Why Collision Repair Software Could Be a Collision Technician’s Most Important Tool

By Kiran Wagh | June 20, 2021

Collision repair procedure costs are rising, and working on modern vehicles requires more knowledge and sophisticated skill levels than ever. That’s why collision repair shops must adopt advanced technology to perform repairs on advanced vehicles to reduce comebacks, increase productivity, and create a healthier bottom line.

While collision repair software can’t replace hands-on experience, it can give professional technicians the tools they need to keep up with increasingly more complicated collision procedures. New technicians can accelerate their skill-building with on-demand access to the latest repair information for everything from advanced driver-assistance systems (ADAS) to composite body panels — and seasoned technicians can perform repairs more confidently and efficiently.

And because collision repair procedures are driven predominately by automotive manufacturers, your technicians also need the most current OEM information to make cycle times more efficient. When you put collision repair software to work in your body shop, you give professional technicians what could be the most essential tool they’ll ever use.

Advanced Collision Information Creates Advanced Technicians

As vehicle technology becomes more advanced and integrated with other vehicle components, the line between collision and mechanical repair work has become razor-thin. That’s because even a minor accident with very little visible damage can cause collateral damage to cameras, sensors, wiring, and mechanical components.

In addition, collision repair technicians can find it challenging to keep up with the increasingly complex vehicle technology and updated information to perform accurate and safe repairs. To help professional technicians focus on repairs instead of research, they need repair resources as advanced as the vehicles they repair. That’s why we designed SUN® Collision Repair Information to be the most comprehensive collision repair shop software available for collision and mechanical diagnosis and repairs.

From our intuitive search engine to a broad library of OEM specifications and procedures, SUN Collision is your one-stop resource for collision repair today and in the future. Here are some of the most popular and beneficial features you’ll find when you put collision repair software to work in your body shop.

1Search Plus

1Search Plus is built with advanced search technology that scans repair software for the most accurate and up-to-date OEM and real-world information available. If you can use Google, you can use our proprietary search engine explicitly designed with collision repair technicians in mind. We make it easy for them to enter familiar information like YMM and other criteria to get the repair information they need when they need it.

 The resulting information is presented in an easy-to-understand graphical layout aligned with how professional technicians typically approach diagnosis and repair. This unique presentation of the data allows technicians to go from broad overviews to minute details of a specific repair with the click of a button. Targeted results are delivered in a card format that includes codes, real-world diagnostics, and OEM procedures with a single lookup.

ADAS Collision Repair

ADAS (Advanced Driver Assistance Systems) is here to stay, and it will continue to evolve as manufacturers adopt increasingly advanced technology for vehicle safety. Because ADAS technology in modern vehicles changes rapidly, collision repair technology must do the same to keep up. If you want to perform ADAS repairs accurately and safely, you need collision repair software that is constantly updated with specifications, sensor calibrations, and other ADAS information.

SUN’s collision repair shop software is designed to be flexible and comprehensive to help collision repair facilities meet the demands of ADAS and other vehicle technology as they change. We make it easy to diagnose, recalibrate, and repair vehicles equipped with ADAS with the latest on-demand repair information available. How easy is it? Choose your vehicle, click the ADAS Quick Link button, and you’re there.

Repair technicians get immediate access to a detailed but uncluttered graphical layout that presents complete ADAS information for the vehicle on a single page. The intuitive interface allows technicians to retrieve the recalibration and repair information for specific components and get a big picture of the entire process.

Advanced Materials Data

Aluminum, steel composites, carbon fiber, and other innovative materials will continue to be the materials of choice for the latest vehicles. The decreased weight, increased durability, and other attributes make these advanced materials popular with manufacturers and drivers — but they can be a big challenge for collision repair shops.

Advanced vehicle materials will continue to influence how collision facilities approach framework, body panel repair and replacement, and other collision repairs. From diagnostics to paint and finish, keeping up with the constantly changing collision information and repair procedures requires the most up-to-date OEM information.

With SUN Collision, professional technicians have on-demand access to the newest OEM repair procedures. We provide the most comprehensive resource for working with plastics, adhesives, high-strength steel, composites, aluminum, and many other modern vehicle materials — with the click of a button.

Body and Frame Collision Repair

More and more OEMs like Ford, Chevrolet, Honda, and Toyota provide a Recommended Steel Repairability Matrix to help collision repair facilities perform safe and accurate repairs. From cold repairs to specific welding processes, this repairability information is crucial for proper repairs.

SUN Collision features the latest OEM body and frame repair information alongside other critical repair data. Technicians get on-demand access to detailed repair information for sectioning procedures, structural adhesives, panel removal and replacement, materials handling, and much more.

Interactive Wiring Diagrams

Modern vehicles have miles of wiring networks that interconnect everything from ADAS to multimedia devices to a vehicle’s central computer. When your body shop uses the interactive wiring diagram feature of our powerful collision repair software, technicians get the easiest and most up-to-date wiring schematics for accurate repairs.

The intuitive navigation and highlighted wiring traces make accessing and understanding wiring diagrams for specific components and systems more straightforward than ever.

Our diagrams provide options for OEM information that is as detailed as it is comprehensive. Technicians can quickly navigate a particular diagram to display pop-up menus for connector views, specifications, guided diagnostics, component location, and more for better repairs and increased productivity.

Paint and Finish in Collision Repair

The finishing touches your body shop puts on collision repairs makes all the difference. While surface preparation, cutting, and painting will continue to be mainstays for collision repair, how these processes are performed continues to change. And with the introduction of more and more electric vehicles from Volvo, Tesla, Audi, and other major manufacturers, painting and finishing will become even more challenging without the right resources.

SUN Collision helps your body shop complete collision repairs that are safe, accurate, and beautiful. Our extensive OEM database of paint materials, surface prep, corrosion protection, sealing, and more can help your shop handle even the most advanced vehicle materials like a seasoned pro.

Top Repairs and Real Fixes for Common Collision Repairs

What would it mean for your collision shop if you had exclusive access to real-world information from millions of actual collision repairs? Only SUN combines the collective knowledge of professional repair technicians and the latest OEM information to jumpstart the most common repairs. And we don’t limit our collision repair software to only collision repairs.

Your body shop also gets access to expert guidance curated from over one billion mechanical repair records from some of the most skilled technicians in the business. Technicians receive information for the most common repair procedures presented in familiar categories like codes, symptoms, components, and more from a single inquiry. If you want to perform faster diagnostics and get answers for every type of repair, we’ve got you covered.

What Can Collision Repair Software Do For Your Body Shop?

Think about how on-demand access to the latest OEM and other collision repair information could impact your body shop. The constantly updated information your shop needs to control cycle times to save time and money can be right at your fingertips 24/7.

Now think about the impact highly-trained, better educated, and more skilled professional technicians could have on your business. Repair technicians who can meet the challenges of modern collision repair are more accurate, faster, and more confident in their skillset. And that means more recurring business, reduced comebacks, and a better reputation for your collision shop.

When you choose SUN, you’re investing in your repair technicians and your collision shop’s future. Not only will your shop be able to perform more accurate and safe repairs, but you will also be in a position to attract more top-level talent as your shop grows.

Get your free demo today for a close-up look at the future of collision repair software and learn how you can harness the power of technology to streamline your shop. If you want to learn more or have questions after reviewing a demo, we welcome you to call SUN at 877-840-1973 to talk with one of our collision repair experts.