AASP National News

The Latest on the CCC Bumper Prompt
As part of our ongoing efforts to represent the collision repair professional, the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers has been an active participant in the Collision Industry Conference (CIC) Database Committee (Database Committee) which is comprised of representatives from AASP, Automotive Service Association (ASA) and The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS). Through the course of our work in this venue, there has been much effort devoted to the issue of the “bumper prompt” which appears in the CCC Pathways estimating platform. In the interest of transparency to the industry, and to provide the repairers with the documentation they need to continue to voice their opinions on this issue in an informed and well documented manner, the Database Committee has released a comprehensive outline of the issue including supporting documentation from the major paint manufacturers which we believe substantiates our position. Please find the outline from the Database Committee below, followed by links to the supporting documentation. It is our desire that sharing this information with the industry will result in it being put to good use, and we encourage the collision repair market to continue to make your voice heard if you have concerns over this issue.

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. 2694)
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

New Location for AASP-MO's EXCEL Event
The Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Missouri (AASP-Missouri) officially announced that they will be moving to a new location for the 28th Annual EXCEL Trade Show and Training Conference. The event will take place on September 18-20, 2009, at the St. Charles Convention Center in St. Charles, MO.

IGO-NC Celebrates 50 Years
The Independent Garage Owners of North Carolina will celebrate 50 years of service to the automotive industry in 2009 at their annual convention. The 50th Annual IGO Convention & Trade Show will be held September 25-27, 2009 in Raleigh at The North Raleigh Hilton Convention Center. The event will have a variety of training seminars with nationally known trainers. Gary Gunn will headline the management training while Dan Marinucci headlines the technical classes along with a variety of other training seminars. Also on the schedule will be a trade show that features something for everyone in the automotive industry.