Another ARA certification program evolves, raising the level of industry professionalism.
Just as experienced in other sub-sectors, industry consolidation and technological advancement pose many challenges for collision repair independents as they attempt to remain profitable and/or competitive. The ARA’s Certified Collision Repair program was one of the first to be introduced as an industry standard and to recognize those within industry who wanted validation of their investment in equipment and a superior level of training.
The ARA, through its collision repair division, has developed a strategic plan that explores the direction for the ARA to pursue in the areas of industry consolidation and certification strategies. The result furthers the ARA’s mandate to help entrepreneurs grow and thrive.
A special thanks to our members who continue to support the CCR program. Many materials have been developed that demonstrate the value of a not-for-profit industry solution. The ARA truly believes that shops registered in this program want to make a difference, and they are, by helping to set the standard for business professionalism. We are also pleased to see the program expand beyond provincial boundaries, being recognized by Saskatchewan Government Insurance (SGI) as part of its Safe Quality Auto Repair Program (SQARP), with eight members in Saskatchewan.
A recent ARA survey asked if CCR members operate with a computerized management system. The results were very conclusive, with 90 percent of respondents reporting being able to conduct an analysis of performance metrics. However, having the tools and knowing how to use them can be two completely different issues. This segued to the second survey question, which pertained to performance groups.
The responses to the question about participating in a performance group proved to be a bit more complex. Nearly 65 percent of respondents supported the concept but, more importantly, some already have access to a group, typically as part of a banner affiliation. But what about those who do not? An intent of performance group participation is to gain a better understanding of efficiency, which leads to more time to invest in the business. The CCR program will be conducting some research on how to introduce performance groups to those shop owners who would like to explore the benefits to be gained through exposure to peers and leading experts.
Finally, when asked about support for developing a training matrix, the results were split. Therefore, in this area, we will not expend a lot of energy other than to continue to look at trends within other provinces, particularly through information exchanges with our sister associations in Saskatchewan and Manitoba.
To implement performance groups requires the exploration of opportunities and partnerships. Although there is an aggressive timeline, it is anticipated that an announcement regarding a performance group plan can be made during the ARA’s collision division AGM, June 10, 2022, as part of the ARA Trade Show.