By SEMA Editors
 The Society of Collision Repair Specialists will offer seminars and courses at the 2013 SEMA Show as part of its Repairer-Driven Education program. | |
Since the Repairer-Driven Education (RDE) series first premiered at the SEMA Show in 2010, the Society of Collision Repair Specialists (SCRS) has used the forum to present the industry with world-class education that speaks to the heart of issues faced in today's collision-repair businesses. The education program is presented each day of the SEMA Show, and features some of the industry's most respected subject matter experts.
"Our single greatest objective since day one has been to deliver education, which provides tangible information that can be immediately implemented when our attendees return home to their businesses," shared Ron Reichen, SCRS chairman. "In essence, we seek out subject matter that is well-delivered and relevant to what repairers want and need to know. We want topics so relevant and urgent to the changing landscape of the industry, that they simply can't afford to not attend. In my opinion, no other venue provides as much value and opportunity aimed at improving collision-repair business and profitability as the SEMA Show does."
For 2013, SCRS has enhanced the program with the addition of three designated tracks through the RDE series. All RDE courses can be purchased à la carte, based on attendee interests, but the tracks are designed to help those with a particular focus attend a series of course selections that all speak to a purpose.
"The track program was actually a proposal from one of our previous attendees," shared SCRS Executive Director Aaron Schulenburg. "It was suggested that with so many education options in our program, they wished there was a way to determine which selections therein that spoke most to what they were looking to gain. It is really important to us to use attendee input and feedback as a primary driver for program development, and it made so much sense to create sub-categories in the manner suggested."
To address the trends reshaping the industry, SCRS created three categories of educational topics to capture the collision-repair business professional's imagination:
- Understanding your business: This track is designed to provide thorough training around fundamental components of running a successful collision-repair business. The topics extend through estimating and blueprinting, workflow and cycle time impact, profit center management, marketing and online reputation management. Quite simply, if collision-repair business owners and operators better understand the core of their business, they can better manage its success.
- Enhancing your business: This category focuses on business development and improvement, such as production techniques, office efficiency, processes and documentation, creating a turn-key business, mechanization, automation, equipment and systems. If attendees want to target specific customer bases or types of work, increase your ability to get paid for necessary operations and be prepared for current and future technologies they are going to need in their repair business, this is the track that will give them the tools, resources and knowledge to accomplish that.
- Positioning your business: Most business owners today are asking themselves one of two questions: How do I compete? Or, how do I sell my shop for the most value? This category will present solutions to both. It includes focused strategies for competing against consolidation, growth strategies, preparation on how to sell your business or purchase your competitor and how to make your business as valuable as possible, whether you plan to continue to operate it, or market it to others. It includes a glimpse into future technology trends as well as potential business trends based on varying market shifts, and all of it is going to be relevant to your business.
The full list of all the sessions offered in each of the tracks can be found online. The 2013 RDE series is currently sponsored by supportive industry organizations, such as SEMA, PPG Refinish, GM Genuine Parts, BASF Refinish, Ford Motor Co., AkzoNobel Coatings and Sherwin-Williams.