By Tom Davis
San Diego, California — October 24, 2017 — Mitchell has announced that bodyshop owners will be able to access a new artificial intelligence to double-check and improve the accuracy of their repair or replace decisions.
The Mitchell WorkCenter Assisted Review was launched by the company last week for use by insurers, with the company claiming it is the first integrated workflow solution to leverage artificial intelligence (AI) for the estimate review process.
The software uses visual computing to analyze photos,with machine-learning technology to help identify incorrect replace or repair decisions. The company claims this will help insurers review more estimates in less time, while refining estimating guidelines and consistency.
A previous statement from Mitchell said the technology, which uses image recognition from AI solutions firm Tractable, will help to reduce “thousands of hours” spent on review time, as well as allowing for more accurate and consistent estimates.
When asked how the software would help shop owners, Mitchell’s Repair Sales and Service Vice-President Jack Rozint told Collision Repair magazine that the system has been “designed to support human decision making” and “improving the accuracy of decisions.”
Rozint was keen to add that the software was a second opinion, and that the actual repair or replace decision should be left to an actual human who may be able to spot something that the computer missed.
Mitchell WorkCenter Assisted Review would deliver suggestions with a “confidence level” on whether a specific part on a new repair order should be repaired or replace.
However, repair or replace decisions would be entirely based on the archive of past photos and estimates, which means that the system gets smarter as more people use it over time. Shops would need to enter accurate data and clear photos to contribute to increasing accuracy from the software.
The technology could also look at a damaged part and ascertain whether the body technician or parts department would be the one to call to handle the repair.
Rozint added that he did not have a date yet on when the software could be launched for collision repair shop owners. For more information, please visit mitchell.com.
