ASA has propelled itself into the future of the information age by combining the concept of a local library with the electronic capabilities of the Internet. ASA's Information Center is the newest benefit available to members. ASA National members can enter the Information Center via the Members Only section of the ASA Web site.

Currently, the Information Center contains more than 2,000 timely citations and abstracts focusing on such topics as business management, employee hiring, business statistics, career opportunities, legal issues, education/training, customer service ideas, repair statistics and industry surveys. It is broken down into four major categories: General Information, Automotive Services, Mechanical Services and Collision Services.

It also provides an efficient keyword search function along with lists of general categories and their relative concepts.

ASA's Information Center is the latest progressive member benefit to meet the goals of educating technicians, increasing their understanding of consumers and surpassing current levels of public image.

The Information Center, under the direction of Denise Caspersen, promises to grow into the 21st century with guidance from ASA national members, staff and the board of directors.

One of the main goals of ASA National's Information Center is to provide a listing of current references and citations and abstracts of articles discussing such topics as direct repair programs, air conditioner retrofitting, marketing techniques, consumer spending, and OEM vs. non-OEM parts.

Striving to inform from all sides of the automotive spectrum, the Information Center can provide both the pros and cons of specific issues. The better educated ASA members are, the stronger their decision making process becomes; resulting in the finest automotive repair specialist around.

Once inside the Information Center, the selection process begins by choosing a major industry such as Collision Services, Mechanical Services or a broader topic, such as Automotive Services. By selecting one of these pathways, members are then able to research such topics as business management, business statistics, repair statistics, OSHA, EPA and consumer statistics.

As the member narrows in on the exact topic being researched, the selection process of the Information Center becomes more defined. For example, perhaps an ASA National member would like to understand more about employee motivation and scheduling. The searcher would select the business management pathway and then select "employee." This would provide the member with a listing of topics, article citation and abstracts pertaining to his or her needs. All selections are available via ASA's Web site.

Stat Corner is written by Denise Caspersen, ASA's research management specialist. She can be reached at (800) 272-7467, ext. 236.

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