AASP National News

AASP Denounces Insurer Meddling in Parts Procurement
The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers (AASP) views State Farm’s newly- mandated bidding process for parts procurement as an unprecedented and uninvited intrusion into the business of collision repair. Despite posturing from the largest national insurance carrier on what it believes to be positive attributes of the program, collision repair facilities, parts suppliers, parts manufacturers and interested parties around the country have been consistent in their perception that this type of activity will ultimately harm their businesses and the customers they serve.

AASP National Receives SCRS Industry Achievement Award
On the night of Tuesday, April 24th, the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) recognized those demonstrating outstanding service and accomplishment within the collision repair industry by announcing the recipients of the 2012 SCRS Industry Achievement Awards. Among the recipients was AASP National, which was recognized with a Collision Industry Non-Individual Service Award, for its vital grant program that has benefitted numerous industry initiatives.

Collision Associations Call for End to Unwanted Sharing of Shop Data
The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers (AASP), Automotive Service Association (ASA) and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) recently issued a joint statement regarding the misuse of shop data in electronic systems that collect and redistribute that information. During the January Collision Industry Conference meeting, the associations released a public request to Audatex, CCC, Mitchell and others, asking the technology companies to discontinue the requirement that shops share their data as a provision in estimating and management system contracts.

AASP Joins Other Collision Repair Organizations to Issue Statement on Industry Repair Standards
In an effort to define a foundation and a road forward, the most prominent collision repair organiza-tions representing the voice of collision repairers nationally, issued and signed a joint statement offi-cially recognizing OEM vehicle manufacturer published repair procedures as the industry’s repair standards.

Check Out www.degweb.org! (new window)
The Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG) is an initiative that was developed to help improve the quality and accuracy of collision repair estimates, through proactive feedback from the collision repair industry and other "end users" to the Information Providers (IPs) that supply the databases for the various estimating products. The DEG is created, equally funded and maintained by the Automotive Service Association (ASA), the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers (AASP) and the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS).

The Motor Vehicle Owners' Right to Repair Act (H.R. 1449)
Modern cars and light trucks contain advanced technology that monitors or controls virtually every function of the vehicle including: brakes, steering, air bags, fuel delivery, ignition, lubrication, theft prevention, emission controls and in some cases, tire pressure. Car owners and independent shops must have full access to the information and tools necessary to accurately diagnose, repair, or re-program these systems. This information and equipment is necessary to ensure vehicle safety, performance, and environmental compliance. Vehicle manufacturers are making access to such vital information increasingly difficult and costly to obtain for the independent aftermarket and its customers.

AASP Affiliate News

AASP-MN Awards $16,000 in Scholarships
The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Minnesota (AASP-MN) awarded $16,000 in scholarships to help post-secondary automotive students pay for tuition during the 2012-13 school year. The scholarships were in the amount of $1,000 per student and were made possible by a successful fundraising drive within the AASP-MN membership, as well as a generous donation from the Minnesota State I-CAR Committee. All recipients will be entering the second year of a NATEF-certified automotive program based in Minnesota.