With industry changes, what will repairers need to know to survive

Talking Training

I-Car Australia CEO Richard Pratt takes a look at the ever changing face of the autobody repair industry and offers an insight into what will be needed to keep up with the pace of change.

One of the outcomes of the global financial crisis is that almost all global manufacturers are looking closely at their market share, searching for opportunities, and revising or even cancelling expansion plans.

For some, it may be a case of an exit from the market altogether, while for others it may be an emergence into what is considered to be an over-serviced market of the number of makes and models.

Hummer is going, Saab has just survived, Pontiac is going, Opel was reported as being under threat, doubt has been cast of the future of the current Ford Falcon, just some of the brands facing an uncertain future.

Then we have the influx on new names, from areas of the world not traditionally known for superior quality vehicles. Brands such as Chery, Great Wall, Lancia through Fiat/Chrysler, Proton with a $10,990 starter, Geely (which has purchased Volvo), added to the Europeans, Peugeot, Renault, Citroen, VW, Audi, and the like, and we will be faced with a market that may not bear much resemblance to what has been familiar to us.

These vehicle may be built anywhere in the world, not necessarily in their country of origin. The market will not be all Commodores, Falcons and Toyotas.

And if that is not confusing enough, add to it the continuing emergence of new materials and technologies in manufacture and subsequent repair. An emergence of even more grades and types of steel, the increasing use of aluminium and magnesium, a greater acceptance of composite materials, sophisticated attachment methods such as plasma soldering, rivet and bond rivet attachments, ultra sonic welding and a greater use of chemical attachment methods will see more and more of our traditional family sedans become complex to repair.

While some substantial steps forward have been made by local manufacturers in supplying technical information, there is a concern about adequate supply of both the replacement parts and the repair information for some of the lesser known brands.

There is no guarantee that the 'accepted industry' practice for a particular repair is relevant to all makes and models.

Quite the contrary, more of the models on today's roads have quite specific repair procedures, and the liability issues on all involved in the repair chain and the choice of method of repair, will show no signs of going away.

So just how does the everyday collision repairer stay up to date with what's happening, more importantly what's coming, and where he will be able to position his business to maintain a viable future?

The amount of information available from within the industry is huge. From equipment suppliers, vehicle manufacturers, spare parts departments, trade and private associations, all the leading names and brands regularly publish information and articles in the trade magazines.

So does I-CAR, as it does in its information and training seminars. The insurance companies generally have a technical department that supports not only its own staff, but also its repairer network.

But more and more the industry partners, specifically in structural repair, talk about the poor attendance at the trade information nights they host. I-CAR runs live courses right across the country and also has an on-line training program for those who have limited time to research, or who find it impractical to attend the daytime classes.

The time is now that proof of expertise or qualification will be required. It is no longer acceptable to use 'industry experience' or training undertaken as an apprentice sometimes more than 30 years ago, as justification that knowledge of today's vehicle structure and repairability is as high as it should be.

In most other industries, like construction, technician licensing is mandatory, and is coupled in the professions with a pre- requisite for ongoing training. The re-engineering of an accident damaged car is a profession.

With safety in damaged vehicles that find their way back onto the road of the utmost importance, it is long overdue that all of the industry, not just 10 per cent or 15 per cent, takes seriously its responsibilities and commits to at least reading the technical articles that proliferate the trade magazines. Attending trade nights and training session comes a close second.

The only other outcome is for the industry to lose credibility and to sacrifice the chance to be involved in complex repair, even for low impact accidents.

We saw only recently the first flight of the new Boeing 787 Dreamliner, constructed out of a high percentage of plastics, reducing weight and improving efficiency by 20 per cent. Will this happen to the automobile?

Much like the hybrid phenomenon, don't worry about when will it arrive. It is here already, yet the vast majority would have a very limited knowledge of the repair or handling processes. Not knowing will lead to some incredibly expensive mistakes, more importantly potentially unsafe repair.