For collision repairers concerned about the impact of insurance mandated parts procurement models and such models’ impact on other global markets, the 2012 SEMA Show will offer an opportunity.
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As part of the Society of Collision Repair Specialists' (SCRS) Repairer Driven Education (RDE) series, registrants will be able to participate in an interactive presentation with Rex Crowther, Editor of Panel Talk Magazine in New Zealand (NZ), and David Newton-Ross, Editor of The National Collision Repairer in Australia and The NZ Collision Repairer. The two- hour session entitled, "Bidding Wars: A Global View on the Possible Economic Impact of Insurer Involvement in Parts Procurement" will begin at 12:30pm on Thursday, November 1m and is being held in the Upper North Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center.
To register for this RDE seminar or to find other seminars being offered, please visit www.semashow.com/scrs.
While online bidding requirements for parts procurement have only recently entered the U.S. market, other countries such as New Zealand have dealt with parts tendering mandates by carriers for many years. This session will provide attendees with a global perspective on the economic impact of NZ based bidding programs, procedural impacts the program has had on cycle times and estimating practices, and changes the program has had on repairer/supplier relationships. It will also include a historical overview of the national rollout, changes made to the program along the way, and market impact from inception to present day; including an oration of market response at various points throughout the past eight-plus years.
"Having seen firsthand the impact PartsTrader has had on the industry here in NZ and hearing how different both PartsTrader and State Farm are saying it is going to be in the U.S., I struggle to see any advantage for repairers, or much real advantage for State Farm," shared Crowther who has been involved in the NZ collision repair industry since 1967. "This makes me suspicious of the end game, as all repairers' margins are vulnerable through this program and surely any insurer is out to maximize their profits for their stakeholders."
