CIECA and STAR Sign MOU

McLean, VA, May 4, 2005 – STAR (Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail), the IT standards body for the North American retail automotive industry, and CIECA (Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association), the Electronic Commerce (EC) standards body for the Collision Repair industry have agreed to cooperate on joint standards development projects.

STAR and CIECA have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) that enables both organizations to exchange memberships, participate in standards development projects, and share technical documentation and specifications.

Through member committees, CIECA develops industry standards, assists in developing national standards, and provides implementation support/guidelines for electronic commerce for the Collision Repair industry. CIECA is composed of members from all industry segments: repairers, parts & materials suppliers, insurers, information and software providers, general service providers, and related segments/industries.

“In 2004 CIECA began a Procurement Project to address all aspects of a Collision Repair Facility’s Procurement requirements. This project encompasses Original Equipment (OE), Aftermarket, and Recycled parts. We soon recognized that there were other standards setting organizations in each of these areas that were already addressing some aspects of the solution we are developing. CIECA’s collaboration with STAR and its members should assist in the development of a more seamless approach and set of standards for the Collision Repair Procurement Cycle,” said Paul Krauss, Craftsman Auto Body, Co-Chair of the Procurement Committee and Chairman of CIECA’s Board of Trustees.

“We are excited about working with CIECA members in developing standards that will benefit everyone by improving the effectiveness of products and services required for the day-to-day vehicle collision repair activities”, said Paul Elert STAR Chair.

“Since our initial discussions with CIECA there has been a high level of interest in working together.  We anticipate that our joint projects will benefit members of both organizations”, commented Dave Lester, STAR Membership Chair.

STAR’s initiatives provide the opportunity to improve daily business activities of dealers, retail systems providers, and manufacturers that lead to higher customer satisfaction, timely access to business information, and reduced operating costs. 

About STAR (www.starstandard.org)

Source: STAR

The Standards for Technology in Automotive Retail (STAR) organization is the Information Technology (IT) standards organization for the retail automotive industry. The goal of the STAR organization is to use voluntary IT standards for dealers and manufacturers that could reduce the time and effort previously required to support the activities.

Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, STAR is a not-for-profit volunteer organization and its members include Dealers, Manufacturers and Retail System Providers (RSPs). As members, they are interested in developing, promoting, and administering voluntary IT standards in the retail automotive industry and improving the effectiveness, timeliness and competitiveness of the IT solutions needed within the retail automotive industry.

STAR membership roster:

Dealer Groups: CCAQ, NADA

Retail System Providers:  ADP, Advent Resources, Inc., AIAG, AFSA, Arkona, Autodata Solutions, AutoDESA, Auto/Mate Inc., Chrome Systems, CIECA, Cyclone Commerce, DealerTrack, gedas, GEFEG, Motorcycle Industry Council, NeoSynergy, LLC, OAGI, Oxlo, PBS Financial Systems Inc., Procede Software, Quorum Information Systems, Reynolds & Reynolds, RouteOne, Sprint, Sun, Tibco, Unipart Automotive Logistics, UCS, and 5Square Systems Corporation.

Manufacturers: American Honda Motor Co., Inc., American Suzuki Motor Corp., BMW of North America, Inc., DaimlerChrysler, Ford Motor Company, General Motors Corp., Hyundai Motor America, Jaguar Cars, Kia Motors America, Land Rover, Mazda North American Operations, Mitsubishi Motor Sales of America, Inc., Nissan North America, Inc., Porsche Cars North America, Inc., Renault, Saab Cars USA, Subaru, Toyota Motor Sales, USA, and Volkswagen North America.

About CIECA (www.cieca.com)

Source: CIECA

The Collision Industry Electronic Commerce Association (CIECA) is the not-for-profit volunteer organization that develops and publishes Electronic Commerce (EC) standards for the Collision Repair industry.

CIECA’s Mission is: To facilitate the implementation of Electronic Commerce and provide a forum and methods to develop and maintain objective, unbiased, and uniform Electronic Commerce standards and guidelines that encourage open competition and free choice, and are in the best interest of all entities conducting business with and within the Collision Industry.

It is the vision of CIECA to have an eCommerce enabled collision Industry that allows all industry segments to communicate electronically, independent of platform or software used.

Established in 1994, CIECA assists the Collision Industry in the effective use of electronic commerce and the National Information Superhighway. It is directed by a Board of Trustees and has offices in Illinois. Its members jointly work on Standards Development Committees (SDC) addressing standards for Electronic Data Interchange, Interoperability, XML and Imaging.

CIECA addresses Electronic Commerce issues on a national scale. It has developed processes for identifying and prioritizing industry issues, establishing SDCs to design solutions, and then working these solutions through the broadest base of acceptance mechanisms possible, such as the American National Standards Institute (ANSI).

Partial member roster:

ADP Claims Solution Group, AIG Insurance, Akzo Nobel Coatings, Allstate Insurance, Automotive Service Association, AVIS Rent A Car/Cendant, California Autobody Association, CCC Information Services, Computer Logic, Craftsman Auto Body, DuPont Performance Coatings, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Everest Partners, FIX Auto USA, Gerber Auto Collision and Glass, Hertz Corporation, IBM, Keystone Automotive, Microsoft Corporation, Mitchell International, Motor Information Services, Nationwide Insurance, PPG, Process Claims, Safelite Glass Corporation, Sherwin Williams, Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS), State Farm Insurance, Verifacts Automotive.

Contacts:

STAR

Dick Malaise

STAR Communications Chair

8400 Westpark Drive  MS16

McLean, VA 22102

1-703-821-7125

rmalaise@nada.org

CIECA

Fred Iantorno

Executive Director

3149 Dundee Road, Suite 181

Northbrook, IL 60062

1-847-498-6945

fred@cieca.com