New Year’s Eve is always a chance to dream. Perhaps it’s the newness of rolling over the calendar as Father Time marches on. It’s a much-needed fresh start and none of us wants to begin the New Year without making some sort of commitment to ourselves. “Things will be better over the next 365 days, guaranteed.”
As long as we’re in the mood to dream, let’s think big. General Motors has added its Advanced Automatic Crash Notification (AACN) system to at least a dozen 2005 models equipped with OnStar. The AACN makes emergency information available to 911 centers to aid emergency personnel as they head to crash scenes. The system lets them know the severity of a collision, the direction of impact, whether or not airbags deployed, and, if sensors are present, they can even learn if there was a rollover—all before leaving the fire station. Sharing this data with EMTs immediately after an accident can give first responders a clearer picture of each crash site and help them in their life-saving efforts. It’s only a matter of time before this type of system is common on every GM vehicle, and it won’t be surprising if other automakers follow suit in the near future.
So here’s where the dreaming starts. What types of opportunities does GM’s AACN system (or a system like it) offer collision repair shops? What would it be like for the collision shops if they could learn the details of collisions as soon as they happen? At the risk of becoming ambulance chasers, advance notification of a collision would certainly give shops a competitive edge in terms of reaching potential customers. They would know when and where collisions happen, and whether or not they are capable of servicing the vehicles involved based on the reported damage and the vehicle makes and models.
As in-vehicle technology continues to flourish, the ability to record digital images from a crash site becomes very real. It would seem logical that you could gather enough video to enable shops to perform preliminary estimates for collision repairs. No, this form of estimating isn’t as efficient as seeing the damage firsthand, but it might draw in customers you might otherwise lose. With future versions of AACN or similar technologies, shops could submit those preliminary estimates to potential customers via the in-vehicle safety networks, such as OnStar. No more relying on DRP programs to bring you business.
Whether you’re resolved or not to make changes to your business in 2005, changes are coming. The days of running your business the same way year after year are long gone. Just check the advice in our Ideal Shop stories, beginning on page 62, to see if your business approach is in line with the best practices that are fast becoming the norm throughout today’s shop environment.
How you approach 2005 can make a difference for you and your business in 2006 and beyond. If you haven’t started dreaming about what’s possible, start. You might be surprised at where those thoughts can take you.
