Originally published by Vehicle Service Pros, March 26, 2024
The growth of ADAS has created new opportunities and challenges for auto repair shops, changing the landscape of vehicle collision repair. With these challenges come opportunities to increase your services to match the heightened demand for advanced calibrations. Investing in ADAS equipment can help keep jobs in-house, increase revenue, and enable faster ticket turnaround.
Autel’s ADAS lineup is made up of a group of tools that are easy to assemble and simple to implement and use. Autel‘s ADAS equipment coverage ranges from systems like lane departure and rear collision warnings to night vision and more. The Autel IA900 delivers an all-systems and module health check, digital 3D wheel alignment, virtual vehicle inspection, and step-by-step ADAS calibration instructions — with the price tag of a typical alignment system.
We strive to give the customer industry best software content, efficient instructions to increase efficiency, proof of worked performed with validation in reports, all at an affordable cost,” — said Stewart Peregrine, Autel senior executive of sales — ADAS Read on to hear success stories from one Massachusetts repair shop that used Autel’s ADAS solution lineup to solve pain points within its business and ramp up revenue via ADAS in-house repairs and calibrations.
IMPLEMENTING AUTEL ADAS
Four years ago, Massachusetts repair shop Fuller’s Collision Center started its own journey to bring ADAS in-house. The ADAS evolution within the business began when decision-makers within the shop were looking to improve OEM repair procedures. The number of vehicles running through the bays that required ADAS calibration was growing by the day, and outsourcing ADAS calibrations was becoming unsustainable.
One of the toughest things that we were dealing with was scheduling with dealerships, getting the vehicles out to the dealerships to be properly calibrated, and getting thorough reports from the dealership that these cars were being calibrated properly,” — said Mike Ambrosino, ADAS calibration and diagnostics director at Fuller.
Technicians struggled to keep cycle time down and found it difficult to ensure the vehicles were being calibrated properly. To address these issues, Fuller brought ADAS repairs and calibrations in-house. In early 2021, the shop bought its first Autel ADAS Calibration Frame for use on all vehicle calibrations.
“Autel seemed to stand out to us, and that’s why we purchased the systems from them after holding comprehensive meetings to go over all the options and all of our equipment,” — Ambrosino said.
Autel trainers came out to the shop and showed the Fuller’s Collision Center team exactly how to use all the tools involved with the ADAS solution, ensuring proper installation and leaving the technician team ready to perform in-house ADAS calibrations.
“Once we made the decision to go with Autel, training was included, and they sent a trainer out shortly after the purchase for a full day,” — Ambrosino said. “We had a good experience with him coming out and showing us around the system and scan tools.”
INCREASING SERVICES RESULTS IN INCREASED REVENUE
Today, the Fuller’s Collision Center is able to turn around vehicles in eight hours or less, with sameday or next-to-same-day calibrations, significantly increasing the store’s turnaround time for vehicles — with no need to outsource to the dealership and lose potential revenue.
Since first implementing Autel ADAS, Fuller’s has added two additional Autel ADAS frames and converted its inhouse calibration operation with a full collision center into a standalone calibration services facility. The standalone business, ADAS Diagnostic Solutions LLC, includes six bays and three calibration systems and services about 45 shops in the area. Turnaround rates for the business have gone from 10 calibrations a month to almost 15 a day.
“We have faith in the coverage from Autel, that it’s going to be there, and we’re going to be able to get the job done,” — Ambrosino said.
ADAS Diagnostic Solutions LLC performed more than 400 calibrations in December 2023 and now provides all ADAS and diagnostic repairs for the Fuller’s Collision Center, as well as drawing business from outside the shop. This business translates to $72,000 in calibration revenue per month, up from an average of $5,000 per month before bringing ADAS in-house.
Autel’s ADAS coverage, equipment, and support make ADAS calibrations clear and straightforward. Technicians can use Autel’s virtual Setup and Reverse Lookup Guide to quickly reference vehicle make, model, and year for guidance on the calibration pattern, target, or component needed for specific safety calibration and to view the vehicle-to-target or component distance requirements.
“We scan with Autel scan tools, and one of the reasons we use Autel is the level of documentation,” said Ambrosino. “The level of reporting is superior. We use Autel to document just about everything.”
Autel ADAS reporting capabilities have made Fuller’s Collision Center’s transition to in-house ADAS calibrations easier and provided more visibility for the team into what’s being done to the vehicle and when. The Autel recommended, adasThink tool can provide a full ADAS report in seconds. The process is fully automated. Technicians only need to upload an estimate and a comprehensive ADAS report is immediately generated. These reports pull from data from the vehicle build sheet, diagnostic scan, and damage estimates to provide the most thorough report possible. With these reports, technicians can access results that drill down to individual OEM vehicle repair procedures to the smallest detail. Autel’s ADAS equipment gives technicians a digital snapshot of a vehicle, making for a more thorough, well-informed repair process.
BRINGING ADAS IN-HOUSE MAKES FOR SAFER, MORE COMPLETE REPAIRS
Autel sells through a distribution network, whose participants establish local relationships with shops like Fuller’s Collision Center. Autel’s distribution partners are rich in number and brand, and a complete list can be found at Where To Buy. Autel continues to focus on creating the most innovative and competitive products in the market, while its distributors ensure customers have the best sales experience possible.
“We want to build the best products,” — said Peregrine. “Our distribution network helps facilitate the sales, and we facilitate the training and deal with any warranty issues that may arise. Creating relationships with clients is key to the way we do business.”
As a leader in ADAS calibration equipment and coverage, Autel ensures coverage for the specific requirements of every type of auto collision business. Autel continues to evolve and build on its equipment and technology to ensure its clients can complete all their ADAS work inhouse by offering more than standard systems. Optical positioning systems like Autel’s drastically reduce setup time, compensate for any discrepancies, and ensure targets are not only set at the right height and distance, but also for pitch, angle, and yaw measurements. All this information is validated and compiled into a comprehensive report.
Technicians want something that’s easy, and shops want to be able to get a vehicle and repair out the door in a timely fashion while creating the best possible outcome for consumers, insurance carriers, and shops,” — said Peregrine.
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