BASF Automotive Refinish Solutions is sponsoring a study that will give insurers an opportunity to provide their perspective on auto physical damage (APD) issues related to the collision repair industry.
BASF says the study is a logical extension of its sponsorship of the 2005 Carlew & Associates Excellence in DRP study that provided repairers with an opportunity to express their views on the DRP business model to insurers and the industry at large.
The new study, Finding Common Ground: A Claims Perspective, won’t focus on DRPs alone, as several insurers do not have traditional DRP programs. Also, there is a significant percentage of APD claims processed and repaired outside of the DRP environment.
“The long-term viability of our industry is dependent on new approaches to communication and collaboration between key segments,” said Guy Bargnes, national sales director for BASF Automotive Refinish. “As an industry, we need to find productive ways of identifying areas of common concern and pathways to their resolution. As with Excellence in DRP, we believe our customers and the industry as a whole will benefit from the methodology and results of this study.”
BASF has contracted with Square One Systems, Inc. and Condon Consulting, LLC to conduct the study. Square One Systems helped Carlew & Associates design and conduct the Excellence in DRP study and brings years of repairer-based expertise to this effort. Condon Consulting, LLC has broad APD expertise from the insurer’s perspective and enjoys a solid reputation within the repairer and supplier communities.
BASF says it wants to help members of the industry better understand the concerns of others in hopes that the industry as a whole is able to find more common ways to work better together.
“Current inter-industry forums are challenged to solicit the breadth and depth of insurer feedback necessary to develop a comprehensive perspective on their issues,” said Michael Condon, president of Condon Consulting, LLC. “This study is designed to be broad in scale, attempting to reach the top 10 insurers and beyond to ensure comprehensive representation of diverse viewpoints and varying business models.”
BASF plans to hold insurer meetings throughout the second quarter of 2009.
Results of the study will be available in about six months and will be made accessible to the industry upon completion.
For more information, visit www.basfrefinish.com.
