SCRS Announces Full Lineup for the 2022 OEM Collision Repair Summit at SEMA

Mechanicsville, Virginia, October 4, 2022 – The Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) is announcing details for all three sessions being offered as part of the 2022 OEM Collision Repair Technology Summit (Summit), taking place on Thursday, November 3 during the SEMA Show.

Held at the Las Vegas Convention Center, Upper South Hall (Room S233), the Summit’s three sessions feature distinctly different discussions highlighting how trends and technological developments in modern vehicles influence vehicle repairability and collision industry preparation.

Register for sessions individually (click here), or as part of the Full Series Pass (click here).

The Full Series Pass provides the greatest flexibility and value, giving access to one regular Repairer Driven Education session in each available time slot, all three OEM Summit sessions, the IDEAS Collide Showcase, plus one (1) ticket to the SCRS Sky Villa After-party on Thursday night.

The Summit agenda Includes:

SESSION I: 9:00 – 10:30

OEM Repair Procedure Accessibility

The foundation of a quality repair begins with access and adherence to documented repair procedures from the vehicle manufacturer. When followed, everyone in the process succeeds in establishing mutual accountability to protect consumers on America’s roadways.

Consumers should be able to assume their vehicle repairs will be performed in accordance with the documented procedures, detailed by the vehicle engineers. They should have the ability to choose an independent repair business that has invested in the facility, equipment, and skillset development to meet the rigorous demands of these increasingly sophisticated, modern vehicles.

But in the collision repair market, well-trained, well-equipped repair facilities are not struggling to gain access to collision repair procedures – they are struggling to compete against other businesses who don’t prioritize access and adherence to the available information.

In this presentation and panel, automakers will discuss access points for information, means to utilize the procedures in a repair environment, and ways to overcome myths or perceived obstacles in accessing and utilizing repair procedure data.

Featuring:

Mark Allen, Collision Programs Manager at Audi of America

Benito Cid, Collision Business Development Manager at Mercedes-Benz USA

Kevin Earlywine, Instructor – Collision Repair & Refinish at Toyota Motor North America

Wayne Weikel, Senior Director, Alliance for Automotive Innovation

Amber Alley, Manager at Barsotti’s Body & Fender

And moderated by,
Aaron Schulenburg, Executive Director at the Society of Collision Repair Specialists

Repair procedures and vehicle data already exist, and the industry and consumer benefit most when they are accessed and followed.

SESSION II: 11:00 – 12:30

Tackling the Technician Crisis Together

Technicians play one of the most critical roles in proper repairs, and the increasing shortage of talent is a contributing factor with implications on the collision repair businesses.

This session, led by Eliza Johnson of Ducker Carlisle, explores data compiled by the global market research firm that delves into the technician crisis, as well as solutions, in partnership with automakers to bolster the technician pool. The presentation will elaborate on the severity of the technician crisis in the automotive landscape, and how it is expected to evolve over the coming years, while considering technology advancements and demographic expectations.

For several years now, Carlisle has been committed to exploring solutions to address the technician shortage, specifically looking at what dealers should be doing to get new technicians in the door, to keep them in their facilities and retain them in the industry for the long-term. Eliza Johnson will elaborate on tactical examples of the Carlisle recommendations in key areas and how the research and recommendations led to the formation of the Automotive Technician Collaboration (ATC), a Carlisle-led group of nine automotive OEMs jointly tackling an industry response to the technician crisis. The collective goal is to change the perception of the automotive technician career. This is both in the eyes of the public to grow the pool of new prospective technicians entering dealerships as well as in the eyes of existing technicians, to keep them in their roles for the long haul.

Following the presentation, Johnson will then welcome a guest panel to join the conversation, seeking to explore the relationship between findings in the OEM technician space, and the carryover in how the collision industry can benefit from these learnings and build the framework for action plans to combat these pressing challenges. Panelists will provide valuable perspectives to address collision-specific activities and the correlation between budding industry activity with a shared emphasis on the growth of technical assets in the industry.

Panel featuring:

Dara Goroff, Vice President, Planning & Industry Talent Programming at I-CAR

John Helterbrand, National Program Director at Collision Engineering

Jennifer Maher, Executive Director at the TechForce Foundation

SESSION III: 1:00 – 2:30

Managing Scan Tool Choices While Ensuring Safe and Proper Repairs

When it comes to scanning, some of the most common questions asked in the industry include:

Why do the OEMs require the use of their factory tool when servicing safety systems?
Is there a difference between the factory tool and an aftermarket tool?