For this, we've implemented a feature with AutoBody Alliance that allows users of our network to customize their list of preferred repair facilities. Whether you would like to make just a small modification to the AutoBody Alliance list, maintain a completely customized list of your own or anything in between, we've created a tool that will meet your needs and make the process simple, fast and effective.
Getting started is easy. Once you have an account with AutoBody Alliance you can simply log into the website to start customizing your list. On your first visit to the Custom Shop List page, you will be presented with an option to start with the AutoBody Alliance network list, or start from "scratch". From that point on you are presented with two basic lists, one is your list of selected network facilities, and the other is a list of facilities that are not selected that you can choose from. Since our database of shops covers the entire country, we provide options to narrow both lists by geography to make it a little more manageable. As you select shops to add to your list, a geographical map dynamically updates to show you the amount of coverage you have created. This map allows you to more easily determine the need for coverage based on geography and/or population. The map has several views that show individual points where facilities are located or a radius of coverage per shop to find "holes" in coverage in a particular area.
When you use the AutoBody Alliance central dispatching tool, your custom list is what will be presented to dispatchers or auditors sending assignments out to repair facilities for an estimate. This ensures that your customized list is what is available to choose from.
AutoBody Alliance provides the option of your own web application for searching shops, custom-branded with your own company's color, theme and logo. The web application works very similar to the AutoBodyAlliance.com home page, however it's provided under a different domain name with your custom design and your custom shop list. This web site can then be used to direct insured's in order to search for repair facilities in their area.
The complete customized shop list raw data can be exported from the AutoBody Alliance system in order to be imported into your own system. The export can be done as often as needed and each time creates another "mark" in time. Changes to the list can then be tracked if you wanted to roll back to a point it time, or just export the changes (additions and removals) since the last time an export was requested.
AutoBody Alliance also offers custom programming API's so that application developers can programmatically make requests for data on-the-fly with a specific geography and we will return a list of shops from your customized list to use in other applications. This feature allows up to the minute access to any changes in the preferred list and avoids the need to store data internally.