Tuesday, 09 May 2017
Thatcham takes ADAS to repairer's fingertips
All users of escribe, the UK's leading repair methods solution, can now instantly identify ADAS fitment and system features
Repairers can now view key Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) fitment information before they undertake any repairs to a vehicle, following a pioneering update to Methods Direct, within the escribe portal, Thatcham Research's industry-leading repair methods solution.
With thousands of new cars now fitted with ADAS technologies, Thatcham Research is addressing a central issue for bodyshops, by enabling the positive identification of ADAS technologies fitted to a vehicle requiring repair. From today repairers will be able to see key ADAS Fitment and Systems information before they undertake any repairs, easing workflow and improving the planning process through greater awareness of the presence of ADAS.
'escribe is now the only source in the world that can so rapidly provide this information,' said Joe Dunn, product lead at Thatcham Research. 'Until today, the correct identification of ADAS fitment has been a huge challenge for repairers and bodyshops. Understanding which sensors or technology types are present on a vehicle will allow repairers to order parts and ascertain what equipment they may need in advance of repair.'
At present, repairers may not realise that a vehicle has ADAS capability until the vehicle is in the workshop bay and may have even been partially stripped down. This means that parts in a repair may not have been accounted for and/or a repair is required but there is no space, expertise or available time slot in which to perform it.
ADAS you like it
The ADAS Fitment feature can be found within Methods Direct allowing the many customers who rely on Thatcham Research repair methods to identify:
· Sensor type – the instruments on the vehicle for example; camera, stereo camera, RADAR, LIDAR, or ultrasonic sensors
· Technology types – the general technology type that may require calibrating, such as AEB, Reverse AEB, Lane Assist or Park Assist
· Fitment (Standard or Optional fit) – to allow estimates to be adjusted accordingly
· System attributes – key system attributes based on the technology type, with additional provide information provided that may help identify the ADAS feature on the vehicle
As part of Thatcham Research's ongoing commitment to providing the best level of repair service possible to subscribers, a number of enhancements to the escribe and escribe Plus packages and products have already been made in 2017, including:
· Parts information included as standard on escribe and escribe plus package
· Access to vehicle manufacturer data through Methods Direct for escribe Plus customers
· Manual lookup of vehicles in Methods Direct – where a VRM does not directly identify a vehicle, it is now possible to perform independent vehicle identification to get the required methods
In 2017 to date, over 450,000 pieces of repair method information have been served and more than 4,000 individual requests to the Ask Our Expert service answered via escribe.
To find out more about escribe please visit: http://www.thatcham.org/escribe