Motor claims software firm Audatex is heading an initiative to help bodyshops and insurers find ways of streamlining the damage estimating process.

It is researching a selection of franchised, non-franchised and insurer-owned bodyshops on potential new estimating system requirements that would make the process more cost-effective and efficient.

It is in response to industry feedback about changes to the role of vehicle damage assessor (VDA).

Audatex, a sister company of HPI, said it wants to better understand the pressures on the bodyshop's VDA and insurer's engineer and to identify the impact that this is having on estimating quality and productivity.

Joe Doyle, managing director of Audatex and HPI, said: “Our business analyst team is spending time with users of our solutions to lift the lid on the estimating process and the frustrations that occur every day."