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Jeff Peevy, AMAM "Inspired to Elevate." This is how I would describe the AMi Learning Foundation Supporters. These companies care about our industry and want to see the repairers of our industry succeed. They do so by unselfishly supporting the AMi cause, to provide a relevant, role-based educational framework that organizes industry training, resulting in professional credential recognition. These companies believe the health of our industry depends on the profitability and success of the repairer. There is a lot that goes into that success, which includes areas like employee retention, customer satisfaction, job costing and so much more. With this support, AMi exist and is also "inspired to elevate" our ourselves and our industry, by not only providing opportunities to grow and develop professionally but also to be recognized by their industry for their educational achievements. So are you "inspired to elevate?"

Jeff Peevy, AMAM Occasionally I get asked the question, why AMi? "The industry already has lots of management training." To answer this I think we (AMi) have failed at times to clarify the role and purpose of AMi. First we do not create content. We simply support those that do. The AMi role is to review training programs, providing guidance, ultimately approve it once it meets the criteria, and organize into educational tracks that result in recognition of achievement, aka, certificates and professional designations. See section 3 for more on why certificates and professional designations are so important

Jeff Peevy, AMAM Profitability - "the degree to which a business or activity yields profit or financial gain." For a collision repair operation this begins with a well-written estimate. Now some may argue they no longer write "estimates," but regardless of how you arrive at what you charge for the work your shop performs, matters. In fact, it is where profitability starts or in many cases, doesn't. This means the individual in your collision repair business who is determining what you will get paid for and who works with customers and insurers must be smart and well-trained. So how can you be sure they know their stuff? Let's start with credentials. Last summer, AMi launched a comprehensive professional designation program for Collision Repair Estimators. It's comprehensive because it requires non-technical training, including soft skills development, negotiations, DRP management, and much more. It requires technical training from I-CAR, estimating system training or successful completion of an online estimating system assessment and for the masters level, ASE B6 certification. These professional designations are identified as ACE - Accredited Collision-Repair Estimator and AMCE - Accredited Master Collision-Repair Estimator. In the future one of these designations should be required to even get an interview for an Estimator position. For more information: ... read more