With major operational changes happening within the government-run ICBC (Insurance Corporation of British Columbia), shop management solutions such as Autoprise Solo™ are becoming a necessity for collision repair facilities in B.C. ICBC is in the process of moving from people-intensive manual processes to systems utilizing technology that connects British Columbia’s repair shops to the Insurance Corporation. Additionally, programs such as ICBC’s c.a.r. shop Valet are streamlining administrative functions between the insurance company and the collision shop. These efforts are improving the customer experience and reducing the overall cycle time for servicing policyholder’s claims.

With their c.a.r. shop initiatives ICBC is moving towards a business model that has been emerging in North America since the mid-80’s. Repair estimates are starting to be handled using ICBC’s new ARIES Pen Pro system, allowing repair shops to export the content of the estimate into a shop management system. Repairers can also upload and retrieve the actual estimates, via the Web to and from ICBC. To make the process of converting a repair estimate into a work order Autoprise products integrate directly with ARIES Pen Pro and other leading industry parts and estimating systems offered by ADP, CCC, and Mitchell that are widely in use in the private insurance marketplaces.

“Repairers in B.C. are finally beginning to move toward what collision repair shops in North America and the world have been evolving to for more than two decades. Now the customer deals with the repair shop as soon as possible after coverage is verified. This significantly streamlines claims administration between ICBC and the collision repair shop. The shop is now required to have a higher degree of responsibility and participation in coordination of the claims. This is why many shops are now realizing they need an advanced, specialized shop management solution such as Autoprise Solo™ to manage internal and external communications, production workflow, job costs, and have access to real-time information via the Internet. It is becoming a must for survival in these changing times,” said Autoprise’s President and CEO, Ryan Volberg.

Looking to take West End Auto Body to the next level of growth, Jeff Engelbrecht of West End Auto Body commented, “West End, like many collision repair shops, had small beginnings and has grown over the years. West End had become too large to be managed like a small business and needed the proper tools to stay organized and maintain quality and service, while managing large sales growth.

“Autoprise offered us what we were looking for in management tools. Custom reports, system security, the ability to integrate other programs, import insurance claims, and run shop production with a Palm Pilot were just some of the features that we found appealing. In addition, since Autoprise is based in Vancouver and was locally developed, we felt they were in touch with the collision repair industry here in B.C. and would be there to support us.”

Autoprise Solo™ is a full featured and industry-tested shop management system for single-site operations that seamlessly integrates shop production, human resources, inventory and contact management with an integrated accounting system. The solution allows a shop to set and enforce business rules, standardize production processes and improve internal and external communications with insurers, customers and suppliers. The solution enables increased efficiency, consistency and customer service levels throughout the whole operation.

About Autoprise
Positioning the company as the “Technology Partner to the Collision Repair Industry,” Autoprise Inc. provides traditional and Internet-based shop management systems for single-site and multiple-site operations, data warehousing solutions and business intelligence products. To complement these products, Autoprise offers a full range of system life-cycle services including initial system planning and design, help desk and professional services, application hosting, and planning and implementation services. Autoprise proudly helps to process over 23 million dollars worth of claims in B.C. (1 in 11 claims) and looks forward to helping other business owners secure their market position while increasing service levels and getting control of their operations and personal lives.

Autoprise Inc. is a U.S. privately held company with research, development and Canadian sales managed by Autoprise’s Vancouver-based subsidiary, Autoprise Solutions Canada Inc. For more information on Autoprise products or services phone 1-877-828-8677 (North America) or visit the Autoprise Inc. Web site at www.autoprise.com.

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