Shops need insurers' help to stop the rekeying madness

Jan. 1, 2020
Outside of the direct repair program arena, if a customer comes in with an insurer-prepared estimate, it can take a shop from 10 minutes to two hours to rekey the estimate into their system.
Mike Anderson Consider this my open plea to both shops and insurers.

We all hear plenty of talk about cycle time and "lean" and "partnerships." Now shops have a great opportunity to boost productivity in their office by eliminating a useless step in the process – but they need insurers' help to do so.

Outside of the direct repair program arena, if a customer comes in with an insurer-prepared estimate, it can take a shop anywhere from 10 minutes to two hours to rekey that estimate into their system. One of the information providers says the average is about 30 minutes per estimate. This is wasted time that only adds opportunity for error.

So, shop owners and managers, the first step you need to take is to familiarize yourself with the solutions to rekeying that the three major estimating system providers offer. Many groups in the industry worked hard to push the information providers to come up with these solutions. Now it's up to you to use them.

Here's what you need to know to do so.

Audatex: ClaimsElement is the rekeying solution for Audatex users. It allows you to enter just a few pieces of data – such as insurance company, customer name, claim number and last six digits of the VIN – and download the insurer-prepared estimate directly into your Audatex estimating system. ClaimsElement costs $45 a month – probably a small price to pay if it saves you from rekeying even just one or two estimates a week. Think of the potential to reduce errors, cycle time and increase productivity.

You can get more information from the Audatex website, specifically at this link: (http://www.audatex.us/Files/AUD7743_Audatex%20ClaimsElement.pdf). The site provides a step-by-step guide to using ClaimsElement.

CCC Information Services: If you are using CCC ONE, you already have "Auto Workfile Entry," CCC's rekeying solution. Get familiar with it and put it to work at your shop. Auto Workfile Entry is available to Pathways users for a one-time fee of $179, but it is included at no additional cost with CCC ONE.

Mitchell International: Although Mitchell lacks a system that allows a shop to download an insurer estimate, an insurer can easily export and e-mail that file to a shop or transfer it to your computer using a thumb-drive (although most insurers prohibit the use of a thumb-drive because of concerns about viruses). You can get step-by-step instructions for exporting and importing an estimate in Ultramate at this website: (http://www.collisionadvice.com/2010_consulting_forms_2010/Mitchell_Rekeying_Option.pdf).

But there's a catch with all of these systems, and this is where you come in, insurers.

A shop can only use these systems to avoid the wasted time spent rekeying estimates if the insurer has signed on to allow its estimates to be transferred to the shop. It confounds me that insurers are always challenging shops to improve cycle time and productivity, yet don't take this simple, low-cost step to help shops do so.

I applaud Allstate for its efforts to make this happen within that company. But too few insurers are doing so. When I've been in meetings with high-level insurance executives, they say it sounds like a great system – but then nothing happens.

With some insurance companies, shops in one market are told they can use the rekeying solutions, while personnel from that same insurance company in other markets say that it is forbidden.

So please, shop owners and managers, get set up to use these rekeying solutions, and share this column with every insurer whose estimates you are wasting time rekeying.

And please, insurance companies, put out a memo informing all your personnel that your company allows these systems to be used (and share that memo with me so I can help spread the word). Don't just talk about how shops need to be more efficient; help them eliminate this wasted time and effort, which often leads to additional mistakes.

To me, it's a simple win-win, "lean" solution. And isn't that what partnerships are supposed to be all about?

Mike Anderson, a former shop owner, currently operates COLLISIONADVICE.COM, a training and consulting firm. He also acts as a facilitator for DuPont Performance Services' Business Council 20-groups.

If you have a business issue or question you'd like Mike to address, e-mail him. [email protected]

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