Opening and Operating an ADAS Services and Calibrations Business

With more and more ADAS-equipped vehicles entering the marketplace each year, shops may want to take advantage of the numerous opportunities by learning “How to Open and Operate a Successful ADAS Services and Calibration Business,” it’s also important to be aware of the challenges and operational requirements before taking on such an endeavor, as Frank Terlep (Opus IVS) explained at SCC 2023.

It’s easy enough to see the opportunities since predictions indicate that over 75 percent of vehicles will be ADAS-equipped by 2030, but what are the challenges? Location, equipment, personnel and training! According to Terlep, “Around 80 percent of repair facilities do not have the space to properly perform ADAS calibrations, which require targeting systems, diagnostic tools, alignment systems, vehicle lift and more, with several options for each type making this even more complicated. Additionally, the auto and collision industries are already having issues recruiting ‘core’ personnel.”

A lack of business processes, the inability to properly identify ADAS technologies and required calibrations and the fact that most shops do a poor job of properly validating and documenting a vehicle’s ADAS systems led Terlep to one conclusion: “We suck!”

To improve and actually run a successful business, he offered a multitude of suggestions related to creating a separate business entity, ensuring that the facility meets minimum requirements, meeting equipment requirements, hiring and training the right personnel, workflow, documentation and pricing out the services offered.

“This can be a really lucrative business and possibly the biggest opportunity this industry has ever seen,” Terlep concluded. “But just because you have targets DOES NOT mean you’re in the ADAS services and calibrations business. There is only one way to perform ADAS services and calibrations…the RIGHT way!”