State Farm – Parts Trader: It’s about losing profit, control, and your very survival.

Posted on 03. May, 2012 by biggs.

State Farms latest entry into the parts business is more threatening, robust and all consuming than anything attempted in the past. This program will destroy the OEM list price, funnel all of the shop and dealers confidential pricing, discount and profit information to the insurer, undermine the OEM parts distribution network, wipe out thousands of OEM wholesale parts dealers, give control of parts pricing to State Farm and other insurers, and eventually eliminate the shops profit on parts. And, that prediction is mild compared to my worst fears!

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Joint Venture for National Body Shop Certification Announced

Posted on 17. Feb, 2012 by admin.

Assured Performance Network is proud to official launch a joint venture national body shop “Certification” program. The goal is to have a certified shop located within 15 minutes of 98% of the US population. Our objective is to have a certified choice for consumers in every community. To provide this demographic coverage of the United States, we will Certify at least 2,500 Collision repairers that want to establish a clear distinction and differentiators between their best in class businesses and everyone else. Now, we will identify those shops that have the right tools, equipment, training and facilities – This initiative will allow consumers and everyone else to know which shops can ensure the fit, finish, durability, safety, and value of their automobiles.

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Q&A Regarding Our Positioning on “Repair Standards” and I-CAR as the Review Council

Posted on 01. Dec, 2011 by admin.

QUESTION 1 of 6: The SCRS, ASA, Assured Performance Network, and AASP and 24 other Associations have publicly declared OEM repair procedures to be the industry’s standards for repair processes. What exactly does this mean? How much weight does it carry when prominent organizations like these make such a declaration?

Unfortunately, our industry has never officially declared OEM repair procedures as our repair standards regardless of the fact the industry uses them to create training, testing, course design, educational programs, documentation and even software products. The only true way to officially make this declaration is by those that represent repairers. Remember, only repairers use repair procedures and therefore repair standards. Having each of the leading trade organizations and nearly all of the state Associations unanimously and publicly support this position removes any doubt that it is official.

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Now, They are Trying to Hi-Jack Repair Standards!

Posted on 11. Nov, 2011 by admin.

…Over the last 5 years, CIC has toiled with “Repair Standards” as a topic for their committees. I have sounded like a broken record for over 7 years at every meeting hounding the attendees on how much we desperately need repair standards defined. Consider that while the industry has continuously debated the need for repair standards, we have yet to tackle the most fundamental action that is needed as a first and decisive step. We have been so busy wrestling over the questions like inspections and creating and funding new independent entities, we overlooked taking the first steps.

Most assume OEM repair procedures are the default standards. We all know that OEM repair procedures are currently the foundation for training development, testing, vo-tech programs, documentation and more. Regardless, we as an industry have never officially established that OEM is our default repair standards. It may seem obvious and fundamental, but without having ever made the official declaration, it leaves room for others to try to claim they set the standards. The repair community is exposed and vulnerable to the self-interest of others with differing agendas. Until recently, that was not really a concern. Now, the special interest of a few are trying to hi-jack the industry’s repair standards efforts and create an entity completely controlled by them …while it leaves everyone else subservient to their whims … and subject to whatever they plan to charge everyone.

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