In the past year, three major information providers - ADP, CCC Information Services and Mitchell International - have improved their estimating systems and enhanced the connections with their databases either through monthly CD-Rom updates, weekly downloadable updates, or direct connection to an ever-changing online database.

ADP

ADP's Shoplink is used in the collision repair industry to create estimates of the cost of repairing damaged vehicles, including parts and labor; submit estimates (with digital vehicle images, if desired) to the insurance company to secure payment approval for the repair job; and qualify for direct repair program relationships with insurers.

Shoplink is the collision repair industry's only vehicle-driven, option- specific automated estimating system. One of its features is that the system automatically identifies and includes all remove and install (R&I) operations and calculates the total time to repair your specific vehicle, allowing estimators to minimize supplements and decrease the chances of missing an operation or spending time looking up included operations.

Shoplink allows easy attaching and uploading of digital photographs to add detail to estimates. Some of Shoplink's features include a damage list that builds item by item, as you work, automatically adding all included operations. You can zoom in for a better look at small parts with Shoplink's expanded graphics. You can also increase customer satisfaction by accessing National Highway Transportation and Safety Administration (NHTSA) Recall Bulletins for their vehicle.

A "Find Parts" button locates hard-to-find parts from a partial description or an original equipment manufacturer (OEM) number. Shoplink also adds parts and labor costs - based on your personal shop profile - and calculates taxes to give you a running total of your estimate as you work. The damage list builds item by item, as you work, automatically adding all included operations. Total Loss Warning shows how close your estimate is to becoming a total loss and alerts you if it reaches 100 percent of the total loss threshold value. Decision Support Wizard alerts users of easy-to-miss related operations like "aim headlights" or "bleed brakes," ensuring an estimate that accounts for all aspects of a repair.

Shoplink is supported by the ADP database. Constantly receiving new information, the ADP database covers more than 98 percent of the vehicles on the road today and provides extensive coverage of new models. The database contains more than 3 million part numbers and prices, and almost half a million labor records. Every user receives a fully updated database CD, featuring manufacturer, aftermarket and salvage part pricing, every month. "Real steel" salvage data is updated daily and is available via modem.

ADP's database is also an option-driven parts information source. Using the vehicle information, ADP gives accurate part numbers, pricing and labor times for the infinite number of makes and models, styles, years and engine combinations out there. Parts are represented by smart graphics - on-screen graphics that, when selected, apply all the appropriate part prices and labor times automatically.

To complete their suite of estimating and claims services, ADP Claims Services Group has launched a Web-based claims management platform and processing applications for Internet claims handling.

"Our claims management platform connects and engages the entire claims community to reduce time and costs for each trading partner and improve customer satisfaction for policyholders. It represents a major advancement in the changing world of claims handling," said Joe O'Brien, senior vice president of sales and service for ADP Claims Services Group.

ADP Claims Services Group's Web-based claims management applications enable insurance companies, collision repair facilities, third-party administrators and other industry trading partners to process and close claims faster so customer satisfaction increases and handling costs decrease.

For more information about the ADP Claims Services Collision Estimating Database, visit www.adp.com or call (800) ADP-4YOU.

CCC

CCC Information Services has recently reconstructed Pathways. At the core of Pathways is an estimating system designed to produce complete, accurate estimates in the shortest time possible. Some of the time-saving features of Pathways include the ability to open the MOTOR database to the correct parts group based on the indicated primary impact area, automated blend capability, the ability to set up parts code tables by claims office, and VIN decoding to automatically identify a vehicle's body style, engine size and standard vehicle options. The system automatically prompts to include add-on items, such as "Aim Headlights," when replacing a headlamp assembly; there is automatic selection of standard vehicles options such as power equipment and clear coat paint on estimates for vehicles manufactured since 1989, and automatic addition of required labor times based on standard and selected vehicle options.

Pathways is streamlining with Built-In Digital Imaging, an optional feature of Pathways Estimating Solution allowing estimators to avoid switching between separate estimating and imaging applications for digital imaging functions. Selecting the imaging tab provides the tools you need to integrate electronic images and documents into one estimate. You can also reduce time-consuming steps by using the Select from Graphics feature within Pathways. Just click on the part image from the graphic screen and important information for the selected part is instantly displayed.

Look for Pathways 4.0 this spring, said Jim Dickens, senior vice president of product management and marketing at CCC Information Services. "We built on a component-based architecture, enabling us to deliver enhancements to our customers faster and more frequently in the future. This version will continue to drive efficiencies in the estimating process by implementing two new features, paintless dent repair estimating and background communications."

Autoverse is CCC's Web-based solution for exchanging claims information - resulting in an open environment that helps accelerate the claims process. CCC Autoverse allows an integrated, end-to-end process using one tool and your claims process participants of choice to facilitate the exchange of claims information derived from estimates using established collision estimating systems that support the Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA) open data environment.

Accessible from Internet Explorer, CCC Autoverse supports a unified, open environment for the flow of information. Using a common language, CCC Autoverse enables you to protect your data through multiple layers of security so only you have access to your claims information. By linking claims process participants - including loss takers, staff appraisers, independent appraisers and repair facilities - Autoverse helps manage customer claims, helping to reduce cycle time.

For more information about Pathways and Autoverse, go to www.cccis.com or call (800) 523-8924.

Mitchell International

Mitchell International recently released a new version of its estimating system, UltraMate, which includes many new features designed to enhance ease-of-use, save time and increase productivity. Two of those features are Compare Part and Compare Estimate. With Compare Part, users can quickly choose between new, used and remanufactured parts - all on one screen - enabling them to make quicker and more accurate decisions on the fly. With Compare Estimate, users can create a second version of an estimate - enabling them to experiment with different scenarios, such as used assemblies versus individual parts, resulting in the most cost-effective estimate.

Other features include automatically highlighting a loss vehicle's typical equipment, which saves time by reducing manual entries. WebCom enables users to communicate with Mitchell's host system using high-speed cable connections, DSL and T1 lines, or any ISP connection, thus increasing communication capabilities. Estimate report headings make the estimate report easier to read by creating report headings by part category, further improving communication between the estimator and the shop. And a tires database, available by subscription, provides access to a comprehensive database of current and discontinued tire information. This saves estimators time by accessing tires on the computer instead of calling vendors.

"UltraMate remains an industry favorite due to its many features and benefits, including its link to the industry-standard Mitchell Database, which has been the recognized leader in collision repair information for over 55 years," said Jennifer Maze, Mitchell's UltraMate product manager.

Mitchell's detailed vehicle database includes more than 112,000 specific configurations, 2 million Mitchell labor time records, more than 313,000 detailed labor time and part footnotes and coverage on more than 4 million parts numbers and parts price listings. Mitchell receives daily new and revised manufacturer parts, price and service information.

As with previous versions of UltraMate, Version 4.8 complies with CIECA standards and allows open transfer of information between UltraMate and body shop management systems. Web-based training on the use of UltraMate is available at Mitchell University, Mitchell's online learning center at www.mitchellu.com.

Mitchell's next version of the UltraMate estimating system, version 5.0, is currently in testing and promises to deliver many new features to further streamline workflow and enhance usability.

"UltraMate 5.0 is designed to provide complete, accurate estimates even faster than before, and its new 32-bit architecture provides greater compatibility with existing and future operating systems," said Jennifer Hackett, Mitchell's product manager for UltraMate. Hackett added the new version will also feature a new tab structure, making moving from screen to screen easier, which will speed the estimating process.

Mitchell also produces First-Estimate, the only Web-based estimating system for the automotive collision repair and claims industries. Last year Mitchell released an enhanced version of FirstEstimate. The new version provides users the choice of two packages - Standard and Advanced - with different feature sets based on customer type, needs and DRP participation.

Initially released in October 2000, Mitchell designed First- Estimate to allow independent adjusters and collision repair shops of any size to easily write accurate, professional, industry-standard repair estimates. First-Estimate's pay-per-estimate structure and location on the Web eliminates the cost barriers for shops and independent adjusters who want to write professional-looking estimates but don't want to pay the monthly subscription fees associated with CD-based electronic estimating systems.

Jeff Pirino, Mitchell's senior product manager for First- Estimate, said the new version includes many enhancements - such as the ability to receive assignments from insurers online - that make it easier for insurers interested in starting or expanding DRPs and DAPs to rural or low-volume shops and small independent adjusters.

"The new version of First-Estimate, with features such as assignment retrieval, alternate parts and pricing, and recycle part assembly times, will enable insurers to ensure estimate compliance and consistency from new DRP entrants, while at the same time enjoying the many benefits of DRP use - lower loss adjustment expense, reduced cycle time and increased custom- er satisfaction," Pirino said. Mitchell has also launched a new version of eMitchell, its online processing and collision repair claims management system. Distinguished by expanded features and a new portal, the new eMitchell offers insurers and collision repairers significantly increased functionality, greater ease of use, speed and performance. With its development based on open communication (CIECA or Internet XML) standards, eMitchell easily integrates with insurers' existing systems and accepts estimates from any estimating system.

Other enhancements include more workspace personalization, an expanded review module, a more streamlined assignment process and enhanced speed and performance.

This expansion is the latest in a series of continuing enhancements, which offers such features as online MIS reporting, a powerful reporting tool that provides cost, benchmarking and other data essential to pinpointing business drivers; eClaim Manager, which increases productivity by enabling staff adjusters to send and receive assignments wirelessly from the field; and a total loss settlement solution including salvage management.

In August 2002, Mitchell announced continued development of its collision repair network, which will give insurers access to a comprehensive network of quality shops. The network is another major component of Mitchell's enterprise-wide solution.

For more information on Mitchell, go to www.mitchell.com.

Look for companies to continue streamlining their systems in the future, making more operations accessible entirely from the Internet and allowing instant communication between shops and insurers.

Alexis Gross is a communications assistant for the Automotive Service Association (ASA). She can be reached at alexisb@asashop.org.

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