PALM SPRINGS, CALIF., Jan. 12, 2012—I-CAR will announce whether it will create an industry council to assist with developing OEM-based repair standards in April, according to John Van Alstyne, president and CEO of the organization.
During the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) meeting in November 2011, several prominent collision repair organizations release_notesd a joint statement recognizing OEM manufacturer published repair procedures as the industry’s standards. Organizations that endorsed the statement included the Automotive Service Association (ASA), Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), Alliance of Automotive Service Providers (AASP) and the Assured Performance Network (APN).
Those organizations asked I-CAR to establish an industry council to identify gaps in existing OEM procedures and develop processes to close gaps, vet industry proposed alternatives, modifications, and additions to OEM procedures.
“We believe the request has potential merit, and warrants further review and evaluation by I-CAR,” Van Alstyne said.
Van Alstyne said I-CAR’s staff will reach out to various industry stakeholders to determine their position on I-CAR’s role in the request. I-CAR is working with its Strategic Planning Committee, Executive Committee and board of directors to develop a strategic response to the proposal.
I-CAR’s decision will be announced during the next CIC meeting, which is scheduled for April 25-26 in Oklahoma City, Okla.
