Can the crash repair industry agree on common standards?

Carmakers, however, would rather see their own bodyshops carry out repair work because, according to them, they better understand a car's construction and work to manufacturer standards. This begs the question, how well is a car repaired after it has sustained accident damage? Around a quarter of motorists will be involved in an accident over a two-year period, which means a sizable amount of the cars on the road have had some form of repairs. An independent standard could theoretically offer all bodyshops a strong selling point and inspire customer confidence. Recognised symbol The Thatcham BSI Kitemark scheme centres on BSI's crash repair industry standard, PAS 125, and has the added benefit that 82 per cent of the public are said to recognise the Kitemark symbol. Ian Harper, general manager for BSI Kitemark, said there was a recognised need for a new standard. “It comes from the insurance industry, which said it had to offset risk and had a duty of care. We launched PAS 125 in January and we've had 200 applications so far – by the end of the year we hope to have 800 licensees.” Car design has become more complicated, which means repairs can be more difficult to carry out. Bodyshops are having to deal with more materials – industry figures have suggested that an average car contains around 25 different metallic composites. PAS 125 centres on five key elements which cover shopfloor practice: manpower, method, machine, material and management, as well as regular audits to ensure compliance. Combining the five elements with audits will, it is claimed, ensure more properly-repaired cars reach the streets. “The new Kitemark will undoubtedly save lives. It will ensure the safe repair of vehicles and give the bodyshops a badge of recognition that the public can be confident in,” said Alastair Trivett, global managing director, BSI Product Services. Harper, has pointed out that the standard will benefit bodyshops as “they will be able to increase their hourly rate”. With around 5,000 bodyshops in the UK, it is likely a fair proportion will want to adopt the standard eventually. Jason Moseley, Thatcham's chief operating officer. said:?“Britain's crash repair industry is the best in the world and bodyshops aim to keep it that way, which is why they have been one of the main instigators of this initiative. “The Thatcham BSI Kitemark will ensure that the motorist and the insurance industry can continue to be confident about the abilities of those making potentially life saving repairs to their vehicles.” Practical implications It could also be argued that having the Kitemark stimulates trade – as has happened with garages working under the PAS 80 scheme. But Peter Warrilow, chief executive of the Bodyshop Fellowship, said if bodyshops invest in the Kitemark, they should be guaranteed some form of reward from insurance companies. “The concept is fantastic but it doesn't guarantee anything. If insurance companies only used Kitemark-accredited bodyshops, and just 1,000 held PAS 125, they wouldn't be able to cope with the workload,” he said. “What bodyshops holding PAS 125 would want is guaranteed work levels and increased labour rates. To many bodyshop owners, paying for PAS 125 accreditation is paying for people in suits to drive around ticking boxes in forms. “In my view the success of any form of standardisation must be based upon the theory of all or nothing. In other words, everybody does it or nobody does it. If 125 is to work, every work provider must endorse the standards and publicly agree not to send any repairs to bodyshops that fail to comply. “This should then form the basis for a complete new bodyshop/ work provider contract. In other words the bodyshops, while incurring expenses to meet the standards, would at least have the certainty of work.” Developing quality Not all bodyshops are sceptical about the standard. Howard Basford's managing director, Neil Kirk, is committed to the Kitemark: “This initiative is just what the professional bodyshop operators, who are committed to safety and are investing heavily in equipment and people, have been calling for. The standard will give confidence and reassurance to all who place work with us. “Additionally, it will set the framework for the ongoing development of quality standards that will need to evolve and adapt to the challenges of new vehicle manufacturing technologies.” Another champion of the Kitemark is Chris Oliver, managing director of Essex-based AJC Fix Auto. He has said that the process involved in achieving PAS 125 is as important as having the Kitemark symbol over the door. “Having a thorough external evaluation of all your systems and processes cannot be underestimated. It adds a great deal of value. And this for us is the primary purpose of the scheme – to add value. “The scheme has brought about a number of improvements to our infrastructure and this, coupled with the enhanced perception of the business by customers thanks to the Kitemark symbol, will play an integral role in cementing our long term development and prosperity.” But Warrilow believes the Kitemark will not reduce the levels of uncertainty many financially-pressurised bodyshops feel. The standard deserves support, but how much it receives is open to debate. He said: “While a glossy sign over the door may give a bodyshop owner a warm glow, it is of little benefit if the bodyshop down the road gets the same amount of work and the same labour rates without having the sign. Sadly, our history is littered with the wreckage of failing to agree upon common standards, is PAS 125 another potential victim?”

WNS, the third-largest buyer of vehicle repairs in the UK, has developed its own standard for bodyshops, and rewards those achieving higher standards with more throughput. The scheme was introduced 18 months ago. The 330 bodyshops used by WNS are divided into gold, silver and bronze levels: “Those bodyshops that qualify for gold are awarded the most work, while bronze businesses receive a visit from a network manager to assess what improvements they can make,” the company said. Standards are measured by 10 operations used on each repair, including overall cost and average downtime. When the scheme was introduced 30 per cent of bodyshops achieved the gold standard but within 12 months 80 per cent were in the top classification. The standard's level was revised 10 months ago, after which 40 per cent of bodyshops hit the gold standard, while 15 per cent sit in the bronze category. “Our gold standard guarantees a very high level of work throughout the whole year as we carry out around 150,000 repairs per annum. This has enabled our star performers to grow and grow. That's what we call a productivity bonus,” said WNS contract director Dave Butler.