During the recent meeting of the Automotive Body & Painting Association of Hawaii (ABPAH), members had the opportunity to network with fellow shop owners and managers, discuss industry issues and learn about the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG). The meeting was held in Honolulu, HI.
ABPAH President Michael Chong, owner and president of Unibody Autotech Collision Centers in Honolulu, said the August meeting was an excellent example of “ohana.” The Hawaiian word represents family and encompasses more than blood-related family, but also close friends and anyone with whom a deep bond is shared.
Michael Chong, president of Unibody Auto Tech and president of the Automotive Body & Painting Association of Hawaii.
“As body shop owners, we're so far apart and we always say we're so busy, but it almost feels like we need to be apart from our day-to-day craziness,” he noted. “Coming out here, it's almost like peacefulness, being with our peers and it brings that ohana within our industry.”
In addition to being able to connect, Chong said it also provided the opportunity for the approximately 50 body shop representatives in attendance to discuss the industry’s “why.”
“Our biggest why is that we want to repair cars the right way for our family, friends and people we associate with,” explained Chong. “Especially in Hawaii, everyone we meet is going to be someone we know. It's such a small community so we definitely want to make sure we fix cars the right way.”
Chong pointed out that one of the differences and strengths in Hawaii that makes it a unique market is that shop owners typically don’t view other facilities as competitors.
“Because of that fact, we can help one another,” he noted. “We all know who works for one another and we have a mutual respect for the environment. That's how we can really enhance everyone together.”
Chong takes pride in the Hawaiian culture, which he said helps elevate the shops and can serve as a model for other states.
He shared a saying in Hawaii that encapsulates the feeling of many: “It's so hard to do business in Hawaii, but it's so great to do business in Hawaii at the same time because we're so far away.”
Being 5,000 miles away from the other states, he said, news can travel a little slower to Hawaii, even though the shops have internet. As a result, he regularly travels to the mainland to bring back learnings and resources to Hawaii and help educate shops across the islands. This includes attending Twenty Groups and industry events, such as the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) open board meeting, the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) and the Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA) conference.
“It feels great when I share this type of information,” he said. “I feel like the shop owners make an effort to come out to these meetings a lot more.”
Through his involvement with industry associations, Chong also builds relationships with people who can share information with the association, such as Danny Gredinberg, the administrator of the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG).
Gredinberg held a virtual presentation about the DEG during the ABPAH meeting. The free industry resource, created and funded by the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers (AASP) and SCRS, connects users to the CCC, Mitchell and Solera/Audatex databases to view submitted inquiries, access up-to-date pricing information and other data to determine estimated costs accurately.
DEG Highlights
The DEG offers an online forum where users can submit feedback on database issues they feel need to be addressed. The DEG team then evaluates each submission and, if appropriate, forwards it to the appropriate vendor for further consideration. DEG users can view the inquiry number, type of vehicle, model year and resolution status.
Meeting room.
“The DEG was developed to help improve the quality and accuracy of collision repair estimates through the proactive feedback from the end user,” explained Gredinberg, a former technician certified by many luxury brands who has worked in the industry for 23 years. “The goal is to make a difference in all three estimating systems: CCC, Mitchell and Solera/Audatex.”
Gredinberg demonstrated how the DEG functions, steps to submit an inquiry, and why it is an important tool for repair planners and estimators to write a more thorough and accurate repair plan and ensure fair compensation. The DEG website has recently been optimized to be more mobile-friendly for phones and tablets; no login is required.
Since its inception, the DEG has received and documented nearly 40,000 inquiries on the publicly available database that resides on www.degweb.org. So far this year, from January to June, there have been more than 1,100 inquiries submitted to the DEG. Of those, about 43% have resulted in an update to one of the three estimating systems.
In 2025, there have been combined changes in 380 body hours, 92.9 paint hours and more than $16,000 worth of parts added to the database.
“You will never see the VIN of a car or the shop that submitted the inquiry,” said Gredinberg.
On average, it takes about two days to get an inquiry resolved. Once there is a resolution, an automated email is sent from the information provider.
“We do the work for you,” Gredinberg emphasized. “We stay on top of those inquiries and we follow up with the information provider, so you don't have to do that. You can keep focusing on your business.”
Gredinberg has found that insurance adjusters are also accessing the DEG. “If you ever have an adjuster who is questioning something that's not included or something in the P-Pages, have them reach out to us,” he encouraged. “We're just a neutral, non-biased organization that just wants to give you the accurate information.”
DEG Resources Available
Weekly Estimating Tips
DEG users can sign up for free weekly estimating tips from SCRS. The link can be found under the Estimators Toolbox tab on the DEG website.
P-Pages
The DEG provides access to the information providers’ P-Pages, which Gredinberg encourages shops to use for non-included operations.
“P-Pages will always let us stick to the facts so we can justify and support the work that we're doing,” he noted.
OEM Manuals
With a passion for safe and proper repairs, Gredinberg assembled a list of U.S. and Canadian vehicle manufacturers’ owner's manuals for the DEG website. Gredinberg pointed out the DEG is not a technical resource for locating procedures but is a great resource to download OEM information in a PDF format.
Pictured, left to right, are Ian Stoffel, Southern California Collision Equipment; Scot Takemoto and Eric Takemoto from Island Concepts; Alex Cho, A.C. Marketing; Brandon Okahara, Oka's Auto Body, and Tim Ronak, AkzoNobel.
“Those owner's manuals may contain specific information relating to safety inspections,” he said. He used the example of looking for information on how many tires to replace when there is an issue with a specific tire.
“Some cars may require them to be replaced in pairs. Some require all four,” he explained. “Having that information through an owner's manual document is going to absolutely help you justify that work.”
If something is found in the OEM repair procedures and missing from the estimating systems, Gredinberg stressed the DEG is available to get those issues resolved. The DEG also includes free information on how vehicles function, ADAS operations and safety systems.
OEM Parts Catalogs
Other resources include links to the OEM parts catalogs. To help shops locate information quickly and efficiently, Gredinberg said he scoured the Internet for relevant links from manufacturers and third-party resources like PartsLink24. He shared that PartsLink24 is a valuable resource for finding OEM information, especially for European vehicles.
How Inquiries Have Benefited the Industry
Gredinberg shared examples of some of the inquiries over the years and how they have benefited the industry.
One was related to the additional types of refrigerants utilized by OEMs, resulting in changes in the way that technicians need to handle them during a repair.
“The industry has been speaking up and saying there's no way that 1.4 hours was enough time to perform this operation,” said Gredinberg. “Year after year, we have received inquiries challenging the time.”
After the inquiries were compiled, the database task force presented the case studies to the information providers, stating they disagreed with the labor time.
Motors provided data to CCC, and the time was updated this year from 1.4 hours to 1.7 hours to perform refrigerant recovery, evacuation and recharge on specific systems.
Gredinberg said this is a great example of how end users’ feedback can result in changes that impact the industry.
DEG History
The DEG dates back to 2001 when March Taylor, former owner of Auto Body Hawaii, took the initiative to help shops submit inquiries about the estimating systems with the support of CIC. The initiative was created and funded by the AASP, the Automotive Service Association (ASA) and SCRS to improve the quality and standardization of collision repair estimates by addressing vehicle-specific errors, omissions and inaccuracies.
It was formalized in 2007 and Aaron Schulenburg, current executive director of SCRS, became its first administrator.
Today, the DEG is managed and funded by SCRS, and an ongoing “grant” from AASP, and companies/associations that want to help the industry move forward with accurate information. The DEG also provides educational resources and hosts webinars, seminars and other events.
To learn about the DEG and submit an enquiry, visit www.degweb.org.
Stacey Phillips Ronak