CCC Intelligent Solutions has shared that its new streamlined workflow will work for everyone involved in a claim or repair and stand as a “technology-backed vision to power the next evolution of the industry.”

Called “Intelligent Experiences,” CCC said in a news release that the different perspectives of consumers and businesses will now be synthesized through its core cloud platform CCC IX Cloud “to help deliver the optimal outcome for everyone participating in a given interaction by orchestrating data, AI, and ecosystems at scale.”

CCC told Repairer Driven News the capabilities of CCC IX Cloud will be expanded to make data sharing more flexible across the company’s products for those who use them. Repairers will continue interacting with CCC One and have access to the same data as they do already, CCC said.

“We hear from customers that they want to connect to ecosystem trading partners in new and more intelligent ways,” CCC said. “For years we’ve provided data point-to-point. The intelligent mesh architecture will allow data to move more efficiently across our network.

“For example, a repair facility may receive a digital payment from an insurer once a claim has been auto-approved. Another example: a consumer could share photos taken at the scene of the accident which flow through to the insurer, shop, and even other ecosystem providers, such as parts suppliers.”

Instead of data flowing into and out of specific products point-to-point, the cloud platform will send data where it needs to go based on customer rules and workflows, CCC added.

“This way, authorized users will get access to data and get insights in the moments they need it helping to speed decision-making and take quicker, more confident action.”

The microservices-based approach will proactively provide additional insights about business events, infuse the latest AI into workflows, and cascade innovation across customer operations, according to CCC.

“The only way to address the challenges facing the industry is by embracing a fundamentally new approach to human-centered technology,” said Marc Fredman, CCC senior vice president and chief strategy officer, in a news release. “Through the combination of data, advanced AI, and ecosystems, CCC is enabling our customers to transcend traditional boundaries and achieve unprecedented levels of success. With the CCC IX Cloud, CCC is not just envisioning a world where life just works, we’re actively engineering it.”

A “making life just work” philosophy is at the heart of what CCC has been doing for more than 40 years, and is now its “official north star,” said Githesh Ramamurthy, CCC chairman and CEO, in the release.

“The industry is at an inflection point and customers are looking for ways to rapidly transform their businesses without disrupting existing operations,” he said. “Our new intelligent architecture will help them deliver improved performance today while also providing a modern, flexible foundation from which customers can build and innovate for the future.”

While CCC believes more data access is better for everyone, the collision repair industry has been inclined to disagree for more than a decade.

The industry has previously expressed concern about the data exchanged by information providers to varying parties.

For example, in 2020, CCC said it “provides benchmark reports based on an aggregation of industry data collected from customers that use CCC’s collision estimating software and/or communicate electronic appraisals via CCC’s CCC ONE® Workflow network.” With that being the case, the market data isn’t a true reflection of collision repair business posted rates, and should not be relied on for that use. That’s because, according to CCC, it “does not conduct labor rate surveys or report on prevailing street rates.”

Several industry associations and organizations have and continue to call for solutions. In 2012, the Society of Collision Repair Specialists, (SCRS), Alliance of Automotive Service Providers (AASP), and Automotive Services Association (ASA) issued a joint statement regarding the collection and reporting of repairer business data.

“This statement serves as a public request from the collision repair industry to Audatex, CCC, Mitchell, and other technology firms who collect data,” the 2012 statement says. “The industry seeks removal of contractual clauses within End User License Agreements which require permissive access to aggregate and collect end‐user data as a point‐of‐sale requirement to purchase those programs. Further, we believe that if a business is to permit their data to be mined, they should be entitled to access to an annual report specifically indicating where that data was used, and a list of parties that received reports utilizing data from the user’s system. We believe the ability for businesses to choose participation in the data collection process is a reasonable solution, and we look forward to your response.”

The Collision Industry Conference (CIC) has a separate committee that works to address data access, privacy, and security concerns to help collision repairers safely manage customer information.

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Featured image: Stock photo of an adjuster conducting a vehicle damage inspection. (Credit: supersizer/iStock)