Nov. 30, 2012—The Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG) this week launched a redesigned website that includes new navigation and features to improve the user experience.
The DEG said its website redesign includes the following three main improvements:
Top 10 List: The DEG said Top 10 lists can be developed for each of the three estimating providers—Mitchell International, Audatex, a Solera Company and CCC Information Services Inc. In contrast with DEG inquiries that are typically year, make and model-specific, the Top 10 lists are populated by user input and reflect macro-level issues or enhancements users would like to see addressed within the estimating products.
“The DEG was built to help address individual database issues on specific vehicles. While this core purpose remains focused, the associations who built and continue to fund the DEG also often address more global issues, or suggestions to improve the estimating system products, directly with the information providers,” the DEG said. “These macro issues are fully driven by end-user feedback, so it seems logical that the DEG website be used to both accurately compile this feedback, and display it transparently for public viewing by end users and the information providers themselves. These Top 10 lists have been compiled so that your most pressing collective issues can be clearly conveyed to the information providers with the hope that they will improve their systems in ways that are most meaningful to you and your business.”
Estimating Guides and P-Pages: The DEG said each estimating system has its own set of estimating guides or p-pages. The DEG has now created links to the guides on its home page, which the organization said allows users to access the information with minimal navigation and searching.
Twitter: The DEG is now using the social media platform Twitter to push important database information, issues and concerns to the industry. Twitter users can follow the DEG at Twitter handle “thedegweb.”
“The DEG is excited about our ability to continually enhance the user experience when submitting IP inquiries, and the agility this new site allows in our communications with the collision industry,” said Barry Dorn, joint operating committee member of the DEG. “We feel that the existence of the DEG has resulted in significant content improvement in these estimating products, and the new features within our redesigned website should result in greater transparency of end-user issues resulting in positive changes.”
The DEG said the functionality of inquiry submissions is still the central component of the website. But the new design produces a better visual experience and allows for more frequent communication with the industry about database related issues.
