Auto Techcelerators Uses CIECA Standards to Help Repair Shops Efficiently Complete Test Drives and Share Data
Frank Terlep and a small group of investors launched Auto Techcelerators LLC in September of 2019 to help the auto, collision, glass and truck industries estimate, calibrate and validate Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) repairs. Today, the team of 10 has developed three solutions utilizing CIECA Standards to achieve this mission: Test Drive CoPilot™, Calibration CoPilot™ and ADAS CoPilot™.
We recently talked to Frank about his company’s use of CIECA Standards and the importance of standards to the industry.
Q: How is Auto Techcelerators using CIECA Standards in its business?
A: Today, we use CIECA Standards to help repairers quickly access Repair Order (RO) data and complete a post-repair or calibration test drive with our Test Drive CoPilot™ platform. This patent-pending system was designed to help repairers properly perform, manage, document and get reimbursed for test drives and dynamic calibrations.
With our Calibration CoPilot™ platform, a system dedicated to ADAS calibration and diagnostics management, documentation and invoicing, we use CIECA Standards to share RO repair order line data with calibration technicians who need to know and understand what repairs and parts replacements occurred on an ADAS-equipped vehicle, so they can quickly and accurately perform an ADAS calibration.
Q: What is the advantage of having standards in the collision industry?
A: Data standards allow the collision industry to create and deliver unique and competitive workflow, software and mobile app solutions without “recreating the wheel!” They also allow companies from different industry segments to conduct business and share data easily and quickly.
Q: Are you currently part of any CIECA committees?
A: Most recently, we were deeply involved in the CIECA Calibration committee, where I believe we created critically important standards for the “next big thing” our industry will be required to deliver—properly performed, managed and documented calibrations. That effort has now been turned over to the Collision Industry Conference (CIC). We are waiting to participate in other committees that are involved with ADAS identification, inspections and properly performed test drives.
In another development, Gene Lopez and I will be co-chairs of CIECA’s newest committee, the Emerging Technologies Data Standards Committee. I am honored to co-chair this committee, which I believe will play a critical role in future standards development.
Q: Is there anything else you would like to add about CIECA Standards?
A: As one of the first 14 people to be involved in CIEDES (now CIECA), I can say that without CIECA standards, doing business in our industry “would be a mess.” Can you imagine not being able to share estimate data between a shop and a parts vendor or an insurer and a shop?
While most of the industry does not know or understand what CIECA does, I want to personally thank everyone who has participated and contributed to CIECA Standards. Without you, the industry would not be what it is today!
For more information, visit www.testdrivecopilot.com and www.calcopilot.com.
If you would like to share information about your BMS implementation in the next CIECA spotlight article, please email stacey@cieca.com.