Lots of exciting changes coming from the Estimate Scrubber team!
They just announced EstimateScrubber.com now includes an estimating decision support system (EDS) to help estimators write more consistent estimates.
The crux of the estimating decision support system is the ability to review an estimate (for a specific make/model) against all other estimates written by that repair facility or received from a third party such as an insurer or appraisal company. At their fingertips, an estimator can see all vehicles repaired in the facility, the estimating platform they were written in, the profiles they were reviewed against, the total number of lines/non-included items; total non-included prices/hours as well as the non-included items added to each estimate. Estimators can also review the actual printed estimates against each other, giving them total visibility of past repairs done in their repair facilities.
“Our new Estimating Decision Support system coupled with our estimator consistency reporting gives estimators, managers and owners the information they need at their fingertips to better create estimates and manage the estimating process”, said Steven Siessman, President of VehicleOwnersGuide.com.
The EDS helps estimators at the point of writing estimates by providing supporting analytics and data related to the vehicle being repaired. The estimator consistency analysis helps managers/owners evaluate/manage their estimating process by reviewing the writing consistency between estimators.
The Estimating Decision Support system is provided at no additional charge to subscribers.
In addition, I have been working with Beau Brandon to incorporate portions of the SGI Appraisal Manual into their Scrubber Wiki. I have attached documents on the Grid System and we are working on installing SGI’s Masking Policy for quick reference by your appraisers.
I could use your help – if you have a repair procedure that you can share with other shops send it to me and I will post it into the Scrubber Wiki. Shops using the program can also enter repair tips by clicking on the Quick Wiki Entry at the top left side of the Scrubber Landing page. The more information we can share, the better the program will work to save shops time and money.
If you want to try the enhanced Scrubber out drop me an email at dir@s-a-a-r.com.
I am a big fan of David Luehr’s Elite Academy. Much of what David is sharing with the industry is free of charge like his latest article called “Don’t Give Up!”
You can download the article from the above link and I encourage you to read it more than once. I have been fortunate over the years to have great mentors and colleagues that encouraged me along the way and I include David in that group. Running a business is no easy task and you can only do so much on your own, I encourage you to check out David’s Elite Academy Home – Elite Body Shop Solutions and his Operations Monthly Live to see all of the terrific information that he has to share.
We are scheduled to do a webinar with Jake Rodenroth and Jean-Luc Sauriol on Wednesday, April 14th where we will tour the AsTech call center and get up to date on the new Canadian pricing options.
As Mike Anderson mentioned in his March 10th Webinar, on many of the newer vehicles if you do not use an OEM scan tool you might be missing some very important DTC’s (diagnostic trouble codes) In addition AsTech is able to do diagnostics, programming, initializations, calibrations and many other operations that are legitimate sublets. Especially if you are a rural shop these services could save you time and money.
Don’t miss this webinar! (time to be announced)
The results are in for our recent Compensation Survey. We ended up with 75 responses – about half of our membership. I know doing surveys is a pain in the butt but if we want solid feedback it is necessary. Maybe I need to do a survey to determine if you folks want surveys? 🙂 You can view the results here.
Some of my observations:
It is interesting to note that most shops have a dedicated wash bay person yet 40% of you do not have a dedicated estimator and 55% of you do not have a dedicated parts person? With the complexity of today’s vehicles and the detailed reporting required by SGI don’t you think a full-blown estimator might be a good idea? Parts now constitute a larger share of each job than labor does – don’t you think someone should be looking after one of the largest income generators in your shop?
I also found it interesting that over half of our respondents do not have an accounting clerk -perhaps the receptionist does this job as well? One bit of advice that I can give you is that you need to have somebody tracking the financials of your business – preferably the owner. A convenient way to do this is to have a computerized shop management system that will do this automatically and more!
Sharon Ashley from BodyshopConnect is a Silver sponsor for SAAR. She has a tremendous amount of experience managing body shops and developing computer programs to help in the management process. Currently her company, Micazen Technology offers a web-based body shop management system that can provide:
- Repair Management
- Manage all your files easily through the whole process from Estimate System to Repair Order to Accounting systems.
- Parts Management
- Manage all parts orders, received parts, back-order parts, credit returns, partial credit returns, and more in a simple to use bulk parts management system.
- Job Cost Management
- Track all Job Costs easily and quickly. Labor or Vendor Costs can be added per Repair Order or on the fly using bulk Job Cost posting screens.
- Production Management
- Quickly view where all the vehicles are at any time with filtering and sorting capabilities using an unlimited number of Departments.
- Technician Tracking
- Comprehensive and easy to use Technician Center. Increase shop productivity by connecting the back of the shop to the front of the shop.
- AR Management
- Manage all your Accounts Receivable in one place with bulk payment capabilities which makes posting payments simple, quick, and easy.
- Communication
- Keep everyone informed automatically during the process or after delivery. Totally Branded and easy-to-use SMS or E-mail Templates.
- Media Management
- APPs and other technology make keeping all of your pictures and other data attached to the file.
- Scheduling
- Manage Appointments, Vehicle Arrival Schedules, and Vehicle Production Schedules easily and precisely.
- Dashboard & KPIs
- Customized Dashboards and Reports. Helping shops manage their KPIs better.
- Reports
- Adjust existing or create new reports quickly and easily.
- Estimates & Supplements
- No More stress trying to balance a file. Auto-Import & Auto Synchronizations.
This system is very affordable and can help you get control of your business like never before. I’m not going to kid you; it takes time and effort to get up and running but if you can navigate on Microsoft programs you will catch on fast.
You have just updated your back shop and brought it into the 21st century, shouldn’t you do the same with your front office?
Our SAAR website is up and running at
Saskautorepairers.com!
Check out our Posting Board for used equipment!
This site is a work in progress so keep track of the changes we will be making in the weeks ahead; you will soon be able to access past Did You Know? Newsletters and be kept up to date on SAAR events.
You’re invited to sign up to Canbaba here!
Canbaba is a brand new all Canadian bulk wholesaling marketplace where you can easily list, buy and sell wholesale equipment, supplies and inventory.
Suppliers: sign up to create your free virtual business storefront and unlimited product listings. Just set your minimum order quantity.
Shops: sign up to create your free buyer account to shop, compare, and easily buy Canadian wholesale products.
Any of you that heard us speak at the last conference in Saskatoon know that we are very passionate about Critical Illness Insurance. We have been paid out personally, and we have paid out many clients with this benefit. Contact us to see how we can add this benefit to your financial plan to help protect you, your family, and your business.
Critical Illness Insurance gives you a lump sum payment if you are diagnosed with and survive an illness covered by your plan. Having this extra measure of financial security helps give you the freedom to concentrate on what is most important – your recovery.
Make it a part of your business.
Lee Campbell
306-649-4000 x. 104
lee.campbell@sunlife.com
Ken Campbell
306-649-4000 x. 103
ken.campbell@sunlife.com
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