Incorporation of reused parts into the repair process has increased the supply base
open to insurers and repair centres however it has also increased the complexity of
information flow due to the non-alignment of information systems. For the reverse flow
to operate the insurers and salvage companies have developed a link between their
computer systems. Salvage firms have developed a myriad of tailored spreadsheets
and databases to manage their inventories. The systems developed by salvage firms
are not compatible with the software insurers deploy, through their accident repair
centres, to construct customer estimates and order parts. The incompatibility has led to
the development of manually maintained spreadsheets, containing generic description
of parts, being emailed to repairers until the industry develops an online system.
Codification of parts into standard parts codes and standardisation of information
systems will reduce the delays in the process and support the drive for shorter cycle
times from order placement to delivery.