SAN DIEGO - Mitchell International released UltraMate 7, a collision estimating solution for insurers and collision repairers that is designed to be easy to use and to improve the estimating process and lay the foundation for future estimating innovation.
"UltraMate 7 is optimized to meet the needs of today's estimator who must quickly prepare an accurate estimate the first time,” says Jesse Herrera, senior vice president of marketing and product management, Mitchell International. UltraMate 7 delivers on all fronts by providing an intuitive application that leverages a highly trusted industry standard like Mitchell's Parts and Labor Database," "UltraMate 7 is the first of several Mitchell innovations we will be rolling out in 2009, in keeping with our promise to the collision repair community to help improve the claims settlement process for all participants, whether repairers, insurers or customers."
Mitchell said it has worked closely with industry experts and conducted extensive research regarding the end user experience. This research has led to the development of new features such as highlighted active tabs, updated icons, alternating color repair grid lines, and title case fonts, which are complemented by improved navigation and updated graphics – all to enable estimators to more easily identify and select parts and write estimates more efficiently.
Monte Etherton, a 30-year Mitchell customer and owner of Fender Mender Inc. in Encinitas, Calif., says, “This latest version is just packed with new features. Our favorite is when you select to blend or refinish a panel, the software knows that panel needs de-trim, and a pop-up window appears with a list of items needed for R&I that can be added with one mouse click.”
Mitchell said UltraMate 7 continues the tradition of creating write-once estimates quickly whether you are a novice or experienced estimator. New features such as UltraMate 7's Additional Operation Add-To windows (for procedures such as de-trimming a door for refinish or adding recommended components as a result of an airbag replacement) help novice estimators feel confident they have not missed any necessary procedures. At the same time, experienced estimators can quickly select additional operations without having to look through different part categories and procedure pages. The Special Materials Warning is designed to ensure that, as vehicles become more and more complex, both novice and experienced estimators alike will know up-front if a panel is made of a special material before attempting to repair it. This will result in fewer costly mistakes, fewer necessary supplements and decreased cycle times as a result of improper repairs. This is significant as the majority of 2009 model vehicles (over 55%) contain special materials.
To learn more, visit www.mitchell.com to sign-up for a ShopTalk Live webinar, UltraMate 7 Preview, on July 8.
