The architects of the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG) project applauded Mitchell International’s decision to collaborate with DEG to collect broad industry data to identify, monitor and analyze wider collision industry trends and issues.

DEG is a joint industry effort between the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers (AASP), the Automotive Service Association (ASA) and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS). It aims to create a single industry Web site to submit requests for reviews when technicians question the accuracy of a labor time or identify missing, incomplete or incorrect data within any one of the three information providers’ (IP) estimating products. It also would allow users to view responses from the database providers.

“Mitchell has once again taken a lead role in supporting the collision repair industry, and it hasn’t gone unnoticed,” says Nick Kostakis, AASP past president. “AASP, ASA and SCRS would like to thank Mitchell for their commitment to the project and to the repair industry. Similar to Mitchell, all three national associations fully support industry openness and cooperation, and to providing fair and accurate data.”

Having support from the three industry IPs — Mitchell, Audatex and CCC Information Services — is a key element of success for the project, according to Carroll Proctor, ASA Collision Division operations committee member. “The DEG is committed to facilitating industry openness, and cooperation is an essential element,” he says.

Barry Dorn, SCRS vice chairman, said all three associations devoted lots of time and resources to the project and he hopes that will translate into improved accuracy of the databases.

“Mitchell’s announcement is very good news,” says Darrell Amberson, president of Lehman’s Garage and a member of the ASA database task force. “We met with all three database providers in June and there was some hesitancy on their part because we are in effect critiquing their service tool. I understand why they would have some reluctance to participate.

“The DEG is about accountability,” Amberson says. “The project’s goal is to make the system more accurate. It is a very complex situation to come up with all these times and it is expensive to put together.”

It’s also difficult to get competitors to work together. “The three information providers are very competitive,” he says. “The IPs fear that their competitors will take information and use it with the insurance companies to gain a marketing advantage. Each one wants to demonstrate they have a superior product. The scrutiny would not make them comfortable.”

The IP’s point of view

“Mitchell welcomes the formation of the DEG Project as a vehicle for the collision repair industry to voice concerns and issues about sourced data,” says Tom Fleming, vice president of industry relations for Mitchell.

The project could provide another good source of input, especially on trends, he said.

“If it uncovers vehicles with special materials that OEMs have not identified, it could be very valuable information,” says Fleming. “We want all our customer inquiries to come to us, because we want to deal directly with our customers. Should DEG find trends where information is not complete, it would be good to get the information from them.

“Realistically, all three information providers have Web sites that let customers come in and raise questions,” he says. “DEG would be a fourth entity. Those driving the project say they want one place to go to get all the information.”

One possible downside of DEG is that going through a third party could cause time delays, he said. “And we don’t know how they will filter that information.”

CCC Information Services also gives thumbs up to the DEG Project.

“We see value in the DEG Project,” says Debbie Day, senior vice president of product management and marketing for CCC. “We’ve been working with DEG since January. Our understanding is DEG wants to serve as the gateway for inquiries that come from the field to make sure they are answered in a timely manner. We were asked to participate to see if we could help them achieve their goals. We submitted our enhancement ideas to them on Jan. 29. We are absolutely committed to DEG and have taken steps to implement issues.”

CCC has been investing the last 18 months in an electronic software distribution capability that would automatically update data and labor times on the pathways unit, she said.

“This would allow us to offer a better response rate and more immediate data,” Day says. “We hope to resolve inquiries more quickly through improved update capability that we will bring to the market early in the fourth quarter.”

The new product will be called CCC Software Update Manager and is based on requests from customers, she said.

Jim Powers, director of product management for estimatics for CCC, said the company also is looking at substrates, such as boron steel. “We started working with Motor to add substrate information into the database,” he says. “Some specialty steels can’t be welded so it’s important to ensure a proper repair process for users.”

Motor provides the database, parts and labor times, while CCC provides the pathways estimating capabilities that house the Motor’s database, Powers said.

Rick Tuuri, vice president industry relations for Audatex, said the company has been working with the DEG task force since its inception to see what the project will look like and if it will work.

“I’ve asked them to draft a statement of intent and purpose,” Tuuri says. “I’d like to see it in writing so we know what we are dealing with going forward. I have not seen much more than a demo of what it will be. We will cooperate to the extent we can. I need them to be specific and committed on paper about what it is, how it will work, who will benefit, what is the purpose, and based on that, we will decide to what extent we will continue to work together to enable it.”

Tuuri said the demo appeared to be a Web site users could go to to submit issues or questions to any of the three IPs.

“They can do that now with any of the three providers,” he says. “It needs a clarity of purpose and mission. It must provide value to the industry before we commit to it. I won’t commit to something that I don’t understand and that isn’t well-defined.”