COVER STORY
Realities, Recommendations and Roadblocks There’s never a dull moment in this industry. Ten years ago, nobody could have predicted the technical, training and procedural demands now hitting the collision repair and auto service industries. These days, performing professional work isn’t just a matter of fixing the damage you can see; it has to do with extensively researching OEM information and identifying hidden issues through the use of specialized tools. This is the era of ADAS, scanning, diagnostics and calibrations – a time that has led many within the AASP-MN community to drastically restructure the way they work on vehicles. It’s been roughly a decade since automakers began strongly encouraging (and, in many cases, outright requiring) pre- and post-repair scanning procedures. Shannon’s Auto Body in Brainerd hit the ground running early in the trend by incorporating scanning back in 2012. About five years later, the I-CAR Gold facility took things a step further by moving exclusively to OEM software to complete these tasks. “We had a few different scan tools, and it got to the point where one scan tool wouldn’t pick it up but another one would,” owner Shannon Christian recalls. “When we went to OEM software, it scanned everything.” In 2015, the shop’s capabilities expanded through the addition of a dedicated mechanical service department. This has enabled the shop to speed up the process while still adhering to manufacturer standards. In Christian’s
14 | September 2021
mind, the reason to invest the time and resources necessary to do OEM-level scans and ADAS-related work was simple. “We don’t want to put somebody back in an unsafe car.” When AASP-MN member Chad Bijou opened Waconia 1 Collision & Auto in Waconia in July 2020, he made sure that he had a game plan to address modern vehicles. Currently, the hybrid collision/mechanical I-CAR Gold facility performs 75 percent of its ADAS work under its own roof and meets the requirements of four OEM certifications through accessing and utilizing OEM information and procedures. “All the guys [here] have been scanning cars since [the OEMs] first started requiring it. Everyone who’s here had worked for me in the past, and they were pretty familiar with my style of management.” To help things move in the right direction, he keeps his main mechanic involved in auto body repairs. “The technicians will do the pre-[repair] scans when writing the estimates, but my mechanic will do the post[repair] scans, because he’s more in tune with what was done to the car and what needs to be looked at and whether or not there’s a calibration that’s required.” Over at I-CAR Gold shop Ed’s Collision in Maple Grove, General Manager Shawn Hartner utilizes the services of Prior Lake-based AASP-MN member The
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