Thanks to an expanded affiliation with VehicleOwnersGuide.com, Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes’ A-Plus Network shops will now have access to the provider’s Open Claims Gateway, a full feature claims portal that includes claims workflow, dispatching, estimate review, vendor e-Coupons, consumer translations and analytics.
The new dispatching system is already populated with the A-Plus Network’s collision repair facilities and will provide a turnkey repair network for insurance companies throughout the U.S. and Canada. The Open Claims Gateway portal will dispatch cars to A-Plus shops, and then these facilities and insurance companies can use the system to manage the claims.
“Open Claims Gateway will be provided free of charge to A-Plus Network facilities, and there is no contract to sign. This is another example of Sherwin-Williams helping our A-Plus members exceed their goals through leveraging our industry knowledge and relationships,” said Troy Neuerburg, director of sales excellence at Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes. “This system offers numerous benefits: when an insurance company wants to send a car to a shop, that facility is notified via an email and can use the system to accept or reject the assignment, upload photographs and estimates, review the estimate, update status and review their estimate KPI.”
Added Steven Siessman, president of VehicleOwnersGuide.com, “We are excited to partner with Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes and the A-Plus Network members to introduce our Open Claims Gateway to the industry. The system works in a mixed estimating system environment, is low cost and provides a full feature claims communications structure that a national network of collision repair facilities and insurers can immediately utilize. An insurer simply uses the system to enter and assign a claim to a collision repair facility, and the repairer and insurer use the system to manage the claim using only an Internet browser.”
In addition to a full feature claims system, Siessman noted that users can generate a consumer estimate that translates the collision estimate to a consumer-friendly summary that explains the repairs using images and consumer text. This can be used by the A-Plus facilities to explain the repair and better serve the vehicle owners, as well as insurance users to better serve their insureds by providing consumer-friendly documentation.
The new portal also includes an e-Coupon program where parts and other vendors can present additional instant discounts or rebates to A-Plus facilities as an incentive to do business with them.
The Sherwin-Williams Automotive Finishes A-Plus Network has long been affiliated with VehicleOwnersGuide.com, with members visiting its estimating analysis tool, EstimateScrubber.com. This is used in the repair planning process by prompting estimators to include commonly omitted items and better identify the repair cost associated with estimate line entries.
Open Claims Gateway and EstimateScrubber.com are compatible with most estimating systems used by the leading insurance companies and allow repair shops to print a PDF file of an UltraMate, Pathways or Audatex estimate. When this estimate printout is uploaded to EstimateScrubber.com, the A-Plus Network member shop receives a free, detailed P-page analysis.
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