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Letter to the Editor
Thursday May 24
ASA Automated Estimate Subcommittee Working with Various Entities
Bedford,Texas -- Improving collision shop profitability: This is the goal and guiding reason driving a number of initiatives currently underway by the Automated Estimate Subcommittee of the Automotive Service Association (ASA) Collision Division Operations Committee.
To achieve this goal, members of the subcommittee have a five-pronged program, which includes:
- Improving the fairness and use of automated estimates through frequent communication with ASA collision shop owners; insurers; Inter-Industry Conference on Auto Collision Repair; and information providers, including those who develop the flat rate times provided in their databases.
- Creating business tools that will assist repairers to understand and allow for not-included operations.
- Monitoring current repair procedures and identifying discrepancies to all information providers.
- Staying on top of discrepancies and changes within the information providers' systems and inform ASA members of such.
- Maintaining communication with all information providers and their advisory committees, addressing concerns as they are identified.
The Automated Estimate Subcommittee is actively working with electronic information providers. ASA members are strategically placed on each of the automated estimate systems advisory boards, providing pertinent and critical information on questions and concerns specific to each system.
For a number of years, ASA has sponsored industry coalition meetings, inviting all the entities needed to resolve discrepancies in refinish procedures and refinish of salvage/recyclable parts. By bringing together the various entities -- information providers, insurers, paint manufacturers, and the salvage industry -- ASA has provided for much-needed assistance for the entire industry to have a better understanding of recommended and required refinishing procedures that are necessary to provide a quality repair.
ASA worked with these entities and developed its "Reference Chart of Not-included Operations in Collision Estimating Guides." This business tool has become accepted throughout the industry. It is available free to ASA members. Non-members may obtain copies for a nominal handling fee.
This guide is a general quick summary of "not-included" operations. When a shop receives an insurer's estimate written on an estimating system the shop does not use, there is a high probability "not-included" procedures will be overlooked.
A quick audit of these estimates is essential to the job's profitability. The handy ASA estimating guide helps shops ensure all procedures are accounted for in the estimate, which improves shop profitability. Because estimating systems have a direct impact on the bottom line of a shop, ASA is committed to its vigilant role in protecting the best interests of repair professionals.
Repair professionals who have concerns regarding estimating systems are encouraged to contact the ASA collision division at (800) 272-7467, ext. 228 or 229. (Copies of ASA's "not-included" operations may also be obtained by calling this number.)
Through an 11-member Collision Division Operations Committee, and its subcommittees, ASA equips committee members with specific tasks and goals, with the ultimate goal of improving collision repair. The committee is comprised of ASA members from all regions of the nation and from shops of varying sizes.
Bob Anderson, Anderson's Automotive, Sheffield, Ohio, chairs the Automated Estimate Subcommittee. Other members of the subcommittee include: Nick Gojmeric, Collision Plus, Swansea, Ill.; Myron Hazen, Collision Repair Center, East Moline, Ill.; Geralynn Kottschade, Jerry's Body Shop, Mankato, Minn.
Also, Harry Moppert, Moppert Brothers Collision Center, Morton, Pa.; Ted Thornton, Parks Royal Body Works, Boise, Idaho; and Mike West, Southtowne Auto Rebuild, Tukwila, Wash.
The Automotive Service Association is the largest not-for-profit trade association of its kind, internationally serving more than 12,000 businesses and approximately 65,000 professionals from all segments of the automotive service industry. ASA's headquarters is in Bedford, Texas.
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