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Former AASP-MN president Latuff joins DEG leadership

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The Database Enhancement Gateway on Thursday announced it had named estimator and Minnesota industry leader Will Latuff to its joint operating committee.

DEG Administrator Danny Gredinberg called Latuff “a frequent DEG user as well as an advocate for the DEG.”

The DEG is a free resource allowing repairers and insurers to solicit clarification and changes from the information providers. It’s taken more than 15,000 inquiries to date and is more than halfway to No. 16,000.

The most recently answered inquiry involved a question about how CCC handled the replacement of a nameplate or emblem on a 2018 BMW X5.

“BMW repair instructions call for making a masking tape template to transfer the original position of the emblem to the replacement panel,” the user wrote Wednesday. “Is the labor and material to do this included with the replacement of the emblem or nameplate? BMW does not sell templates like other manufacturers.”

CCC said it looked into it and determined “creating templates is not included in estimated work times.” The DEG also wrote to the user that “‘Material Cost’ is NOT included in labor times.”

Will Latuff

Latuff has spent 23 years at Latuff Brothers Auto Body and works there today as an estimator. He also served as the 2018 president of the Alliance of Automotive Service Providers of Minnnesota and sits on its 2019-20 board. His educational background includes a business administration degree from the University of Wisconsin-Stout with a minor in quality management.

“I am excited to join the DEG JOC and give back to the collision repair industry,” Latuff said in a statement. “My passion for estimating began later in my teen age years when I met Mike Anderson.  His passion and unstoppable logic for not included operations propelled my learning and fueled my desire to never stop growing as an estimator.  The DEG is a great resource and achieves amazing results.  I appreciate that submissions are handled in a timely manner and that the changes rendered benefit all stakeholders.  I believe that givers gain and I am looking forward to serving our great industry!”

The joint operating committee serves as the DEG’s board of directors. It oversees the site and helps the resource continues to improve, according to the DEG.

“Latuff joins a group of well-rounded peers where a plethora of current and historical information which can be passed onto the next generation of collision repairers,” the DEG wrote in a news release.

The DEG’s Joint Operating Committee is made up of members of the national Alliance of Automotive Service Providers and Society of Collision Repair Specialists, who together own the site and manage it as a benefit for the collision industry.

Have a question?

Have a question about AudaExplore, Mitchell or CCC? Submit inquiries to the DEG here. Inquiries and answers are free.

More information:

“Database Enhancement Gateway Announces New JOC Committee member Will Latuff”

Database Enhancement Gateway, Jan. 23, 2020

DEG inquiry database

DEG YouTube channel

Featured image: Latuff Brothers Auto Body estimator and former AASP-MN President Will Latuff, right, has been named to the Database Enhancement Gateway Joint Operating Committee. (Provided by the DEG)

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