4 ways digital ecosystems enhance managers’ car damage repair handling

Today, operational managers face a series of competing pressures, and handling car damage repairs is only one of their many responsibilities. Met with this multitude of tasks, managers’ areas of focus are changing. Now, managers have to be more time- and cost-efficient than ever, have easy access to data and reporting, and meet increasing driver expectations.

Not only is the traditional repair process no longer meeting these demands, with lengthy manual back-and-forth between drivers, managers, and body repair shops, but it is also no longer suited to today’s increasingly complex vehicles. Features like advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS), lightweight materials, and electric propulsion need specific attention from repairers, which means repair shops are no longer equipped to handle all types of damages and makes.

To allocate damage optimally, the repair requirements of each vehicle need to be considered and matched with the capabilities of repairers in the network. However, this is difficult to do manually for large, diverse, and interregional fleets.

A digital ecosystem solves this issue by connecting companies to a large network of body repair shops, making it easy to find a repairer that matches the needs of the damage and the requirements of the business. As a result, managers can spend less time allocating repairs and focus on other essential activities. This blog explores 4 ways in which a digital repair ecosystem can address managers’ challenges when it comes to repair handling.

1. Time-efficiency

According to average results gathered by fleet management software Avrios, a suitable digital repair ecosystem can save up to 40% of the time spent on administrative work, greatly helping managers be more time-efficient.

An ecosystem helps increase car damage repair handling efficiency by cutting out non-value-added communication from managers’ workflows. Instead of repeated calls or emails with drivers and body repair shops, communication in an ecosystem is centralised, so updates are visible in real-time to all stakeholders. For example, damage intake and assessment are simplified, as vehicle information provided by the driver is automatically shared with the manager and body repair shops, eliminating the need to repeat the same information to different stakeholders.

2. Cost-efficiency

By simplifying the car damage handling process, an ecosystem greatly reduces direct and indirect repair costs. Finding a suitable repair solution is easy by automatically matching up the requirements of each repair with the capabilities of body repair shops in the network. Managers can focus on choosing the most cost-effective option, knowing that it meets all the repair requirements and that quality will be guaranteed.

An ecosystem eliminates the need for physical inspections by centralising damage information, making the damage intake process faster and more accurate. Reports can be enriched with data from external sources, allowing managers and body repair shops to get a complete picture of the damage entirely digitally.

3. Access to data and reporting

Thanks to its centralised nature, a digital ecosystem enables access to data with a click. Because information is already organised in the system, managers can generate reports at a moment’s notice and share them easily. Since stakeholders are interconnected, managers can take advantage of data from various sources, including body repair shops and drivers, offering them a clear overview of the repair process. This connectivity also means that the data is updated in real-time, meaning reports will always be accurate and based on the latest figures.

4. Meeting driver expectations

Nowadays, drivers expect nothing less than a seamless repair journey, with updates along the way and the ability to quickly manage their repair. Traditionally, drivers get little visibility into the process and have to manually reach out to the manager to receive updates. By sharing relevant information in real-time, a digital repair ecosystem keeps drivers up-to-date, making it easy to manage expectations in the case of a delay.

An ecosystem also eliminates the need to repeat the same information to different stakeholders: a Salesforce survey found that 72% of customers expect all company representatives to have the same information about them. As a result, ecosystems help managers better meet drivers’ needs and increase their satisfaction.

Benefit from a digital repair handling ecosystem

To conclude, a digital repair ecosystem streamlines managers’ workflows by simplifying communication, optimising damage intake, offering real-time data and control, and keeping drivers informed. Fixico enables managers to take advantage of its digital repair handling ecosystem, which connects over 150 leading international partners with a network of over 2,500 certified body repair shops. Request a free demo and unlock the potential of digitalisation for your business.