Audatex survey reveals growing AI appetite

A new survey by Audatex has revealed a growing appetite among bodyshops for the greater use of artificial intelligence solutions.

Conducted between July and August, the survey examined the attitude towards AI in estimating among the Audatex repairer community.

It found that 56% of respondents believe AI could increase estimating efficiency, 51% said it could improve customer service and half thought it could also streamline and accelerate the parts ordering process.

Meanwhile, the survey also asked respondents what their biggest challenge was at the moment, with two thirds citing recruitment. In terms of reducing cycle times, parts ordering was the single greatest issue for 54%, 45% said it was waiting for insurer approval with 46% saying it was the time taken to do assessments.

Delving deeper into the numbers, the report found that the average estimating time for a lightly damaged vehicle was 16-30 minutes, 31-60 minutes for vehicles with medium damage and anything from an hour upwards for heavily-damaged vehicles.

Audatex said, “There is no denying that there is an appetite for AI to support the industry. To tackle the challenges of the ongoing skills shortage we need to build trust in AI and see it as an enabler to do more with a smaller, highly skilled workforce.”