I-CAR has announced that it will not proceed with supporting various OEM repair procedure initiatives as requested by various industry organizations. The I-CAR Board of Directors enacted this decision at its March 7, 2013 meeting by unanimous consent of board members in attendance.
During the Collision Industry Conference meeting in November 2011, I-CAR received a joint request signed by representatives from SCRS, ASA, AASP and Assured Performance Network requesting that I-CAR support OEM repair procedure initiatives. The requesting organizations hold the stance that OEM repair procedures are the recognized industry repair standard.
In terms of the organization’s duty to the inter-industry, on the basis of neutrality, the following three points were important in the board’s decision, according to I-CAR:
- The need for I-CAR to represent the best interests of the industry in an unbiased manner, avoiding the possible perception that I-CAR may be catering to the interests of any particular industry sub-segment(s) to the possible disadvantage of others.
- Potential difficulties constructing and managing the requested “council” that met both the needs of the requestors and I-CAR’s inter-industry charter.
- The fact that although OEM procedures are widely recognized as the industry baseline for repairs, and I-CAR points to OEM procedures as such, there are opportunities to define recommended repair processes that would support and/or supplement OEM procedures given the span of possible repairs, consumer and insurer interests, while maintaining an unwavering commitment to complete and safe repairs.
"The I-CAR Board of Directors thanks the requesting organizations for bringing forth the request," said an organization spokesperson. "As I-CAR identified early on, much of the proposed solution that was developed builds on work that I-CAR already does to serve the industry. Certain elements of the solution are closely linked to I-CAR’s strategic initiatives for 2013 and beyond."
The organization has proposed to work with staff on the following items:
- Providing real-time repairability technical support for the industry
- Expanding technical relations with OEMs
- Expanding Industry Segment Advisory Councils (ISACs) to include an OEM Technical ISAC and various technology focused councils
- Expanding Reparability Summits
- Focusing on the five key elements of the knowledge portal
- Further review of initiatives’ alignment with I-CAR’s charter, impact versus inter-industry defined needs, prioritization versus other I-CAR initiatives, and funding requirements
"I-CAR’s goal is to be of greater service to the inter-industry while being true to its inter-industry charter," said an I-CAR spokesperson. "The board and staff of I-CAR remain confident that these initiatives hold great promise as steps forward for both I-CAR and the inter-industry."
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