Estimating system providers address industry questions

The Big Three estimating system providers during the recent Collision Industry Conference each addressed a series of questions provided in advance by the CIC Estimating Procedures Committeeor the Database Task Force.

Representatives of Audatex, CCC Information Services and Mitchell International all said that they are working to incorporate access to available OEM repair procedures into their estimating systems, though they provided no timeline for when this would be available.

“We need to have that information at our fingertips at the point of estimating,” Lou DiLisio, chairman of the Database Task Force, said. “All the manufacturer websites are great for repairing vehicles. But it's at the time you write the estimate that you need to have this information.”

In response to requests from the industry, the providers each said they are 85 percent or further along in indicating in the database whenever a vehicle part consists of “exotic” materials such as Boron steel or aluminum. That's 11,272 parts on 373 models in the Mitchell International database, according to the company's Tom Fleming.

John Lypen of Motor Information Systems (whose database is used by the CCC Information Services' estimating system), said that such substrate identification information is viewable on screen and also prints on the CCC estimate. In the Audatex and Mitchell systems, the information is available on-screen only, but will also print on the estimate after an upcoming software update (available in his company's product this December, according to Rick Tuuri of Audatex).

The three also addressed a question about “feather, prime and block,” the operations that take place after the body repair process is completed but that are necessary to bring the repaired surface to the condition of a new undamaged panel. All three said these are considered non-included operations in their systems, but Fleming said in the Mitchell system it is considered a non-included refinish operation.

“We will be providing a automated pop-up for that,” Tuuri said, drawing applause from CIC attendees. “When a user enters a judgment repair time, you will get a pop-up that says, ‘Would you like featheredge fill and block?'”

Other news at CIC

In other news and discussion at CIC in Scottsdale:

– T he CIC Education and Training Committee said that information and links to about 30 shop management and technical training providers can be found on its new website (www.Education1Stop.com) .

– The Repairer-Insurer Relations Task Force received approval for its two-page best practices guidelines outlining “in general terms, what can be expected of the collision repair process, from the time the incident occurs to the complete and safe repair of the vehicle, through vehicle delivery to the consumer and closure of file.” The document is available at CIC's website (www.CIClink.com).

- The CIC Insurance Relations Committee expects to gain similar approval at the next CIC meeting on November 4 in Las Vegas for its “Estimating Best Practices” document, which spells out suggested guidelines related to vehicle inspection, photo documentation, parts replacement options, and other estimating steps.

- Russell Thrall III, publisher of CollisionWeek and interim associate director of the I-CAR Education Foundation, was named chairman of the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) for 2009. Thrall, who was selected by the past chairs of CIC, succeeds Stacy Bartnik of CARSTAR who has led CIC in 2007 and 2008. She will chair her final CIC meeting in November, and Thrall will lead CIC's first meeting of 2009, being held January 14-16 back in Scottsdale, Ariz.

John Yoswick, a freelance writer based in Portland, Oregon, who has been writing about the automotive industry since 1988, is also the editor of the weekly CRASH Network (www.CrashNetwork.com). He can be contacted by email at jyoswick@SpiritOne.com.