Modern Insurance Magazine Issue 65

EDITORIAL BOARD
Steering Sustainability
Criteria for a Global Collision
Repair Industry
At BASF, sustainability lies at the core of what we
do. We create surface solutions with a clear value to
our customers, the environment, and society. On the
journey toward climate neutrality, BASF is striving
worldwide to achieve net zero CO2 emissions by
2050, and to reduce its greenhouse gas emissions by
25 percent worldwide by 2030 compared with 2018 –
all while growing its production volumes.
BASF’s Coatings division is engaging in discussions with industry
partners, including industry associations, insurers, work providers,
fleet and leasing operators and bodyshops in order to establish a
global certification standard in the automotive refinish industry.
This will go some way towards managing the growing demand for
sustainable accident repairs and the need to create one uniform
standard based on tested criteria. The criteria will provide guidance
to bodyshops on how to become more sustainable.
“We observe that the importance of sustainability is increasingly
recognised in our industry, yet the industry is lacking a set of uniform
tools to empower them to do so holistically. At BASF, we continue to
actively promote sustainability with our products and digital solutions
so our customers can make better informed and accountable
decisions,” explains Dr. Rahel Reichmann, Head of Sustainability,
BASF Global Automotive Refinish Coatings Solutions.
First dialogues around the criteria for an industry-wide independent
sustainability standard took place with relevant industry stakeholders
in 2023. The standard draws upon a catalogue of quantitative and
qualitative criteria from the fields of ecology, economy, and social
affairs. Based on these criteria, the bodyshop’s level of sustainability
will be assessed. Aspects such as the reduction of CO2 emissions,
the efficient and profitable handling of waste and resources, and the
creation of economic and social value are all considered to ensure
that bodyshops can position themselves successfully in the long term.
BASF has already started to test these criteria with pilot bodyshops in
Germany.
At BASF, we understand climate change is one of the most urgent
challenges facing today’s society and the generations of the future.
At our production sites, and along the entire value chain with our
partners, we work continuously to reduce greenhouse emissions from
our business activities.
BASF – we create chemistry for a sustainable future.
Dr. Natalie Wong,
Marketing & Portfolio Management Lead, BASF Automotive
Refinish UK & Ireland
FMG: Bringing
Careers to Life
If ever there’s been an ideal time to perfect your ‘right
first time’ approach, it’s now. The likes of Amazon
and Uber have crafted a new baseline expectation for
customer service with their personalised interfaces,
instant gratification and frictionless transaction. The
insurance world is also busy levelling up.
Yet whilst investments in AI, automation, and digital analytics tools
provide a faster, smoother, more engaging customer experience, they
also contribute to a fresh new challenge for insurers in the form of
shifting skills and retaining the right talent. This is one of the biggest
challenges insurers currently face, and it is keenly felt by customers.
To optimise the value of these digital investments, insurers need
a perfect blend of technical skills complemented by a focus on
customer engagement, empathy and empowerment.
Here in the motor claims arena, FMG have restructured operational
teams with both customer and colleague at the centre, developing
expertise from within and delivering a sustainable, robust best-inclass
claims management solution, one that simultaneously delights
our customers and releases the potential of our colleagues.
Bringing careers to life
As technology automates repetitive administrative tasks within
our claims management system, our dedicated skills development
team engage and prepare our colleagues to optimise their capacity
for satisfying roles that add greater customer value. It’s all about
fostering key agile skills – the ability to empathise, advise, negotiate,
support and proactively recognise customers’ needs – that help us
get it right first time.
New starter training
Training new starters to take the driving seat isn’t just about building
outstanding customer service skills. It’s also about fostering employee
retention from the start, setting inspiring goals and providing
the right training and tools, alongside employee recognition in a
supportive environment that allows their confidence to soar. Our new
recruits take part in a robust 10-week training programme involving
a mix of classroom-based learning and ‘Grad Bay’ training, where
dedicated coaches and mentors provide constant support.
Quality training
Every quarter, our Downtime Management Team takes part in a
half-day of quality auditing, training and coaching. This is a great
opportunity to discuss skills and capabilities, positively identifying
areas for improvement alongside an open discussion around
aspirations and opportunities. Our key focus is quality, consistency
and embedding knowledge, which directly links to our ‘right first
time’ approach.
Reskilling, upskilling and succession planning
Reskilling and upskilling is critical to developing our own talent
pipeline for the future. Our skills development team ensure we have
a robust and consistent approach to colleague development at every
level, supporting employees from every angle as they strive for new
positions that align with their career and life goals.
Here at FMG, we’ve investing heavily in training, restructuring, skills
development and employee engagement to provide a more fulfilling
employee experience and delight customers, boosting colleague
retention in a place that Millennials would actively choose to work.
Luke Macrae,
Head of Downtime Management, FMG
MODERN INSURANCE | 27