SCRS to launch blueprint optimization tool

The estimator can see operations that have not been added to the estimate and then select which ones to add to the estimate.

The evolution of this product, the Blueprint Optimization Tool, has converted the PDF into an automated software version. It was unveiled at the recent SEMA Show, where it was also named Best New Collision Repair & Refinish Product. It’s expected to launch in the first quarter of 2020.

“It provides collision repair facilities with an intelligent and easier-to-use estimate-analysis tool,” said SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg. “It immediately identifies labor operations, line items, and customizable charges that could be overlooked on an estimate. This leading-edge technology takes advantage of the machine-learning process and robotics automation to achieve the highest levels of user-efficiency and accuracy.”

Working with a team at NuGen IT led by Owner Pete Tagliapietra, SCRS spent more than a year developing and refining the new product, incorporating feedback from members on how they’ve used it and how they desired to make the guide more user-friendly, he said.

“The Blueprint Optimization Tool was designed taking those suggestions into account, really looking to build some automation into the process, rather than this very manual approach of comparing the estimate to a static document. Once we had the program pulled together, we solicited a small focus group of shops who fleshed out the usefulness of the programming and gave added feedback. That touchpoint with estimators helped us and the development team clarify how to ensure value in the product, and it led to the product that then went to another group of beta-testers. Truly, this is a program built for repairers – by repairers – and I think that makes it really unique.”

Development of the PDF product, which launched in April 2011, was started by Toby Chess, the late March Taylor, and other contributors with the idea to standardize and simplify the estimating process, Schulenburg said.

“It was always intended to be a ‘living document’ that would adapt and evolve over time. And even in its launch release, our chairman at the time, Aaron Clark, commented that the hope was if we open it up to industry, we would be able to harness even more input and suggestions to improve it with future editions –while delivering on our overarching desire to provide resources that help the industry grow and succeed.”

How the tool works with estimating systems
The Blueprint Optimization Tool removes the need to manually reference and navigate the guide. Instead, when an estimate is saved in the shop’s estimating system, it is automatically imported into the Blueprint Optimization Tool and audited for potentially overlooked operations. (CCC will be the first to be added, with all major estimating systems planned.) The application then identifies the relevant operations, based on the vehicle type, such as truck, SUV, or passenger vehicle.

SCRS began with the Guide to Complete Repair Planning in 2011. It will still be available within the Blueprint Optimization Tool and for free PDF download at the SCRS website.

The Tool’s screen overlays that of the estimate, and the imported estimates are displayed in the left-hand column. Only relevant repair lines from the estimate are imported, and clicking on “Estimate Operations” presents only the operations that were missed on the estimate. Those can be selected between high-frequency operations, with a higher likelihood of being necessary, low-frequency, or all.

And consistent with the Guide to Complete Repair Planning (which is also in the application as an attachment,) operations are color-coded, such as blue for bodywork, red for paint and refinishing, and more. Then the estimator can select which operations will be performed by repairers. Part codes allow an estimator to manually override a database item to allow for standard shop procedures, such as aftermarket clips being used at a set rate, which will be remembered by the application in the future. Manual items can be added with a single keystroke.

There are other scrubbing platforms on the market. “But we see the SCRS Blueprint Optimization Tool as the first software tool of its kind to perform automated, intelligent tasks previously required to be completed as manual tasks by the end-user,” Schulenburg said, noting the application will:

• Immediately identify overlooked repair operations and dollar amounts
• Simultaneously import overlooked operations and line items into the estimate
• Support individual and multiple shop profiles with customization for unique business needs
• Audit in-house estimates before repairs to minimize supplements
• Audit external insurance estimates to identify overlooked repair procedures
• Establish consistency and uniformity with multiple users as part of the repair-planning process
• Promote self-training for new employees to write complete and accurate estimates

The Guide to Complete Repair Planning will still be available for free. Pricing for the Blueprint Optimization Tool will be $139.00 per month retail for one computer access per location, plus $29.00 per month for each additional computer per location. SCRS members receive a discounted price of $99.00 per month for one computer access per location, plus an additional $21.75 per month for each additional computer per location.

“It’s a product that answers the requests that repairers have been making for years,” Schulenburg said. “It’s a resource designed to help the shop meet their own objectives and allow them to customize their charges in a way that can establish consistency across their locations and their estimators. Most importantly, it helps to not leave charges for necessary and performed operations on the table when building the repair plan. I think the feedback we’ve received to date has been really validating, but honestly, we just can’t wait to get it released and into the hands of shops, where it can start helping in the real world.”