BODYSHOP NEWS: Managed Care?

A study by Conning & Company in the U.S. reports that a managed approach to collision repair may be the cure for the industry’s ills.

The Conning study, “The Managed Auto Repair Initiative: Raising the Bar and Focusing on the Customer,” reports that the managed repair approach will result in improved customer convenience and satisfaction that will enable insurers to retain more business and increase market share; more positive and productive insurance company/auto repairer relationships that will reduce loss adjustment expenses; and fundamental changes to the collision repair process that will result in consistently high quality repairs at reduced costs.

The promise of managed auto care is that insurers will have to deal with far fewer repairers and interact electronically with dozens of repair shops by sharing data through a central hub. These more efficient relationships will enable more technology investment, refined and re-engineered processes and simplified procedures, to the benefit of customers and insurers.