Canadian Collision Industry Forum

Come on in from the cold and join 300 collision repairers, insurers, suppliers and service providers at CCIF Toronto on Saturday Jan 28. for the best networking opportunity in the industry and lots of need to know information and discussion. Register now at www.ccif.net.The major topic at this meeting will be "Advanced Vehicle Technology" with OEM, collision repairer and insurer presentations, panel discussions and open forum. What are the implications of AVT for each stakeholder and, of course, the vehicle owner? Here are some of the questions we'll be addressing:

What aspects of advanced vehicle technology are creating new issues for collision repairers? What are the implications for themselves, the insurer, dealer, OEM and the vehicle owner? What impact will AVT have on the collision repair industry as a whole?

What is the scope of advanced vehicle technology today and how fast is it growing? Need to recognize that while AVT usually first appears in low volume expensive models, it is filtering down sooner to high volume brands and models.

 What happens if OE technical specifications are not available? If a brand new model has a collision within days of leaving the dealer’s lot, how can the vehicle be repaired safely and correctly to pre-accident condition if OE technical specifications are not available. Need to consider the impact of this on the vehicle owner and the implications for the collision centre, dealer, OEM and insurer. How effectively Is the CASIS agreement working to mitigate such situations?

 Lack of tools, equipment and training to handle advanced vehicle technology.Should collision repairers accept that they may no longer be able to operate as generalists?  What are the factors to consider in investment decisions on specialised tools, equipment and training necessary to repair one make of vehicle? What should OEMs be doing to ensure sufficient capability, capacity and access for the repair of vehicles with AVT? Should anything be done to stop repairers that lack the necessary tools, equipment and training from carrying out repairs, just “doing their best”?

 What OEM collision repair policies are already in place? What level of awareness and interest is there among other OEMs?

What role will insurers play in ensuring that vehicles with AVT are repaired at collision centres with sufficient capability? What are the liability issues for collision centres and insurers regarding capability?

 The investment required to maintain repair capability can be prohibitively high, e.g., aluminum repair equipment. What is the effect of current labour rates on the ability of collision repairers to invest? How does this affect an OEM’s ability to create a network of equipped, capable repairers? How does it affect an insurer’s need to service its policy holders?

 What issues arise between insurers and OEMs when vehicle warranty is invalidated by the repair not being carried out at a collision centre “authorized” by the OEM?

If the repair option becomes impossible or uneconomical due to the cost of AVT parts, what are the implications for repairers and insurers?

Each insurer and some OEMs have established their own standards for collision repairers. How sustainable is this approach? Would universal standards provide greater transparency for the vehicle owner and be more efficient for collision repairers and insurers?

What scope is there for non-proprietary equipment that can be used for multi-OEM brands?