There’s no doubt about it – the collision repair industry has officially entered the high-tech age. As vehicles have become more complex and insurance companies more demanding in their need for verification and documentation, information has quickly become as important as welding equipment to any collision repair center that hopes to successfully compete in the 21st century.

An accident – even a minor one – can affect an entire vehicle – especially on newer models. And sometimes frame damage isn’t readily apparent to the eye and often isn’t discovered until after repairs have begun, forcing delays and added costs due to supplements, friction expenses and impatient, unhappy customers. These types of structural problems are becoming more and more common, and have begun to seriously affect the collision industry’s ability to turn a reasonable profit from their labors. 

But fortunately, help has arrived in the form of computerized measuring. Gone are the days when customers or insurance companies were content with repairs based on plum bobs, tape measures or mechanical gauges. Instead, these antiquated methods are now being replaced with sophisticated computerized laser measuring systems which offer pinpoint accuracy; can see hidden damage visual inspections miss; and provide full-color documentation of the vehicle’s condition before, during and after repairs have been made. 

That being said, computerized measuring is revolutionizing the way vehicle damage is analyzed and repaired. But like all tools, these systems are only as effective as the people who operate them and analyze the information they generate. And because the cost of these systems can be a hard pill to swallow for many small- and medium-size shops, (typically in the $15,000 – $30,000 range), comprehensive training is essential to maximize the benefits these systems offer while generating a substantial return on investment. 

Although some collision repair equipment companies provide detailed training on how to read and understand the reports their systems generate, these reports will make little sense to someone who doesn’t have an understanding of collision dynamics and basic repair planning. Doing so would be akin to teaching someone to read an x-ray who has never attended medical school – you’re just not going to get the job done right. 

Training requires background

In recent years, companies such as Chief Automotive have expanded its training to address the needs of both body shop estimators and insurance appraisers as well, and has trained over 10,000 of these professionals on proper collision repair theories and techniques. These courses have been certified by the National Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (ASE), and Chief is a charter member of I-CAR’s Industry Training Alliance. 

Persons who successfully complete such certified courses will be able to not only recognize the dynamics that took place during a collision, but the repair procedures needed to correctly repair that vehicle.

Shops that embrace this technology will reap substantial benefits. For estimators, computerized measuring systems allows them to see hidden frame damage even the most thorough visual inspections would likely miss. As a result, initial estimates are far more comprehensive and reduce supplements and friction costs. Additionally, a more accurate diagnosis allows work to be scheduled more efficiently, while final print-out documentation provides the customer and their insurance company with indisputable evidence that the vehicle’s safe to operate and has been returned to its pre-accident condition.