DEKRA announced Monday that it would provide support to Audi’s certified auto body repair program.

“The absolute focus of the Audi Authorized Collision Repair program is the customer,” Audi collision program manager Mark Allen said in a statement. “Throughout the collision repair process, we seek to not only meet the needs of our customers, but to delight them. Audi of America selected DEKRA as our partner because of our shared commitment to service excellence, quality, and safety.”

DEKRA, which also provides U.S. certification program services for Honda, Volvo and Volkswagen, will replace VeriFacts in the Audi role.

“OEM programs are changing to meet the demands of their new products and technology,” VeriFacts said in a statement Thursday. “We see these programs starting to differentiate themselves more for the future.

“VeriFacts has taken the opportunity to enhance our own customer experience, data analytics, and remote technology to focus on digital solutions that meet the new demands of the industry and are looking forward to our new partnerships.

“We’re very thankful to have had the opportunity to drive improved repair quality alongside Audi of America over the last years. It’s been a great partnership that we both have been able to learn and grow from and we wish the ACCRN success as they continue to develop their path forward.”

DEKRA said it would bring “(n)ew data collection, analytics, and visualization methods” and “new tools and solutions” to the Audi network.

“DEKRA will give us a better understanding of how parts are used, repairs are completed, and, ultimately, how we can better serve our customers,” Allen said in a statement.

“Collaboration, transparency, and accountability are at the heart of our partnership with Audi of America,” DEKRA North America automotive services general manager Christian Ruecker said in a statement. “The AACR program is one of the best in the industry, and DEKRA will bring improved reporting, validation, and management support to further enhance the offering.”

DEKRA brings the company’s “i2i” virtual system to the program, a shop auditing method Ruecker said was like “FaceTime on steroids” and debuted in Europe in 2014. The shop can conduct a live video chat and show a DEKRA representative their facility and equipment, and DEKRA can capture photos, record the session and confirm the shop’s location through GPS, he said.

“A parts management solution will be implemented to further develop the restricted parts program,” DEKRA wrote. Ruecker said DEKRA would allow the relevant parts, dealership and shop personnel to all work off a single platform.

DEKRA will also offer its iQC Live quality management process as an option for shops, Reucker said.

“DEKRA iQC Live reduces rework and liability, helping increase profitability via independent, third-party monitoring and validation of your quality control standards,” DEKRA states on an iQC Live website. “With iQC Live, you’ll interface with collision-experienced DEKRA validators via a cloud-based portal that has been customized to your company’s QC standards.”

More information:

“Audi Selects DEKRA For Collision Repair Services in North America”

DEKRA, April 5, 2021

Featured image: The Audi and DEKRA logos are shown. (Provided by DEKRA)