LAS VEGAS—The cost to the collision repair industry of re-keying estimating data is roughly $17.6 million annually. To shop owners who attended the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) in Las Vegas during NACE, that makes for a compelling argument to create a system in which electronic exchanges of information are simple and commonplace. The trouble is such systems are evolving far too slowly, they claim.
"This is a no brainer," argues Dan Bailey of CARSTAR. "We have to ask the data providers to get this done. Sometimes ordering parts 15 minutes earlier can get parts delivered a day earlier."
The subject was raised during a panel discussion conducted by the CIC IT Committee and moderated by co-chairperson Russell Thrall III. Panelists, including Bailey and representatives from Allstate, State Farm and California Casualty, weighed the need to move information electronically from one shop to another based on the consumer's choice of repair locations.
One option raised by the committee would be for the information to be uploaded to a "trusted third-party repository" and accessed by registered repairers using a consumer's proprietary code.
Insurers agreed that an electronic system of seamlessly moving estimating data is necessary, as long as such processes don't infringe on security or privacy issues of consumers.
The Society for Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) used the discussion as a launching pad for a petition in support of improved processes involving electronic data transmission. The petition was in the SCRS booth during NACE.
"If this isn't compelling enough, I don't know what will be," says Lou DiLisio, shop owner and chairman of SCRS, referring to the petition, which will be presented to the information providers.
In other CIC news: The group welcomed new Chairman Rick Tuuri of I-CAR, who takes over for outgoing chairman Roger Wright, of AIG. Tuuri, who will serve two years, asked attendees to consider the long-range vision of the industry as members prepare for the next CIC meeting Jan. 12-14 in San Antonio, Texas.
