Audatex Industry Forum Consolidated submissions from ABP Club, BRIC and MVRA AudaVIN What is the timescale for this? AudaVIN is available now. What will it do / what information will it provide? It will enable the user to select the appropriate vehicle within AudaEnterprise by simply entering the registration number. What will it cost? No. of successful searches Cost per search (per month) 1-9 99 pence 10 20 95 pence 21 40 91 pence 41 50 89 pence 51 60 87 pence 61 75 85 pence 76 100 84 pence 101 125 78 pence 126 150 75 pence 151 200 73 pence 201 250 71 pence 251 9,500 62 pence 9,501 11,000 61 pence 11,001 + 60 pence AudaInsight Is this the Audatex cycle-time product? Yes. What is the timescale for this? AudaInsight is available now. What will it do / what information will it provide? AudaInsight will collect and provide data on all key milestones within the repair process and can be configured to suit all requirements, full details can be found on the Audatex Website under the Solutions and Services heading. What will it cost?
The cost to a repairer is 75 per month. AudaEnterprise What is progress on converting repairers? We have now either installed or have installations pending with 65% of our AudaEnterprise users with 8 months still to go. How will Audatex cope as the cut-off deadline gets nearer? Audatex has taken into account and planned appropriate resource to ensure that all customers will be able to upgrade to AudaEnterprise in time for the September deadline. Repairers are concerned at current response times with AudaEnterprise; surely this will get even worse as more come onto the system? Audatex from the outset has carefully planned the capacity and growth of our infrastructure and development capacity. We have invested in the region of 5 million pounds in product development, hardware and hosting costs to ensure we have a high performing and scalable platform to not only support AudaEnterprise, but also our new and planned claims services. As well as hardware architecture, we have invested in state-of-the-art monitoring and planning tools that assist us in scaling the AudaNet platform at the appropriate time, well in advance of any signs of performance degradation etc. Since the launch of the AudaNet platform and AudaEnterprise, we have grown this architecture seamlessly to about twice its original size and this can scale far beyond the capability of the volume of all the repairers and insurers in the UK. Unfortunately we have no control over the traffic on the Internet and we have identified instances where there have been bottlenecks in our customers own firewalls. Finally not all ADSL connections are the same and some offer much restricted service over the apparent headline offers. Any customers experiencing degraded performance are advised to contact the Helpdesk so that the causes can be identified. Paint pricing We have seen one or two paint companies already increase their prices, ahead of the usual New Year rise. What are Audatex doing about their paint index? Are Audatex going to have pricing by paint company as we understand Thatcham are going to do? The annual paint review has been completed, is in place and all users have been informed. Paint brand pricing has been considered and discussed with individual paint manufacturers who in general are not supportive of this idea. There are no immediate plans to progress the subject further. Itemised billing
When will repairers get detailed itemised billing? Audatex is currently reviewing our internal systems and is planning to update them. Once completed, we will be able to provide itemised billing to its customers. We are currently evaluating suitable packages and therefore no date is yet available. Thatcham Where are you with Thatcham accreditation of both your TTS data version and manufacturers data version? We are participating fully with the EAST initiative for both our TTS and Vehicle Manufacturer times based system. Due to the large coverage of vehicles within the Vehicle Manufacturer times based system this is an extremely complex task which the EAST team is endeavouring to give a similar level of understanding to. AudaStats What is current situation with AudaStats for repairers? Will this change with AudaEnterprise? How accurate are they? The data input by users is returned to them in the form of an assessment which forms the basis of our service. The statistical analysis of the data input by the user is carried out by Audatex as an additional service and is presented to AudaStats subscribers in a usable format. This data enables users to pinpoint potential areas of improvement within their businesses and we have many users who see this as a valuable tool which more than justifies the 60 per month investment. AudaStats references data generated using either AudaWorkstation or AudaEnterprise. Training costs Why does Audatex training cost 250 per day compared to Thatcham s 120 day? What happened to the half day refresher courses? We were told at the recent Leeds Allianz Cornhill roadshow that recertification could be carried out on-line, this doesn t appear to be correct. By offering a full regional training programme with a choice of venues conveniently located around the UK, we have reduced the need for delegates to travel during the working day or to organise overnight accommodation, thereby saving our customers time and money. Most of the costs incurred by us in setting-up and carrying out regional training are fixed which means that although for customer service reasons Audatex regularly delivers training courses for a small number of delegates, the overheads remain the same. All these costs were taken into account when setting our training course fees. The half-day certification course was discontinued due to poor demand. Feedback from customers suggested that the lack of upgrade training was an issue. This last point is incorrect. We do not currently offer on-line training.
Pop ups July 2003 Cornhill roadshow: the concept of pop-up boxes containing hints and tips to aid system transparency is being included in the next generation.due Q3/4 2004. What happened to it? Why can t the system prompt users about things like Boron panels etc? The incorporation of Repair Tips within the system is being investigated from a number of sources: AIRC/VBRA; Vehicle Manufacturers; AZT; escribe, etc. This product enhancement and its priority is now subject to consideration by the Audatex Advisory Board. Bolts July 2003 Cornhill roadshow: suspension bolts requiring replacement as recommended by the vehicle manufacturer should be included in the system.this has been referred to Minden for their consideration and response, we will provide feedback as soon as it becomes available. What was the feedback and when / how did you provide it? This is now part of the Technical Committee s brief, as above. Data & software version July 2003 Cornhill roadshow: why can t the system prompt users they are on the wrong data and software version? A project is underway to address these matters, meanwhile a manual exercise will be put in place by the end of 2003 What happened to the manual exercise? What did it show? What happened to the project to address these matters? Information on Data and Software version releases is available on the Audatex web site under the Support section. In addition the Help About selection on AudaEnterprise and AudaWorkstation provides information on the data and software version currently installed on the user s hardware. Data validation July 2003 Cornhill roadshow: who validates the manufacturers times in the system? We are requesting clarification on this from Minden What did Minden s clarification reveal? Feedback from Minden is that the Audatex system provides vehicle manufacturers published times using the manufacturers recommended method of removal, refit
and replace as detailed in their workshop manuals. If there is an issue with a particular repair time, the Helpdesk can be contacted, and we will investigate. Image costs Why does Audatex charge 10p for each image when Glassmatix is free? Why does Audatex charge when an image is sent more than once? Why doesn t the system automatically hold images unless the repairer asks for them to be sent? When an assessment is rejected by AudaAudit is the repairer charged again for the images to be sent? Average image transactions, for some users, have risen after the deployment of AudaEnterprise. However, this is not the norm and where raised we have worked with the user to manage their image use. We have also seen an increase in volumes with some users as the system has become more accessible. The image transmission cost is only applied to networked images but allows up to 99 images per job to be stored and archived for free providing a valuable service to the user. Benchmarking What is the cost? 75 per delegate. However, a discount is available or group / volume exercises Helpdesk What is mechanism for reporting data errors? What is escalation process within Helpdesk area? Generally felt that very poor feedback from Helpdesk; black hole is often how it is described with much going in and nothing coming out. 1st Level Customer will call the Audatex helpdesk and the log the query. Our first line support agent will then use a number of tools to find a resolution. Once the agent has exhausted all options, the call is escalated to 2nd Level and the customer will be given a call number and advised of a call-back. 2nd Level The 2nd Level agent will be issued with the call through our internal logging system. Our agents have many years motor industry experience and can often resolve the call straight away; however, any investigation required is conducted prior to the customer call-back. Once all options are exhausted, the 2nd Level Agent will escalate the call (electronically) to the UK Data Development Team in Theale 3rd Level The Audatex UK data development team 4th Level Audatex Group. 5th Level Audatex Technical Committee.
If additional information is required, such as a copy of the assessment, the customer will be informed and the appropriate network code issued. Repairer contact If repairers are regarded by Audatex as valued customers, then why do they not get regular site visits from an Audatex representative? Repairers are valued Audatex customers which is why our bodyshop account management team has doubled in size during the year. This team is further supported by our field support specialists, trainers and business analysts, all of whom regularly meet with repairer customers to explore new opportunities or resolve individual issues. In addition our Helpdesk is available to answer any queries and our helpdesk team will escalate any questions that require face-to-face attention. We regularly review our resource requirements to ensure that we offer the necessary level of customer support. Data Quality Does Audatex stand by Paul Tucker s comment in AM magazine of 4 Nov? Pressed on the issue of repairers complaints about the quality of information provided by Audatex s estimating systems, Tucker says he is unaware of any instances but insists the company would act on all feedback. We re very happy with the accuracy of the data supplied from vehicle manufacturers, he adds. If there were anomalies they would be fixed. There s a process already in place for repairers to report back to Audatex and we would then report back to the manufacturer. As above, we have a clear and defined process for dealing with data issues. AudaEnterprise Training There is no specific training for AudaEnterprise. Why? All Audatex (UK) Ltd training is now delivered using AudaEnterprise. Manufacturers Times Manufacturers do not repair cars, how can the data provided be valid? The Audatex system provides vehicle manufacturers published times Using the manufacturers recommended method of removal, refit and replace as detailed in their workshop manuals. We don t publish repair times as this requires user input.
System favours Insurers The Audatex system seems to favour insurers. Why? The Audatex system enables users to accurately reflect the appropriate repair method which should be agreed by all parties. The system does not favour any individual, group of individuals or companies. Audatex products and services are not biased to any sector of the industry; to the contrary, they streamline the claims communications process for all parties. Audatex system is costly Why is the system so costly to operate? What can be done to bring Prices down? When taking into account the measurable cost savings, productivity gains, management aids and work provision opportunities that the Audatex system provides, Audatex offers excellent value-for-money. Audatex Investment in AudaEnterprise is on-going. As part of a growing portfolio of claims solutions supported by our AudaNet platform, AudaEnterprise (and the infrastructure that supports it) will continue to grow and evolve to offer an increasing range of benefits to our customers. We now have 3500 concurrent users of AudaEnterprise, all of whom are enjoying benefits such as: Accelerated calculation and job processing times Streamlined communications to and from work providers. Seamless management of resources across multiple workstations and sites. Removal of cost, time and risk associated with local data storage and back-up. Reduced telephone costs. Improved estimating accuracy thanks to 97% coverage of UK vehicle parc. Inclusion of straplines in estimates A request to be able to include free-form messages such as This estimate is a guide only on assessments was made over two years ago. At the time it was said that this facility was not available in AudaWorkstation, but that it could be achieved in AudaEnterprise. Is this now available? This has now been resolved with the repairer in question. The current reporting suite within AudaEnterprise offers the same functionality as AudaWorkstation. However, if customers require a bespoke solution, we are happy to discuss the options available on an ad hoc basis.