Industry Advice Ask Mike: What Industry Issue Is Most on Your Mind These Days?

with Mike Anderson

This month, we “Ask Mike to discuss the most pressing industry-related issue on his mind. We at Hammer & Dolly hope you find the following exchange useful, and we encourage you to reach out to us if you have a question for Mike on this or any industry-related matter that he can answer in a future issue.

Hammer & Dolly: Mike, I’d like to do something we haven’t done for several issues and put the ball in your court this month. Is there a particular industry topic that has been on your mind lately that you can share your thoughts on with us?

Mike Anderson: Sure! I’d love to talk about the state of repair orders in 2026. Our industry has always focused on maximizing repair orders, but that focus is nowhere near what it needs to be.

Let’s look at labor hours and not-included operations. Shops mostly tend to focus on capturing them on the bigger jobs, but the smaller- and medium-size ones matter just as much. I recently did an exercise with some of my clients where I asked them, ‘What are all the things you have to paint if you weld a quarter panel on?’ People said, ‘Well, you’ve got to R&I electronics, etc., and you’ve got adjacent panel and weld burn damage, etc.’ Then, I said, ‘Tell me five non-included items when you replace a fender,’ and they didn’t know. They’re just so focused on the big jobs that they may pass over opportunities on other jobs. We need to get back to the basics, especially on non-included items on fenders, doors, bumper covers and things like that.

H&D: What do you think is driving the lack of progress in that area?

MA: The biggest issue is that people aren’t being trained properly. There’s plenty of training out there, but there’s not much in the way of auditing procedures or follow-ups. You can’t send our people to a class one time and expect them to remember everything forever. Things in this industry move too quickly for that plan to be realistic.

We need to have checks and balances in place to audit people and make sure they are following through on things. We’ve had a lot of turnover in our industry in recent years, and people who are newer to the industry are now writing our estimates. That situation has resulted in somewhat of a disconnect where people are prioritizing labor hours on one kind of job. We need to address that disconnect now. Performance reviews, estimate audits and measurable benchmarks should be implemented to reinforce training. Feedback and mentorship can help estimators find gaps, improve their consistency and maintain the shop’s standards. We often hear the phrase ‘you don’t know what you don’t know’ said in this industry. It’s time for people to know what they know and be able to apply it to each job.

H&D: On the subject of getting more out of each job, it’s worth noting that the Database Enhancement Gateway (DEG) is nearly 20 years old now. There was great excitement when the DEG was launched, and it’s truly become an industry staple since then. How would you best characterize what the DEG has done for the industry since the beginning and where it could take us from here?

MA: Before diving into the DEG, it’s important to acknowledge the late March Taylor, who was addressing issues with the information providers on a volunteer basis for the Collision Industry Conference many years ago. March’s work was the basis for the DEG, which can obviously be used to prove that something is not included. You can also use it to challenge labor times and get labor times changed.

That said, when I talk to Danny Gredinberg, who administers the DEG, and ask him how many inquiries he receives, it’s clear the DEG isn’t getting the level of participation it should. All these years later, the DEG is still being underutilized when it should be second nature for people to use at this point. If anyone reading this hasn’t explored the DEG yet, I urge them to visit degweb.org as soon as possible. Once they’re on the site, they should bookmark it and submit database inquiries regularly to help the industry at-large move toward getting the labor times it deserves.

H&D: Beyond that, are there additional resources on some of these non-included items that you would recommend?

MA: We have the Blueprint Optimization Tool (BOT) from the Society of Collision Repair Specialists, and OEConnection has a tool as well. There are also several software companies that have popped up that show users not-included operations. While I encourage shops to do more to capture those not-included items, I’d also advise them not to software themselves to death and instead find specific systems that work effectively for the types of jobs they’re doing.

More importantly, people need to take the actual training that goes with whatever software or tools they use. Technology can be a valuable aid, but shops still need knowledgeable people who understand why certain operations are required and how to properly document them.

It’s just like with everything else in this industry. You need to be well-trained and consistent in your approach. Anything less is counterproductive.

Want more? Check out the August 2026 issue of Hammer & Dolly!