OAG joins ITAS

ITAS, specialists in bodyshop auditing, software and training, has announced details of a strategic and operational partnership with Oxford Automotive Group (OAG).

OAG provides automotive aftersales intelligence and resource to a wide range of clients including major vehicle manufacturers, insurers and industry suppliers.

Under the terms of the new partnership, OAG will take its expertise to the automotive sector under the ITAS name and will offer a complete body and paint programme which combines its 23 years of experience, knowledge and insight with ITAS’s industry-leading training facilities, software and critical data analysis.

Tony Young, ITAS’s CEO, said, ‘I have been keen to bring OAG into the ITAS team for some time. Keith and Adrian share my passion and determination for making a positive contribution to the automotive industry, and have a wealth of experience of running aftermarket programmes which deliver value to all stakeholders.’

OAG will deliver and develop ITAS’s Solve body and paint programme, which optimises costs, ensures the best possible post-accident experience, and upholds duties of care through safe, guaranteed repair practices using vehicle manufacturers’ genuine parts.

Keith Ruggles, OAG director, said, ‘We’re delighted to share the news of our partnership with ITAS and to begin our relationship with Tony and his colleagues. The ITAS proposition is genuinely innovative and I’m thoroughly looking forward to taking their software, training and auditing capabilities to market as part of the Solve body and paint programme.’

ITAS provides bodyshop approval programmes which focus on repair quality and the ideal customer experience. They partner with vehicle manufacturers to interpret and compile standards into practical guidelines which enable bodyshops to follow the approved repair methodology.

ITAS audits repairers against the vehicle manufacturer standards and gives bodyshops the ability to run self-assessment activities through online tools. Bodyshops are supported by ITAS’s programme of specialist technical and software training which is designed to keep standards high.

Customers in the UK include Citroen, Jaguar Land Rover, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Peugeot, Porsche and Vauxhall. The company has also recently agreed a deal to franchise its bodyshop network auditing programme in Europe and Africa.

ITAS is part of DAC Holdings, a group of companies working together to deliver joined-up commercial and strategic advantage to the crash repair sector.