of integrating complex data flows, including monthly EDI data feeds for carriers, weekly policy updates from the sales team, and imported claims data from other third-parties. 

ICM needed a solution that could evolve to keep pace with the business, and any system they considered had to meet stringent security standards to satisfy their insurance partners, while still being easy to use and scalable to match the company’s rapid growth plans.

Why APP Tech?

Expertise, flexibility, cost

ICM chose the Cloud Claims platform by APP Tech for its specialized features, flexibility, cost-effectiveness, and its incident-based approach to claims management. According to Michael, he was struck by how well the team at APP Tech understood ICM’s niche needs and their commitment to delivering a solution that fit perfectly. It wasn’t just about finding software; it was about finding a partner who could help ICM build momentum.

Implementation

Smooth data integration, minimal IT burden, focused support

While anticipating the release of Cloud Claims, ICM implemented an earlier, on-prem version of the APP Tech software called IMS. The migration to Cloud Claims, about a year later, marked a turning point for ICM. As a cloud-based solution, Cloud Claims eliminated the need for installation and ongoing IT maintenance. It provided instant benefits like effortless system upgrades, best-in-class security, and enhanced scalability. The team at APP Tech worked closely with ICM to make sure line-of-business integrations worked smoothly from day one.

Results

Since 2020, ICM has seen incredible growth, and has relied on APP Tech’s Cloud Claims to keep pace. The platform handles complex data flows — such as importing policy information and exporting claims data — while its incident-based software architecture eliminates duplicate efforts and provides a single source of reference for all claim information. This ensures ICM can scale with confidence.

Accelerated policy growth: In the last four years, ICM’s policy volume has increased by more than 86 percent, and as their client base continues to grow, the company is handling significantly more claims (a ~12 percent increase year over year) with the visibility and operational efficiencies Cloud Claims provides. 

Faster settlements: Cloud Claims helps ICM mitigate risk for their clients, but when an incident does occur, all the information is tracked efficiently, processes are standardized and automated, and settlements are timely. ICM has helped thousands of policy holders recover from losses, and has settled millions in claims, confidently and without hassle.

Cloud Claims at-a-glance 

  • Clean, user-friendly interface for rapid content entry, processing, and auditing
  • Rich sets of data available across all claims for use by risk management
  • Custom reporting and analytics based on ICM-determined filters
  • Workflow and automation for faster claims processing
  • Enhanced efficiency in monthly reporting for insurance programs
  • A solution that scales with the business

“Paul and his team are really good — they check all the boxes. They are super responsive when we have questions or need customizations, and without the software itself, our business doesn’t run efficiently.”

— Michael Lang, co-founder, ICM

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