CASE STUDY: MILLER & LONG
Miller & Long streamlined claims operations and improved risk response with Cloud Claims
Industry: Commercial construction
Solution: Cloud Claims by AppTech
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 AppTech — 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 AppTech 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. “AppTech 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.”