webinARC showreel…
ARC360’s next webinARC showreel – Wednesday 5 May – offers the chance to catch up some of the most notable moments since the sessions got underway back in March 2020. As restrictions continue to ease and life starts to return to some form of normality for most across the UK, we look back at how the industry ‘opened up’ over the past year.
Claims volumes show 10% uplift
Unique claim exchanges rose by 10% and supply chain transmissions by eight per cent week ending 24 April 2021 according to the latest CAPS Claims Analysis Report.
The increase is the second significant increase in volumes during the past two weeks and puts unique claims at 60% of pre-pandemic (week ending 14/02/20) volumes. Supply chain transmissions are now at 95% of pre-pandemic levels.
Vehicle production on the rise
UK car production rose 46.6% in March, the first increase after 18 months of decline, with 115,498 cars manufactured, according to figures from Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders (SMMT).
The performance marks one year since the coronavirus crisis caused all UK automotive plants to be shuttered in mid-March 2020, after only 78,767 cars had left factory gates that month.
Compared with the five-year March average, production was down -22.8%, equivalent to a loss of 34,047 units. It rounds off a -4.0% decline in the first quarter of 2021 with 306,558 units produced, 12,694 less than a year before.
Meanwhile, UK commercial vehicle (CV) production increased by 16.9% in March, with 6,166 units produced, signalling the first month of growth since September 2020. However, output for the month remains significantly reduced on pre-pandemic levels, down -32.2% on a March average taken over the previous five years.
IMI urges competition entries
The Institute of the Motor Industry (IMI) is urging employers and FE colleges to nominate students and apprentices for this year’s IMI Skills Competition, as the pandemic impacts the number of entries received to date.
There are four streams in which nominees can be entered: Automotive Technology; Automotive Body Repair; Automotive Refinishing; and Heavy Vehicle Technology.
The deadline for nominations and completion of the initial online quiz is 14 May 2021.
Some of the finalists, if they are age eligible, may have the opportunity to progress on to Team UK for WorldSkills International.
Caution urged as government pave way for automated driving
The UK government has set out plans to pave the way for automated driving on British roads but Thatcham Research and the Association of British Insurers (ABI) have urged caution.
Following a landmark call for evidence, the Department for Transport has set out how vehicles fitted with Automated Lane Keeping System (ALKS) technology could legally be defined as self-driving, as long as they receive GB type approval and that there is no evidence to challenge the vehicle’s ability to self-drive.
However, both Thatcham Research and ABI have urged caution with the move.
Matthew Avery, Director of Research at Thatcham Research, said, “Automated Lane Keeping Systems (ALKS) as currently proposed by the government are not automated. They are assisted driving systems as they rely on the driver to take back control.”
Copart lends helping hand to learners
Copart is continuing to support the Open Road West Norfolk charity, by loaning vehicles on which trainees can learn modern mechanical engineering techniques.
Open Road West Norfolk provides training to young people with an interest in motor vehicles, helping them to gain recognised qualifications and improved employment opportunities.
Copart has committed to loaning four vehicles per year for students to work on and gain practical hands-on mechanical skills.
The students use Copart’s vehicles to learn more about a range of mechanical aspects including alternators, starter motors, exhausts, suspension, and steering – as well as general body work.
IFB partners with Shift Technology on fraud system
The Insurance Fraud Bureau (IFB) has partnered with Shift Technology to build a powerful, new fraud detection system on behalf of the UK insurance sector.
Using artificial intelligence (AI), the new platform which will be delivered in early 2022, will see the AI ‘learn and grow’ as it adapts to the evolving threat of organised insurance fraud networks, with the capability to alert fraud investigators to suspicious activity in real-time.
Currently one insurance scam takes place each minute in the UK, devastating countless victims and costing the economy over £3 billion a year.
Ageas awarded ServiceMark Accreditation
Ageas Insurance has been awarded The Institute of Customer Service’s ServiceMark Accreditation, an independent and national benchmark of achievement in customer service and commitment to upholding those standards.
The Institute’s assessors noted that Ageas had “built a wonderful culture where people are recruited for the right attitude, trained for the required skills and then, most importantly, trusted to deliver their best.”
Ageas scored 84.8 in its Business Benchmarking assessment, which takes into account customer feedback. The UKCSI January 2021 shows the insurance industry average is 78.4 and UK all sector average is 76.8.
Covea France rolls out Tractable AI
Covéa, France’s largest insurance group, is deploying Tractable’s artificial intelligence (AI) across its networks of thousands of French bodyshops, to assess auto claims in real-time, and on a national scale.
The AI uses computer vision technology to understand photos of car damage taken by bodyshops in France, making sense of the impact.
The deal will span Covea’s three – MAAF, MMA and GMF.
Hadfield joins The Vella Group
Tom Hadfield has joined The Vella Group’s senior leadership team as Head of Commercial.
Tom has held senior sales, marketing and product management roles in the accident repair and claims supply chain, and joins from Solera Audatex, where he most recently held the role of Global Product Manager for the technology business’ Bodyshop Management System portfolio.
He will be responsible for managing and growing client relationships, launching the group’s B2B and B2C marketing strategies, and will play a key role in building and implementing the business’ digital and growth strategies.
Ben Ball returns in December
Automotive industry charity, Ben will stage its Ben Ball this year at the iconic venue, the Roundhouse in Camden, London, on 8 December.
Returning to the Roundhouse for the second time, Ben Ball 2021 promises to be a stand-out event in the automotive industry calendar once again, following a break in 2020 due to Covid-19.
Having run for over 70 years, Ben Ball is a spectacular black-tie event helping to raise much needed funds for the charity dedicated to supporting the people of the automotive industry.
