CCC come july 1st will begin rolling the ability for auto body shops to have an AI write a partial estimate based upon vehicle photos, the information provider announced this week.
This CCC One Estimating – IQ artificial intelligence photo estimating capability will start in August with images insurers provide shops via CCC Engage. In 2022, the functionality will expand to allow repairers independently upload any images they or their clients have taken for AI review.
“That’s our next phase,” CCC market solutions V . p . Mark Fincher said Wednesday.
As CCC already has offered AI photo estimating to insurers, tying the system to the insurer-CCC Engage pathway was easier near-term from a technological logistics perspective, Fincher explained. He said additional work could be needed around the back end to bake AI photo estimating functionality into body shop software features; hence, the extra rollout will follow in 2022.
“It’s a different channel,” he said.
The software’s artificial intelligence examines photos and adds parts and processes to an estimate based on what it “sees” in the image and what lessons it’s learned in the millions of prior estimates found in CCC. It’ll also offer a feeling of how certain the computer is all about its analysis, according to Fincher.
Though the AI at first will need some insurance company to provide photos via CCC Engage, the decision to activate the AI and put it on those images remains the repairer’s prerogative, CCC confirmed Wednesday.
“Collision repairers have helped inform CCC’s industry-leading AI models writing a lot more than 150 million estimates on CCC ONE. CCC has become applying that knowledge to accelerate estimating for collision repairers,” Fincher said inside a statement Thursday. “CCC is happy to create AI-driven estimating open to tens of thousands of repair facilities nationwide using CCC ONE. Incorporating our proven AI, CCC ONE Estimating – IQ will streamline routine tasks and provide collision estimators additional time to pay attention to high impact activities.”
Fincher said Wednesday the A.I. handles “low-value” tasks and saves a persons estimator for that high-value analysis of damage behind what’s externally visible.
Freeing personnel from low-value tasks would be a “recurring theme” in conversations with repairers, Fincher said.
“Customers have told us they believe AI can help speed up the estimating process when the technologies are an integrated part of their workflow,” Fincher said inside a statement Wednesday. “CCC is embedding AI into their existing products to deliver about this fundamental need.”
Repairers who correct errors in the AI’s interpretation — for example, the program mistakenly concludes that the part which should be replaced is repairable — will help enhance the software’s performance because of machine learning, based on Fincher.
“The AI is continually gaining knowledge from those decisions,” Fincher said.
CCC also sells a Smart Total Loss AI photo estimating capability to insurers today, but the repairer AI photo estimating capabilities through 2022 will stay with repairable vehicles, Fincher said. He explained CCC conversations with body shops had revealed AI for repairable vehicles to become a greater industry priority.
“They believed this is actually the most important” AI option, Fincher said.
However, AI photo total loss predicting has indeed seen interest in the collision industry and is on CCC’s radar, based on Fincher. “We don’t have timing announced for your yet,” he explained.
CCC Estimating – IQ at this time is just available with the Web client version of CCC as opposed to the formal desktop application. CCC Estimating for Web launched earlier this year, and its Web-based format allows so that it is used on different platforms, such as on a mobile device in the customer’s vehicle.
“The feedback on that continues to be great,” Fincher said.
CCC Estimating for Web carries other artificial intelligence estimating tools available today. One machine learning feature draws upon historical estimate data to point out estimate line items based on the collision reason for impact, Fincher said.
Another AI tool lists additional parts the repairer may also wind up having to replace based upon what they’ve written so far, Fincher said. The parts are color-coded based on what the computer feels is the probability they’ll be added in. For instance, Fincher said, the computer might alert the consumer that components just like a bumper and impact absorber would probably be necessary.
“We’re identifying that,” he said.
A final tool provides the estimator hints about additional operations related to existing estimate line items but that could be overlooked, according to Fincher. Picking out a bumper might yield an indication to think about flex additive, and writing to refinish a part might prompt a reminder to create for hazardous waste disposal too, he explained.
“That intelligence is already built there today,” Fincher said.
“The improved CCC ONE experience underscores CCC's commitment to providing collision repairers with trusted technology,” Arlo Johnson, senior vice president of insurance at CARSTAR and connect Auto USA parent Driven Brands, said in a statement Thursday. “As vehicles have more complex and connectivity with partners becomes more vital that you reducing cycle time, collision repairers need to have real-time access to information and advanced insights. CCC ONE helps us keep pace with and drive improvements across our business.”
