Embrace the change

In our rapidly evolving industry, we have no choice but to continually educate ourselves on new products, procedures, and vehicles. All vehicles are not built the same and are becoming increasingly more complex every year. Any technician who thinks that the “old school” methods will work in today’s industry is a danger to your operation.

These new elements that we are faced with span across every department in your facility. Estimating has changed with new technologies and rules put in place by insurance companies. Body repair has changed because of the new technology used in vehicle manufacturing. News paints and colors offered by OEMs are more complex and vibrant than ever before. Even detailing is different now because of different materials and finishes used on vehicles.

Things are not the same as they were 20 years ago, or even 10 years ago.

For a shop to be successful these days they must be willing to evolve with the changing industry, resisting against it will only cause more problems. With the rise of OEM certifications, DRP initiatives from insurance companies, and increased regulations, body shops really have no choice but to adapt.

Navigating these waters isn’t always simple, or cheap. Rules, requirements, and conditions can be confusing and sometimes redundant. Unfortunately, this is not something that is going to go away. In fact, with the introduction of electric vehicles and complex driver safety systems, OEMs will be very restrictive with who can repair their vehicles.

Continually training and educating your team will also become increasingly more important as these new regulations are imposed. As the vehicle technology changes, the repair technicians must know how to follow the OEM procedures. Unfortunately, those OEM procedures are sometimes pushed back by insurance companies so its up to your team to educate them in some cases.

During the height of the lockdowns, we saw shops struggle as insurance companies pushed to have their customers go to their top DRP facilities. This is something that will never change, the insurance companies are going to make sure that their top performers are taken care of. Part of being their top performer is being certified, trained and compliant with their regulations.

When we work with our partners, we always stress the importance of planning to meet the needs of the industry. It is so vital to the success of any shop that we, as a supplier, have created a separate team of industry professionals that is dedicated to help shops navigate the changing industry. To survive this dynamic environment, it’s going to take a team of strong, reliable, and educated partners to make sure that the needs of the industry are met.