MIM52 GTMotive 32pp Supplement - FinalV4

SUPPLEMENT 2022
The Game-Changer
Has Arrived

Welcome
Modern Insurance Magazine is delighted to have
been able to partner with GT Motive on the
production of this special supplement. We hope
you enjoy the following interviews and articles
featuring a diverse and expert group of voices
from the GT Motive team.
We start with an extended interview with GT Motive Executive
Director UK & Ireland, David Vella on the innovative strategies GT
Motive is bringing to the repair industry as well as their dedication
to the UK market. We then have an in-depth conversation with
Demerie Hill, Executive Director, Product Management and Delivery
at GT Motive on the opportunities of an open ecosystem and the
benefits of the GT Global platform.
We also have articles featuring GT Motive’s wealth of experience
in the automotive and claims repair industry and how this
informed the blueprint for our innovative estimation platform.
Breaking the Monopoly delves into how entering a new market
Contents
INTERVIEWS
4
8
Connected and committed
David Vella, GT Motive Executive Director UK & Ireland,
GT Motive
An open ecosystem
Demerie Hill, Executive Director, Product Management
and Delivery, GT Motive
FEATURES
12
14
GT Global, the change the industry
needs
With a wealth of experience in the automotive and claims
repair industry – we drew on our breadth of knowledge
and specialist experience when we created the blueprint
for our innovative estimation platform.
Available anytime, on any device,
anywhere. The game-changer has
arrived
16 Breaking the monopoly
Entering a new market which is dominated by a single
competitor was always going to be incredibly difficult,
however, we had learned a lot from our successes in
Spain where we now are established as the leading
provider
which is dominated by a single competitor was always going
to be incredibly difficult, but lead to successes. As well as an
article covering GT Motive’s ambition to manage the estimation
of damage or maintenance on a vehicle properly, with first-time
accuracy.
With expert insight from JEL Consulting Founder and Director,
Eddie Longworth and a special interview with GT Motive CEO
Ángel Martínez to finish this supplement, I am sure you will
find a sense of dedication, connectivity with the customer and
technological flexibility running throughout this supplement.
18 . The power of data
In this modern technological world, data is more
important than ever. But what we do with this data
is even more important. Data is all around us, and it’s
always changing, but it can all be useless if not accessible
or presented in the right way.
20
24
26
Meet the team
The GT Motive solution
It used to be said that ‘you could never go wrong by
buying IBM’. This philosophy reflected the then dominant
market position of IBM in all things computing, and
purchasing directors were inclined to play it safe. Of
course, we all know that this situation has changed to the
point where today IBM is still strong and powerful – but
not omnipotent. The recently announced deal between
GT Motive and NFU Mutual is, perhaps, an indication that
the tide is turning in favour of the challenger.
Innovate & inspire
The future is technology. Most industries now are highly
reliant on technological infrastructure, processes and
pursuing efficiencies. So why has it taken the insurance/
repair sector so long to embrace new technology and
embed it into their processes?
28 From the outside In
Dan Chesney from OnyxPDA, not your typical Marketing
Agency.
30
Alexander Morrall, Editor,
Modern Insurance Magazine
alex@charltongrant.co.uk
10 Minutes with…Ángel Martínez
Ángel Martínez is President and Chief Executive Officer of
GT Motive.
GT Motive Supplement | 3

Pricing transparency is one of our key pillars for the UK market
We’re currently part way through a phased roll out with our
first UK insurer contract. for NFUM. As part of this process,
we are on boarding over 350 repairers who are on the Vizion
network. We’ve signed a five-year deal with Vizion and that
gives us access to their technology, we’ve done that as a
collaborative approach where we are integrated into their
systems, such as the Body Shop Management System:
Autoflow and their own management systems, Nucleus
and Cortex which link into the insurers that they work
with such as: AXA, Hastings, NFUM, Aviva, Marker Study
Group (including Co-op) and others. So, having that
means we can penetrate the market faster because
we can already access those insurers via the GT/Vizion
relationship, the amount of traction in the market
over quite a challenging period of lockdowns has
been extremely encouraging to see. It’s great that the
industry recognises the need for competition and
choice in the market.
Q
Over the last 18 months there has been a fundamental
change in the UK automotive industry, these changes
have brought significant opportunities but also highlighted
many additional needs which may never have been raised
previously. With a successful launch and significant growth
during this period, what have you experienced and identified in
both new and existing customers which will aid future decision
making within GT Motive?
A
The benefit of this period to us has been better access to
key decision makers within insurers, accident managers and
repairers, as most people have been working remotely as they
couldn’t go into the office. So, having access to those decision
makers and being able to demonstrate to our peers our success in
working in this digital world, such as with our customer support
services, who moved 100% remote within days because of how our
systems are set up. We were very flexible and reactive to the to the
requirements thrust upon within the pandemic.
Connected
and Committed
Having worked for over 20 years in the automotive repair and insurance
claims sector, it’s exciting to bring a truly agile and flexible solution to the
market which can significantly improve productivity for all stakeholders whilst
reducing costs and providing some much need competition to the space.
Q
What have been GT Motive’s greatest successes since
launch and why do you think so many people are
adopting the solution as their preferred alternative choice
for estimating? How will GT Motive’s strategy of bringing
innovative and disruptive technology to the collision repair
industry continue as demand increases?
A
Some of the great successes have been the recognition of
winning the industry award for Estimating System of the
Year at the ABP Night of Knights, beating a provider who held the
title for the last 13 years. So obviously we’re very proud of that. As
well as the support that we’ve got from the industry with: insurers,
accident managers, fleet operators, engineering companies and
repairers. We’ve signed contracts with some large groups such
as Apollo, The Vella Group, Northern Accident Repair, East Bilney
amongst many more.
Our commitment to the UK market
is key to investing in the future
As demand increases, the solution for us is to bring
what the market is asking for: modernity. Better
pricing transparency with no fixed fees removes
the risk mitigations from a lot of insurers. Having
too much reliance on a sole supplier that hasn’t
really moved with the times (especially over the
last few years). In terms of it being cloud-based
or collaborative with the partners, it gives them
an alternative to protect themselves against
any system outages from a single supplier.
We’re very proud of bringing a connected
solution that not only offers a more viable
alternative to the wider insurtech space,
but can offer a much greater experience
for the sector. With GT Global, we’ve
created a collaborative ecosystem with a
seamless two-way integration, looking
at the needs of the customer to offer a
better customer journey, reduce cost,
increase the operational efficiency of
the tools and create something that’s
fit for the future.
We want to see that it’s an enabler
for users to create the environment
that supports how they want to
run their business, working to
their benefit.
Finally, because it’s cloud-based,
with remote training and setup
of the user environment, the
whole end-to-end process
from initial demonstration
right through to a successful
a roll out is 100% digital. GT
has actually been cloudbased
since 2007, so 15
years, it isn’t so new to us.
From dialogue with our customer base and the industry in general,
it’s very clear that there’s going to be a minimum requirement
for future processes to offer seamless digital solutions within the
sector. It’s critical there are collaborative ecosystems to support our
customers. We’re very mindful that we’ve got some great skills
and tech, but we can’t do all of it. Technology is moving at such a
pace that if you took the time to do your own due diligence and
research and market analysis for a customer, for every approach,
you wouldn’t get anywhere fast. We took the view that having
this collaborative approach was much better. For example, we’ve
linked in with Cazoo data services, (formally Cazana) for vehicle
valuations, we have that integrated within GT Global, making
the whole experience much better. They are a current, digital and
intuitive cloud-based company that deliver what the customer
needs from vehicle valuations.
We think having that open collaborative approach is essential
moving forward for customer growth.
Also, we found that the market demands competition and choice
and we’re able to facilitate that. AI, for example is gaining more
traction, we currently integrate with at least six AI providers
across Europe: ControlExpert, InspektLabs, Claim Genius, BDEO,
TonkaBI and Click-Ins. These companies have different use cases in
different markets, what we can do, rather than an insurer having to
integrate with them with the cost of the I.T. expense or using it as
a standalone solution, is give people the option to use it integrated
within GT. And it’s started to work very well. Mobile and accessible
solutions are even more important in using technologies to support
increased efficiencies within business activity.
Q
The automotive industry is a market under
transformation in many ways, what trends are you seeing
shape the automotive future, how will GT continue to succeed
and evolve?
A
We are going to see a further increase in electric vehicles,
and how we can evolve and succeed with that is to ensure
that we are linking in with manufacturers, focusing our roadmap
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There’s going to be a minimum requirement for future processes
to offer seamless digital solutions within the sector
and developments around those vehicles and looking at partners
that we have within the industry for sales data (DVLA) and ask for
a breakdown of the electric vehicles, by brand, by model etc. So
that we can start seeing what was sold. Once we can see what
was sold, we can see what potentially is going to be crashed,
having that data is key. That also ties in with the complexity of
vehicles; having the relevant models, technical methods and
partners in the market with access to relevant information at the
click of a button via an integrated online solution that’s updated
automatically is key for our customers. It’s about being current
and accurate; and one of our pillars is to be able to facilitate a
safe and proper repair.
Whereas with a fixed solution, without remote updates, you’re
reliant on the end user to update it. The best way has got to be
updating automatically and remotely. Then everybody is working
on one version of the truth, removing some of the frictional costs
by being more accurate. Making the whole thing a lot more fluid.
Listening to our customers is essential, it’s about having those
workshops and steering groups of key decision makers in the
industry who understand what the needs of the people are,
whether it’s a fleet manager or the repairer etc. Speaking to
the people at ground level and senior level to say “What’s really
needed? What is next?”. Ensuring we can stay ahead of the curve
and generate revenue from actually doing something that adds
value to the customer.
I’m old fashioned, I believe that if you do the right thing and give
people what the need, that they will support you and be loyal.
Continuing to do that shows our commitment to the UK market,
which is vital to me. We’re investing for the future and forging
long-term relationships with key players. We see it as a great
opportunity to add value to the UK market.
Most people we speak to are pro competition and choice.
Whether it’s the end user, the procurement team or the supply
chain team, everybody would like to see some competition
because it keeps everyone in this space on their toes, to raise their
game on how we can create more value for the UK right now.
Then we will react to that by trying to create something better. All
the while, people will get the products they need at a price that is
more normalised.
Q
There has been much talk within insurance recently
that the customer has evolved, in which ways has the
development of GT Motive supported this evolution?
A
We’ve brought to the market a transactional and
transparent pricing model with no fixed software fees.
Because that wasn’t there. Take all of 2020 from March onwards,
you have repairers paying thousands of pounds a month for
fixed fees when they weren’t creating any assessments because
they had fixed costs associated with the contract, but no repairs
or claims to offset it. If they have used GT Motive solutions
within that period, the cost would have been zero because it’s
transactional.
It’s about doing what’s right and being fair.
We’re committed to evolve with the demands of the industry.
Offering greater flexibility than fixed terminal solutions mean users
can be out on the road, at the customer’s house, with the vehicle
at the body shop, creating the assessment and have the ability
to form perform their role anywhere without the duplication of
tasks.
Furthermore, we provide data in a locked environment, it offers
more GDPR compliance and ensures that our customers aren’t
exposed to data breaches. Within the GT ecosystem of a claim,
data is locked to whoever has authorisation of access. There’re
no dropdown boxes. You can’t send it to the wrong place by
picking the wrong address off a list. We then give customers
access to data in a format that they can use to undertake activities
for their own business intelligence. We can provide a number of
visualisation tools such as Tableau, but essentially, it’s their data.
That seems to be quite novel in this market because that doesn’t
seem to be the case, but ultimately, it’s their data.
Q
What impact will AllianzX’s acquisition of a majority
stake in GT Motive have on your ability to support
customers with innovative, open and collaborative
technology if any, and how can you leverage GT Motive’s
very successful and large European footprint?
A
It will be a very positive one. We see the acquisition
from AllianzX as giving us access to further skills and
experience within the sector. Allianz are the largest global
insurer, so there’s a whole host of knowledge in terms of
different markets to operate in. We’re already having those
conversations with AllianzX as to how our collaborative
ecosystem can provide better solutions to the wider market.
AllianzX, are digital investment fund, they identify and
invest in leading digital frontrunners. So that was really
big for us and getting that continued investment and
funding to continually invest and develop our solutions is
only just the start.
The deal with Allianz X was only done in November,
we’ve made some great traction and growth in
the market that predates that. So, I only see it as a
further positive; to be able to leverage that support
to grow our footprint, not just across Europe but
beyond. We’re in discussions with claims technology
providers in several continents across the globe.
These are very exciting times.
It’s fair to point out that where our competitor
has similar solutions in the other markets across
Europe or globally, they’re not the same. It is
not a common database. Our core estimating
solution, within GT Global: GT Estimate, is
common across Europe. So, for an insurer,
fleet operator, leasing company or whoever it
may be with a global or European fleet, who
want to start doing some market comparisons
against repair cost etc, that’s something
that they can do, it’s certainly a more
consolidated solution.
As a business GT Motive remain
independent, giving us the flexibility to
connect with multiple stakeholders in
the Insurtech claims arena, giving us the
ability to combine solutions to offer a
more agile and compelling offering in
line with the requirements of our users.
David Vella
Executive Director UK & Ireland at GT
Motive
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GT Motive Supplement | 7

An Open
Ecosystem
I think it’s a different mindset than what the market is used to and it’s
critical to being able to build the workflow that you need to solve the
problems of today and tomorrow
How are GT Motive leveraging the flexibility of an open
Q. ecosystem to offer increased benefits to the industry
stakeholders?
At GT Motive we dream of a more open and collaborative
A. ecosystem. We strongly believe in focusing on our core built
around estimating data and communications. What this means is
that we don’t fulfil all the business needs of our customers and we
don’t want to try to, because we’re not an expert in everything.
Our approach is to collaborate, allowing us to deliver optimal value
around our core competencies while partnering with other leaders
in the industry to connect technologies and deliver to the customer
a more comprehensive and connected solution, leveraging the
strengths of all parties involved. We never expect a customer to
buy a solution from us when they can buy a better solution from
someone else. And we’re happy to work with anyone, even the
competition, to build a better solution for the for the common
customer.
What does it mean for the industry? A couple of things: more
choice, the ability to select the best provider for each use case
and the ability to work with partners who have an open and
collaborative mindset. Which I think is more and more the need of
everybody. It’s less, “I go with one provider who provides my entire
end-to-end solution, which also leaves me with a lot of risk
in my supply chain”, and more “what can we do if we work
together and how can this encourage innovation?”
Technology is evolving very rapidly. We don’t know what’s
coming tomorrow, and for that reason having provider
flexibility, provider choice and connectivity enables our
customers to more quickly adjust to new technologies
that are of interest. We work with customers who say,
“Would you help me try to find a partner who can solve
this business problem?”. I just think it’s a different mindset
than what the market is used to and it’s critical to being
able to build the workflow that you need to solve the
problems of today and tomorrow.
Two good examples are Vizion and ControlExpert . In
both cases, we’re providing a joint solution: our core
estimating, audit, engineering, and communications
linked seamlessly on both the front and back-end
to their solution capabilities, so that together we
can provide a more comprehensive solution to the
customer. This also gives our customers, in both
cases, the ability to work both with us and with our
competition. We don’t expect that all customers
will want to route 100 percent of their volume
with us, and we wouldn’t ask them to do so.
We have worked with both of those partners to
give both the repairers and the work providers
choice. They can send some claims to us, some
claims to our competition, and the customer
can choose how to manage that. With Control
Expert, we’re doing something where they offer
photo-based damage assessment and triage,
and then they send us the instruction. We do
the estimating, the communication and the
engineering, and then we connect with them
in the latter part of the process for things like
total loss settlement and payment. Together
we are able to put together something that
neither of us could provide alone, giving
the customer the best of both solutions.
With Vizion, it’s a similar approach; on
the front end they can offer a customer
facing booking tool, triage and repairer
selection, and push that job into GT
Motive. The users finish the estimating
and engineering process and then we
can send the job back to Vizion to
facilitate processes like payment.
Also with Vizion, we are working
with Auto Flow to build a better
connectivity than what exists in
the market today. The idea here
is to give the repairer a more
seamless experience when
interacting between their body
shop management system and GT
Global. By exchanging information
between the two systems, we
seek to reduce manual work and
rekeying that can be caused by
poorly connected systems. The
repairer can know when work
is coming, then connect to GT
Global instead of needing to
constantly check it for new
work. They can also push
updates from Autoflow into
GT Global, to avoid rekeying
when something needs an
update.
Q
One would presume the inclusion of an online/anytime/
anywhere model would be a significant advantage
to the repair and claims industry, has there been a notable
improvement in the provision of service since adopting such an
approach? What so far have been the main takeaways for GT as
a company?
A
We see several obvious benefits and it’s important to note
that GT Estimate, our core calculation engine powering GT
Global, has been online since 2007. We’ve been on a web-first
product strategy for years and this has offered us a lot of benefits
that our customers are noticing. There’s nothing to install. It’s
accessible from anywhere, on any device and more importantly, the
data is always up to date. All software and data updates are done
in the background in a way that is transparent to the end-user,
meaning everyone is always on the most current version.
We also spent a lot of time on end-user research before building GT
Global, and have a very user-centric product design approach. This
helped us to build a system that is easy-to-use and that can help
our users manage their work more efficiently. In addition to being
fully online, we built it to be device agnostic, with a responsive
web-design, to enable the user to work on their device of choice.
If they want to use a tablet when they’re at the vehicle, but then
finish the work on their desktop or use their laptop, they can. This
also can allow for more cost-effective technology choices.
We’ve been mobile-first and web-first for so long that it’s just a
part of our core. We firmly believe this benefits the industry with
flexibility and the ability to do the work wherever the work needs
to take place. This was even more evident during the pandemic
when many were forced to start working from home, but at the
same time technology challenges arose when the software was
only installed on one device in a fixed location. I believe from this
experience we’ve also learned a lot about the needs for more
flexibility.
Q
GT motive is actively evolving its technological
capabilities, including the launch of GT Global, can you
tell us a little about GT Global and the advantages your motor
claims process has seen compared to previous platforms?
A
GT Global itself is the communications platform sitting around
our estimating core. It enables the repairs, insurers and
accident management companies to collaborate on the assessment
of the vehicle damage and the process that surrounds that. It offers
capabilities for the instruction, the estimate with precise vehicle
identification (we include VIN QueryTM as a part of the standard
offering because we believe having the precise vehicle identification
is critical for writing the correct estimate), engineering, total loss,
valuation, communications and invoicing. As commented earlier,
our focus is on repair/engineering work provider communications.
We’re consider ourselves easy to integrate with, and we like to say
that it can be done within 30 days. We’ve seen that happen. This is
important because I can appreciate that to a lot of work providers
a technology project can seem overwhelming; the process of
integrating a second provider can seem daunting. And for reasons
beyond our control, especially legacy technology managing other
pieces of the process, these types of projects can be complex. But
we try to help minimize that complexity and find easy ways to
implement our technology so that our customers can start seeing
the benefits.
We also try at GT Motive to improve some pain points that we
found throughout our research by giving the work providers better
control throughout the process. We have what we believe to be
very robust audit and business rules capability. The goal here is to
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allow more claims to be auto-authorised with confidence and with
control. And our rules help our customers to be able to do that.
We’ve also worked on trying to route the engineering tasks to the
optimal entity and team to make sure that GT Global doesn’t rely
on someone manually filtering through the details of each task
to assign it the right person. We’ve built a review triage engine,
as we call it, that takes all the manual work out of uploading and
assigning tasks to the optimal resource.
GT Motive have also locked down the communications between
the stakeholders within the claim. We know everyone who has
visibility or should have visibility to a claim and moreover, anyone
who shouldn’t. And everything is done seamlessly behind the
scenes. There’s no need to pick the person in the industry that
you’re going to send the engineering task to or the instruction to.
Everything is going on behind the scenes so we can help to protect
sensitive customer data.
Lastly, we believe that the data our customers put through our
systems is their data. We want to make it as easy as possible for
them to get access to that data so that they can use that data to
drive their business, including in their own in-house analytics. Of
course, we also provide analytic services or visualisation tools like
Tableau, but we want to make sure that our customers have access
to the data, that they can understand the performance of the tool,
of their users and the workflow. That is something that GT has
championed for a long time and is a great benefit to the motor
claims process.
Q
With a constantly growing network of AI/ML technology
partners, how has expansion allowed for even more
innovative product offerings? Is collaboration the key to GT’s
success?
A
We definitely believe collaboration is one of the keys to
our success. When we talk about our artificial intelligence
or machine learning technology partners, right now we can
count seven, but we’re also in discussions with several more and
continually working to expand the portfolio. By focussing on
our core, we don’t endeavour to build a model that does visual
identification of damage on vehicles because it’s not something
that we’re experts at and there are plenty of technology providers
in the market who are already far more advanced than we
could get in a short period of time. So, we decided instead on
a collaborative workflow: that they focus on identifying the
damage in the images, oftentimes providing triage decisions and
decision support, and we work on optimising the interpretation
of that damage into vehicle specific repair lines, and making the
interface between the two providers simple and easy to connect.
We add value in this equation by identifying the right vehicle,
making sure that results in the right parts, automatically putting
those on the estimate and layering additional intelligence and
recommendations based on our own machine learning models.
Through our expertise in how to write a proper estimate, and our
wealth of data on collision estimating, we are able to recommend
what additional parts may be damaged in relation to what was
identified externally in the photos.
Q
A
How has the collaborative mindset amplified GT
Motive´s core capabilities in repair estimating data?
We’ve always been partners; our data is all based on OE
data. All this data we’re getting from the OEs helps form
the core of our business. We spend a lot of effort authoring
and compiling that data into a consistent format that the user
can understand, with a consistent user experience across
all manufacturers and their distinct data sets. Moreover,
we do this in one common database, with both collision
and mechanical data, that is available across Europe,
without the need for different systems by market. Without
these collaborations with the OEs and other market data
providers, we wouldn’t have the most precise and accurate
data for our users. That also goes with VIN QueryTM. We
believe that every estimate should be written with the use
of VIN QueryTM and for that we provide VIN QueryTM
included in the base cost of every estimate. We don’t
want it to be an optional thing that you feel like you have
to pay more for.
We also work with other partners to collaborate on
integrating or providing easy access to data that our
users need, but we’re not the best to provide. We have
a partnership that we recently announced with Cazoo
Data Services, a leader in providing vehicle valuations,
and we’ve connected that information into our tool
for our common users to leverage. In the case of a
total loss, this gives them a very precise and wellresearched
vehicle valuation. We’d also be happy to
do that with other valuation sources, based on the
needs of our customers.
We also have connectivity with Thatcham, which
is the market standard to provide repair method
information. We want that to be accessible and
easy to use from within our platform. Almost all
of our data comes through some collaboration
and a desire to work with appropriate data
sources to be able to provide our customers
with the data they need to do their job. We’re
always looking for new types of data to include,
or new data types to integrate that can help
increase efficiency and automation. It’s not just
the data providers and the data partnerships
that we have today, its what data will our
users and customer need tomorrow to help
do their jobs more precisely and efficiently?
We’re constantly looking for new answers to
that question.
Demerie Hill,
Executive Director, Product Management
and Delivery at GT Motive.
We let our partners focus on their core. We focus on our core.
Plus, we spend a lot of time together trying to optimise the
solution. And we believe that gives our customers the most
flexibility and the best opportunity to find the right solution their
business.
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GT Global,
the change the industry needs
With a wealth of experience in the automotive and claims repair industry –
we drew on our breadth of knowledge and specialist experience when we
created the blueprint for our innovative estimation platform.
Offering a fresh approach to a previously uninspired estimating
market, GT Global aims to drive competition, innovation and
flexibility within an industry which is currently too reliant on a
single solution model. Created to support all stakeholders within
the estimating realm and drive collaboration and flexibility into
a previously rigid process, GT Global revolutionises estimatics
by creating a platform which encourages connectivity between
leading technology providers within the industry. Our cloud-based
platform needs no installation, nor requires that our customers
commit to one sole solution provider; GT Global is a highly
collaborative and flexible estimating system.
We built GT Global to address the concerns and frustrations of all
stakeholders in the automotive industry who sought innovation
and competition, in a market with little choice. By introducing
a platform which could easily connect with other technology
providers within the industry, the solution options for key
stakeholders in the industry started to expand and become more
flexible. This has allowed customers to start envisioning workflows
and collaboration in new ways, opening more doors to innovative
solutions to existing business problems.
Cloud-based platforms have dominated businesses across the
globe for the last few years now, bringing their users freedom
from hardware restraints and regular high costs. GT Global is no
different. By removing all operational frictions from complicated
IT infrastructures, GT Global needs no installation or manual
updates. It can be accessed on any online device, anywhere, any
time – and is always up to date. This enables GT Global users to
easily manage their work in the field, or collaboratively with the
vehicle owner, something that can help to minimize mistakes and
improve transparency in the estimating process. With multiple
stakeholders involved in every element of the claims process, this
user-friendly approach is one welcomed by all parties, insurers,
brokers, and repairers alike, to fully align efficiencies with desired
outcomes.
Versatility and flexibility are key foundations of our GT Global
platform, and we wanted to ensure that users of the platform were
not limited to when and where they could access the platform. By
building GT Global as a cloud-based solution, not only is it easier to
adopt into any business with no installation required, but you can
guarantee that every user is using the latest and most up to date
data. “We designed GT Global following years of market and enduser
research, defining how we could optimize the work outcomes
of our customers. It was clear that a web-based solution, built with
a responsive web-design to enable device flexibility, was a must.
With GT Fusion, we combine our
core expertise around estimatics
and data, with the innovative
technologies of our partners
Our product strategy also relies on the belief that our
customers should have easy access to their data
In addition, we built collaboration into the foundation of
our product strategy and believe that the ability to connect
with other market-leading technology providers will give our
customers the best possible experience and results.” Says
Antonio Fernandez, Product Manager for GT Global in the UK.
From the pressure on repairers to create accurate estimates
the first time to the time sensitive customer expectations
that insurers face, GT Global was designed to improve
the day-to-day operational workflows for all businesses
within motor claims. Not only can our collaborative system
relieve these pressures, but it can also be a facilitator
of technology options for our customers, giving each
business the freedom to work with the experts they
choose. Unfortunately, we can’t all be experts at
everything; however, we are fortunate to have an
industry which is booming with technology that can
support and improve all aspects of the claims process
if we all work collaboratively to improve existing
processes. Stakeholders should have the opportunity
to explore and utilise the technology that can best
enhance their overall proposition. With GT Global
this is finally a possibility. With everything in
one place within GT Global, we’re allowing our
customers to become the best they can be.
In addition, GT Global also provides the user
enhanced control over every aspect of the
process. As each provider will have their own
objectives and goals, we enable them to easily
configure their own profiles and schemes in
order to control the criteria around which the
estimate is written. GT Global also establishes
connections between the entities collaborating
in the platform so that estimates and
communications are sent automatically to the
right stakeholder, without the need for the
end user to select the recipient. This is a very
important step to making sure that sensitive
information doesn’t fall into the wrong
hands. We also enable our customers to
intelligently determine which engineer is
most appropriate for the specific task,
through a powerful review triage engine.
GT Global allows our customers to
create rules on how the system should
behave, meaning better control, quicker
outcomes, and more comprehensive
focus for each provider.
Another innovative example of our
open ecosystem mentality is with
our implementation of GT Fusion
– our collaborative approach to
claims automation. With GT Fusion,
we combine our core expertise
around estimatics and data, with
the innovative technologies of
our partners on identification
of damage through images.
By combining the expertise of
visual intelligence partners like
ControlExpert, Inspektlabs,
Claim Genius, BDEO, TonkaBI
and Click-Ins, we are able to
offer our customers access
to leading technology that is
seamlessly connected to GT
Global for the purposes of
estimating. “We realised
quickly that identifying
damages from photos
wasn’t a product focus of ours, and instead we looked for ways to
connect with technology partners to offer our customers the most
flexible solution – the best visual intelligence technology combined
with the best estimating data and expertise, to achieve the best
business outcomes. With this, our customers can have options to
test and implement the best approach to claims automation that
works for them,” says Jorge Pintos, Product Manager of GT Fusion.
The platform’s cloud-based environment allows it to be highly
flexible, and more importantly easy to integrate. Integration with
GT Global is easy, and often takes under 30 days to finalise. We
work closely with our customers to optimise connected workflows,
to ensure smooth operation and a system that is fully tailored to
each stakeholder. This ease of integration means that having a
dual-supplier scenario could be the future of the industry.
“As we have experienced with previous customer implementations,
the core integration with GT Global can be built in under a month.
This is hugely important when IT backlogs are overwhelmed but
businesses seek options to engage with more than one supplier
to mitigate business continuity risk, incorporate innovation, and
provide solution choice to their collaborators,” says José Antonio
Jiménez, Manager of Product Management, User Experience and
Customer Integrations at GT Motive.
Data is involved with every stage of the claims process from every
stakeholder involved. This was an important component for our
team when creating GT Global. Due to the platform’s collaborative
nature, GT Global facilitates access to thousands of pieces of data,
from highly accurate car parc and vehicle data, to data around the
steps taken to finalize the estimate. However, data becomes useless
if not accessible or presented in a coherent way. That’s why our
product strategy also relies on the belief that our customers should
have easy access to their data, to be able to easily understand key
trends, resulting in better decisions and increased efficiencies within
their businesses.
“We are excited to see how our customers benefit from the
improved experience that GT Global presents to the stakeholders
involved in the claims and repair space. Additionally, we are happy
to continue our work with several other technology providers who
share our vision of openness, connectivity, and collaboration as
the keys to providing the best possible solutions to the market,”
commented Demerie Hill, Executive Director of Product and
Analytics.
We built GT Global to address
the concerns and frustrations
of all stakeholders in the
automotive industry who sought
innovation and competition
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We created GT Global to be highly collaborative and flexible
Breaking the
Monopoly
Entering a new market which is dominated by a single competitor
was always going to be incredibly difficult, however, we had learned a
lot from our successes in Spain where we now are established as the
leading provider.
Estimatics and motor claims management has traditionally been a
complex challenge for all stakeholders, this is a trend we’ve seen
not only within the UK market, but also across the globe.
There are many countries that have lacked competition and
choice as the market is reliant on one or two players, only typically
seeing a maximum of three companies on offer to customers.
This observation was described as “The rule of three and four”
by Boston Consulting Group in the seventies, upholding that a
“stable, competitive” industry will never have more than three
significant competitors. 1
Insurance companies were the driving force behind the birth of
estimatics. These large corporations funded small technology
companies to solve the challenges they faced within the claims
process around repair estimation and predicted costs. Furthermore,
software was created to streamline the process and estimatics
companies were born.
GT Global was built following
years of market and user
research in the UK
Unlike many others in the market, our origin story is slightly
different. We were created as an independent solution,
bringing pain points from all stakeholders into the forefront,
and creating a platform that addressed all of the wider
problems within the claims process. Our vision for GT
Global was to remove the friction between engineers and
bodyshops to ensure a harmonious process. Ensuring
bodyshops and supply chains had a system that not only
worked for them but connected seamlessly to the platforms
used by the insurance companies. Before estimates, there
was no recognised platform that could be used to agree a
cost of repair, our tool did just that, removing any friction
within operations, that’s why our original moto was… “A
common language”.
Often lacking a ‘tech-savvy’ approach, supply chains
face the intrinsic complexity of compiling information
from different sources to fairly, accurately and quickly
determine the cost of repairs. Within GT Global, we
source all prices direct from the vehicle manufacturer.
More than 40 brands are accessible to repairers and
bodyshops, derived from data that arrive to us in
many distinct formats, which we then transform
into a common standard that’s simple and easy
understand. Previously this information could only
be accessed by searching large books in the days
before it was brought into a software-based
solution, and more recently through the use of
multiple different platforms. This created an
overcomplicated process which was hard and
laborious to maintain. That’s where GT Motive
came in, by creating a cloud-based platform
that provided users with a wealth of data, in
a format and user interface that were easy to
use, which provided operational benefits to
the market.
Taking a deeper look into our immersion
into the Spanish market, we see many
similarities to the current UK market
and the key industry stakeholders’
requirements for a collaborative future.
With 47 million inhabitants, 24 million
cars on the road, and with only 2,000
within the collision repair network,
Spain is 3 to 4 years behind the UK.
Their car parc coverage is almost 13
years old, impacting many aspects of
the estimating claims process, and the
accuracy of claim estimations.
The Spanish claims market was in a
similar state to the UK market 15
years ago. There was one company
in monopoly and 90% of motor
claims were processed using
this solution. We entered the
Spanish market following a long
successful history with repairers,
so we knew their challenges
and were able to work with
them to create an effective
solution which supported
them operationally.
Although unlike the UK
market, Spain’s lack of a
large repair network has
created a rich and open ecosystem where information can naturally
be easily exchanged between stakeholders. The Spanish market,
similar to the UK, was reluctant to change a process that had
been established for so long, however, once the work providers
experienced the started implementing our platform, the market
noticed and adoption rapidly progressed.
Fast forward 15 years, and we, here at GT Motive, process 50%
of claims in Spain. Repairers and experts typically use both our
platform and that of our competitor, and are often given choice
by the work providers to do so. Insurers are used to receiving data
around the appraisal from both competing systems, and by nature
of that are able to manage flexibility in their supply chains. This
natural competition gives users more negotiating power, fosters a
greater environment of innovation, and benefits everyone involved
in the claims lifecycle. There is no reason to believe the same
dynamic isn’t possible for the UK – one of a dual provider strategy
providing choice to the end users, and mitigating sole provider risk
at critical points in the supply chain.
We have found many countries are dominated by a single solution
and there is a common misconception about monopolies. Of
course, it’s not always a negative. Celebrating the best solution,
if that is a monopoly, can be the right thing for many industries.
However, for our market the existing solution pricing structure
based on fixed fees and the perception that incorporating a new
supplier will be a long and overwhelming technology project, can
mean it’s very difficult for new competitors to enter the market.
But our market means change, and change isn’t always as scary
as it sounds. We have integrated GT Global with two different
local technology platforms that provide access for work providers
to both GT Global and our competitors solution. Through one
integration with the work provider, they can send instructions and
receive information around the estimate and total loss in a similar
format, minimizing integration expense. Through collaboration and
creativity these projects can become less daunting, provide users
with more choice, give more options to incorporate innovation,
challenge existing pricing models, and push a much more
progressive technology ecosystem. This benefits everyone in the
entire claims ecosystem, including customers.
Estimatics processes share many common elements across markets,
but also always contain local market adaptations and nuances.
This means that solution needs vary from country to country, and
must be flexible in their ability to adapt to the particularities of the
operations of the supply chain. That’s why we created GT Global
to be highly collaborative and flexible, as we believe the market can
thrive with the innovation and choice that competition can bring.
GT Global was built following years of market and user research in
the UK, to fit the core workflows of the claims and repair space,
and to have the opportunity to enter into an already established
industry that is thriving.
The evolution of technology is tearing down some of the existing
barriers, creating evidence that the old monopolies are no longer
the best option. A free market will bring innovation, lower prices
and benefits for all stakeholders.
“When we started in the collision industry 15 years ago, it was
tough in the beginning: resistance to change and the belief that
there was only one valid standard. But once the market saw the
benefits of competition and choice, the situation turned very
rapidly” Antonio Osuna, GT Motive Spain Sales Director.
Before estimates, there was
no recognised platform that
could be used to agree a cost
of repair, our tool did just that
1
BCG Classics Revisited: The Rule of Three and Four
16 | GT Motive Supplement
GT Motive Supplement | 17

The
Power of
In this modern technological world, data is more important than ever.
But what we do with this data is even more important. Data is all around
us, and it’s always changing, but it can all be useless if not accessible or
presented in the right way.
Data can help us make better decisions not just professionally but
personally; cheaper decisions on what flights to take, healthier
decisions based on medical data, and it can also tell us which
songs we will like best or suggest new programmes to try. But how
can data be accurate, reliable, and accessible to so many different
stakeholders within a claims process, just as easily as we are
subject to in real life? Well, with GT Global, we’ve made it easy.
At GT Motive we designed our systems with each stakeholder’s
best interest at the core. Each one having complete access to the
data they need to complete precise estimations for every claim.
We are unique in that we have one product and one database
across the UK and EU, enabling multi-national companies to have
one integration and one data format exchanged in every market
they work in. This offers benefits in tracking consistent metrics,
having a common user experience, and reducing integration work
to many distinct market-specific systems. Rather than build a
different system for each market, our estimating database is highly
configurable to apply local market standards for functionalities like
license plate lookup, paint systems, and repair methods. We can
even enable a customer working in English in the UK to prepare an
estimate report in any European language, should that be better
for the vehicle owner.
At GT Motive we designed our systems with each stakeholder’s
best interest at the core
“GT Motive’s cloud based estimating platform is powered by
a single unique database of automotive data. We provide a
one stop shop for all collision, mechanical and maintenance
estimates. Equally, the same database provides for all the
geographical areas where we do business, we localise
language, tax and parts pricing for each country. This means
we are able to provide a single integration point for all our
customers regardless of their geographical footprint or
estimating needs. Not only it is faster, cheaper and easier
to integrate our estimating services into their workflow but
also we provide a unified source of data for all business
analytics,” commented Damien Dolan, Executive Director,
IT, Data and Services.
We put OE data at the core of our GT Global platform,
direct from the manufacturers straight to the hands
of insurers and repairers so accurate costs can be
prepared from the outset, and leveraged to perform a
proper repair or make an informed decision on a total
loss. In fact, we collaborate with 21 manufacturers
to provide access to data for 37 distinct vehicle
brands. Through this collaboration as well as those
of our other data partners, we manage a very
high quantity of data. At the moment, our global
database contains more than 8 million references,
more than 6 million labour operations and more
than 1,000 price files, most of which we update
daily. And since our platform is cloud-based these
updates happen behind the scenes, with no
disturbance to your daily operations, so you’re
always working with the most current data.
Ultimately, creating a smoother process to
provide the best outcome for all involved.
It’s important that when a claimant has an
accident, all stakeholders can gain a deep
understanding of what has happened to
vehicle. This includes access to a detailed
VIN specification which identifies advanced
equipment like ADAS, amongst all other
data, to ensure the repairer and engineer
can properly identify how to return that
vehicle to its pre-accident condition.
We include VIN Query as a part every
estimate because we believe that
without the most precise information
included as a base, it’s impossible to
properly write an estimate or order
the required. Technology within cars
is always updating and vehicles are
getting much more complex, and GT
Motive is committed to surfacing
all needed information to our
customers to ensure a proper repair
– from the vehicle equipment, to
the presence of special materials,
to repair methods via partners like
Thatcham. All of this in the most
up to date system available, so
our users know they’re working
with the best data.
José Díaz, Head of Global
Database Partnerships
and Development, noted:
“Our market leading data
authoring process leverages
structured data from
the OEs, enabling both workshops and insurance companies to
substantially improve the accuracy of their processes, in a simple
and agile way. It provides access to much richer information
about the most modern vehicles. Access to this information is
increasingly more critical when it comes to assessing components
and technology that are mounted on the cars of today. Our
development of this more complete and in-depth information
translates into maximum reliability in the identification of the spare
part, avoiding errors, inconveniences and cost overruns derived
from possible losses of time in the claims management process.”
Collaboration within the claims market is so important, especially
when it comes to data. Gone are the days of forgetting to install
updates, needing to manually enter data from one system to
another – now you can access the most up to date and integrated
data from within GT Global. The claims market is full of intelligent
companies who have invested heavily to create advanced systems
to assist repairers, insurers and brokers with their motor claims
handling. Working alone or within one vertical solution within
this market is simply not possible, nor is it the best option for your
business anymore. Utilising companies that are experts in their
field, will bring a collaborative environment to the industry where
we can all mutually benefit from technology that can assist the
management of claims. And that’s why collaboration is at the
heart of our system and is available to drive all data sources within
the platform.
Through GT Global you’ll have access to our data collated from
many sources, and even connected from third party systems, that
can benefit you and your business. These partners could be the
OEs, or could be other local partners like Cazoo Data Services for
vehicle valuations or Thatcham escribe for access to vehicle repair
methods. This is a stance we take throughout our business not
just our platform. We’ve partnered with industry leading software
service providers who all provide their own expert data that is easily
accessible and supplements all customer claims data, ensuring
pinpoint accuracy and better decision making is embedded into
all processes.
“In order to keep up to date with the everchanging automotive
environment, we rely on our customers and manufacturer
partnerships throughout the UK and Europe to provide us with the
most updated technical information, be it spare part references,
price files, labour times, or repair and maintenance information,
which we then use to update our database and provide our
customers with reliable information. We are constantly seeking new
agreements and contracts in order to access even more information
to enhance our platform and benefit our end-users,” says Lawrence
Bonnick Vilela, Head of Vendor Relations.
At GT Motive, we strive to give our customers access to the most
current and most relevant information to manage the estimation
of damage or maintenance on a vehicle properly, with first-time
accuracy. From our web-based platform with online updates, to our
connectivity with local data providers to add additional value on top
of our market-leading database, we believe that GT Global is the
change that the UK market has been waiting for.
we collaborate with 21
manufacturers to provide
access to data for 37 distinct
vehicle brands
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Meet the Team
David Vella
Executive Director, UK and
Ireland at GT Motive
Responsible for Sales and developing
strategic relationships within the UK
Market.
Q
What is your role like day-to-day – what small things
do you do every day to ensure the continuing success
of GT Motive in the motor repair industry?
A The day-to-day aspect of my role can be quite varied, mainly
focused on our growth strategy for the market, engaging with
stakeholders across the sector to understand more about their
solutions requirements and internal team meetings to align our
products to the market demands.
The daily keys to success are to be consistent in your approach,
listen to your customers, add value to their lives by developing
solutions that make their business run more efficiently, and always
be transparent and honest with the customer.
There is a real need for competition, choice and innovation
from solutions providers in the motor repair industry and we are
committed to being the partner who delivers industry leading
solutions around estimatics. Simply put … We will continue
to evolve and innovate to keep ahead of the curve as vehicle
complexity and systems requirements increase.
Q
A
If you could sum-up your leadership approach in a
sentence – what would it be?
I would consider my approach to be hands on, engaging
and motivating the team and encouraging them to act
in alignment to the shared core values of GT Motive, rather
than focusing purely on KPI’s I believe that better results can be
achieved by focusing on the goals of the company. I prefer to
“walks the talk” and share the success with my team. I enjoy
working in collaboration with my colleagues to create an inclusive
and fun environment which I believe increases morale and energy
to deliver results.
Martyn Rowley
Business Development
Manager, UK & Ireland at
GT Motive
Responsible for developing relationships
with UK repairers, accident managers and
manufacturers.
Q
A
As a recent addition to GT Motive, what about the
company excited you and inspired you to join?
GT Motive is quickly disrupting the body repair industry.
Their market-leading estimating solution is ready to use
for insurers, fleets, experts and repairers with accurate data.
With cloud based user-friendly software and transparent pricing
structure GT Motive provides a simple solution to connect the
repairer with the insurer. What really inspired me to join the
business was their customer centricity – all products are created
directly from studying customer’s needs, responding to their
demands. It’s a crucial time in the business’ future as we continue
to work and develop new technologies and I’m excited to be able
to play and be a part in GT Motive’s success.
Q
A
What is your favorite part of your day at work at GT?
For me, meeting customers is my favourite part of the
day. Getting to know my network of repairers is crucial to
building long-lasting, trusting relationships with them. I provide
1-1 support for all my customer base, using my 40 (long!) years
in the industry to help business’ make key decisions that are
instrumental in their growth.
Damien Dolan
Exec Director, IT, Data &
Services at GT Motive
Responsible for supporting the business
through technology, enhanced automotive
data, and BPO for the claims and repair
industries
Q
A
What innovations in the current market do you think
are most exciting and has most promise?
I guess the connected car is already creating a multitude
of new possibilities for companies like GT Motive. We
work very closely with the car manufacturers to acquire the best
technical data generated around the production process of the
vehicle, parts, times, operations and methods. And hence our
position within the repair industry. However, the vehicle is now
generating real-time data throughout its entire lifecycle. This is
where a whole raft of new and innovative services can be offered
to the different players, starting with the drive but also the
insurers, the workshops, fleet & leasing, warranty, car sharing,
municipal authorities etc. etc. I believe we still have not seen the
true potential of the connected vehicle.
Q
With technology progressing so rapidly, what has
remained a constant in GT Motive’s core values since
its inception back in 2007?
A
The best possible technical data remains a core value of GT
Motive. Our technology changes, we are implementing AI,
new workflows, our data is now in the cloud but we still strive to
deliver the most accurate, most up to date and comprehensive
database of automotive data that we possibly can. We add new
models every 15 days, we update parts prices next business
day, we are constantly looking for new brands and new vehicle
identification services. This is now and will always be one of the
pillars of GT Motive.
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Demerie Hill
Executive Director, Product
Management and Delivery
Responsible for the Product and Analytics
strategy and execution for GT Motive
Q
A
How have the demands of customers changed since
the pandemic?
First, we’ve seen an increased focus within the industry on
flexible platforms that can be easily utilised anywhere and
at any time. When everyone got sent home suddenly at the onset
of the pandemic, those businesses who were reliant on large
teams whose primary devices were desktop computers had very
challenging times moving that work outside the head office. It
raised awareness of the benefits of cloud-based technology that
can be accessed from wherever the worker is located. Secondly,
it highlighted the need for flexible and transaction-based pricing
structures. When businesses ground to a halt and were stuck
with monthly fixed fees even though the products weren’t in use,
it highlighted the challenges in that type of pricing approach. I
believe this is why GT Motive’s flexible transactional pricing model
has been so well received, especially in the UK where other pricing
models are prevalent. Lastly, I see a renewed focus on innovation
and process improvement. While we were all just trying to keep
our heads above water in the earlier phases of the pandemic,
new initiatives often took the backseat. Now as we can see a
light at the end of the tunnel, it’s time to revive and refresh these
innovation initiatives and really see how we can improve the future
of claims and repair for everyone involved.
Q
A
If you could sum up your job role in one sentencewhat
would it be?
Defining and delivering the best possible solutions for our
markets and our customers, following our key product
pillars: the most accurate data the best possible user experience,
delivered through a connected and collaborative product
ecosystem.
Antonio Fernandez
Product Manager at GT Motive
Responsible for product management of the
GT Global platform and UK market specialist
Q
A
What feature from the GT Global platform do you
think makes it most appealing to the end user?
It’s hard to ask the Product Manager what is the best
feature, because for me there are several. But, if I had to
choose one, I would probably go for the fact that it is an online
platform, with a responsive web-design, and compatible for use
with any device and browser. This means that the users will be
able to work with GT Global from anywhere, without having to
bother with installing or updating anything, and take advantage
of always working with the most up to date information in real
time. In addition to that, thanks to the many available APIs in GT
Global, our customers (insurers, repairers, accident management
companies, etc.) can import all the information they require in real
time into their management systems, to have the most current
view of work-in-progress and help in automation of subsequent
decisions and processes.
Q
A
Can you describe the current UK market in three
words?
I will try to focus my response on what the UK market means
for GT Motive at this point: OCA (Opportunity, Challenge,
Alternative). Opportunity because the UK market is demanding
new solutions and technologies for claims management and
estimating, which creates an opportunity for GT Motive and its
partners to find new ways to deliver value. Challenge because we
know it won’t be an easy task. The UK market is a very mature
market with embedded stakeholders and processes, so we will
need to really execute well and delight users to grow our market
share. We DO believe that we are a clear and suitable alternative
to the what exists today, and that a multi-supplier scenario is
possible as seen in many other European markets today.
Jorge Pintos
Product Manager at GT Motive
Responsible for product management of the
GT Global platform and GT Fusion for the
UK market and expert on our business rules
and audit capabilities
Q
A
What day-to-day responsibilities form your role?
I think I have one of the best and most enjoyable roles for
someone who works in a technology company. I enjoy
analyzing the market, detecting new requirements and looking for
new opportunities. Where there is a need, there is an opportunity,
and it’s at that exact moment where we start to be creative
and identify new ways to grow and improve our products. Our
customers are our greatest value and I really appreciate the good
relationships we have with them. It’s important to have solid
social skills in this role, since contact with clients and end users is
continuous. Also, as I have studied Computer Science, I try to use
my knowledge and experience to help and collaborate with our
technical teams, which allows me to both follow and be an active
part of the complete life cycle of our product process.
Q
A
To date, what has been your favourite project to be a
part of and why?
The early days of my career come from the world of research
so I love new challenges and new projects that create
a new approach to the market. GT Fusion and an initiative to
provide customer savings through GT Business Rules are projects
that represent precisely the result of great work in innovation,
that causes a positive impact on the sector and opportunities
for process improvement. Now, I am very excited about the
opportunity to work in the UK market. I am convinced that our
solutions will be very well received and that we will achieve our
main objective, which is none other than achieving the satisfaction
of our customers and improving their day-to-day life through the
use of our products.
Marco Pena
Support, Training and New
Client Onboarding Specialist
at GT Motive
Responsible for leading the process of new
client onboarding, including training and
support
Q
A
What are your key philosophies when approaching
successful training?
Our aim is to provide the end user with all the tools to
enable them to get the most out of our products. Our
platforms are modern, online-based and very user friendly, so our
training approach steps away from the norm in terms of carrying
out long-winded sessions that take up our clients’ precious time
and money, and do not provide any added value. In our case,
practical cases are explained in pre-arranged online sessions held
by industry experts with a small number of attendees guaranteeing
the maximum leverage by the end-user. The emphasis we’ve
always put on an excellent after-sales support service is also key as
our customers are secure in knowledge that we’re always at hand
to help them on their way with any queries that will undoubtedly
arise when they start managing live jobs.
Q
A
How has GT Motive evolved since you first joined the
team?
I’ve definitely seen a clear move toward disrupting the
established norms with regards to estimating systems not
only in the UK but in all the markets where GT Motive is present.
We strive to simplify legacy processes with new(er) technology,
not only for technology’s sake, but to provide clear benefits in
efficiency, ease of use and connectivity-anywhere-anytime but
without leaving behind our core values of being a company that’s
sympathetic with and listens to our clients’ needs, be it in training,
excellent support or our flexibility to adapt and move with the
times.
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A very strong, embedded, and apparently immovable
incumbent is being challenged by GT Motive
The
GT Motive
Solution
It used to be said that ‘you could never go wrong by buying IBM’. This
philosophy reflected the then dominant market position of IBM in all
things computing, and purchasing directors were inclined to play it safe.
Of course, we all know that this situation has changed to the point where
today IBM is still strong and powerful – but not omnipotent. The recently
announced deal between GT Motive and NFU Mutual is, perhaps, an
indication that the tide is turning in favour of the challenger.
The analogy with the current UK market for vehicle repair
estimating systems is obvious. A very strong, embedded, and
apparently immovable incumbent is being challenged by GT
Motive, and the market is clearly warming to their proposition.
With a business that asserts a presence in 28 countries throughout
the world, it looks to be time to take GT Motive even more
seriously than in the past.
TECHNOLOGY MARKETING WARS
There seems to be little or no doubt that the core estimating
system offered by GT Motive does work. Insurers, repairers,
and claims management companies around Europe are already
using the system with a reputed 5m estimates per annum being
processed. Famous names amongst the client roster include
LeasePlan, Arval and both Allianz & AXA in Spain. A total of 80
insurance and leasing companies.
Direct access to OE parts prices and an entirely on-line offer
suggests that the system is always up to date, accurate, and
readily available from any location that has web access. The
company asserts that OE prices are updated daily (somewhat more
frequently than other systems in the market), with new vehicle
models being added twice weekly. Interestingly, the system also
seeks to broaden its reach and applicability by including the
data needed for service and maintenance repairs, as well as
collision and glass claims.
However, the technicalities of the system, impressive as
they are, is only one part of the solution that GT Motive is
providing. The embedded competitor has worked hard to
establish a perception of invincibility and being the default
system of choice, so it is these issues that GT also needs to
address if they are to be truly successful.
The recent co-operation with both a leading UK repair
network and NFU Mutual hints at the routes that GT
are developing. By making it easy and relatively painless
for insurers to establish new API links into the system
and also providing a ready-made user base of repairers
there are few barriers, if any, to substantive change.
Ultimately, the marketing battle will be won and lost
based on mitigating the risk of change and GT seem
to understand the scale of the challenges ahead of
them.
Of course, there may be more greenfield
opportunities that the company could exploit –
MGAs, Insurtechs, and others who are seeking
a new solution and are not wedded to legacy
systems. Given a level playing field there is every
reason to believe that GT Motive could provide
a competitive offer. However, the UK market is
not exactly a level playing field.
MANAGING CLAIMS COSTS
Every claims department lives or dies by its
ability to manage costs. The pressure to
reduce both indemnity spend and expenses
is never-ending and any new estimating
system must live up to that challenge.
In this respect GT Motive seems to hit
the mark with access to data from
175 different sources including OEMs.
Claiming a 96-98% car parc coverage,
the system can certainly do the job
needed of it, whether that be insurers
demanding accuracy or repairers seeking
comprehensive information. In the right
hands (and human error is always an
issue), the system has the potential
to be even more useful to the claims
department in managing costs.
COLLABORATIVE ECOSYSTEM –
A STRATEGIC ADVANTAGE
It is clear that GT Motive recognise
the scale of the task ahead.
Perhaps they have also learned
from past marketing mistakes and
so instead of seeking a head-on
collision with incumbents they
have chosen to create a distinct
offer built around collaboration
and an ‘open’ platform.
In other words, they have
chosen to use their estimating
system as a platform of
partnerships with both new
and established technology
providers, which clients can access as they wish. Thus, instead of
waiting for GT themselves to build capability in, for example, video
imaging, the business is actively seeking partners who already
have that technology available. The same is true of other solutions
now becoming a default requirement in the world of claims
management.
Theoretically, there is no limit to the partners that can be brought
on board and there are massive advantages in this approach. The
speed and variety with which new solutions and capabilities can be
made available to clients suddenly makes the GT offer considerably
more interesting than that of just ‘another’ estimating system.
GT Motive is not the first open platform system, but it is the first to
use a core estimating capability as the foundation of the offer. If, as
we surmise, this estimating capability is as good as, and more likely
better than, incumbent industry suppliers, then the addition of an
open and collaborative ecosystem offering speed of deployment
and a variety of additional solutions has the potential to be a
compelling story.
As GT are quick to say themselves: ‘Technology is evolving so
rapidly, it’s hard to be the best at everything, and we believe
strongly in giving our customers choice rather than locking them
into a full technology solution from only one provider’
WHAT FUTURE FOR ESTIMATING SYSTEMS?
Aside from the sometimes-crushing weight of the traditional
competition it is also worth asking whether the future of collision
repair lies in the use of any estimating capability. Is there not an
existential threat in the form of AI led analysis of repair needs and
methods? Historically, insurers turned to the mandatory use of
estimating systems by their approved suppliers to control costs and
the quality of repair.
Nowadays, more and more insurers are employing video and image
analysis of damaged vehicles to achieve those same ends. However,
those clever people at GT seem to have recognised this potential
threat and launched GT Fusion – a system designed to use image/
video recognition techniques to push data into the core estimating
system. Not a bad response to a rapidly changing world and maybe
a symbol of the speed and agility that seems to characterise the
business. Being an embedded competitor clearly has massive
advantages, but the sheer size and complexity of the operation
leaves space for a business, such as GT, that responds rapidly to
change and opportunity.
The jury is still out on how, exactly, the whole concept of estimating
will develop. Certainly, the days of using such systems merely as a
potent weapon of supplier control are well and truly over. Instead,
the estimating tools available and the accompanying operational
processes need to be positioned as an integral and outward facing
part of the customer experience, just as much as they are about
managing indemnity costs.
GT appear to have the technology solutions to achieve all this. Now
they also seem to be winning the hearts – as well as the minds
– of their potential client base. Watch this space for some very
interesting times ahead.
Eddie Longworth
Director at JEL Consulting
The marketing battle will
be won and lost based on
mitigating the risk of change
24 | GT Motive Supplement GT Motive Supplement | 25

Innovate &
Inspire
The future is technology. Most industries now are highly reliant on
technological infrastructure, processes and pursuing efficiencies. So
why has it taken the insurance/repair sector so long to embrace new
technology and embed it into their processes?
For many years the market has been serviced by a single provider
which, without a viable competitor, has not been pressured for
continual innovation and the delivery of an enhanced product.
Without competition, it’s easy to keep delivering the same service,
without upgrading and improving the technology. However,
innovation is the key to survival, especially now in a time where
technology moves fast, and customers rely on solutions that are
flexible and adaptable to help them solve the business challenges
of today and tomorrow.
The emergence of SaaS (software as a service) based products
such as GT Global has shaken up industries far and wide. Research
shows that by the end of 2022, 99% of organisations will be using
one or more SaaS based solution. Isn’t it time the claims industry
caught up?
SaaS based products such as GT Global are highly capable of
participating in an open ecosystem, with the ability to adjust and
adapt just as technology evolves. This also allows plug and play
connectivity, so customers can more easily include technology into
their processes without having to worry as much about limitations
of the platform’s integration. There are many 3rd party solution
providers out there, particularly within the insurance claims sector,
that have solutions which can serve to improve the customer
journey, and can be integrated with GT Global without issue.
Customers rely on solutions that are flexible and adaptable to
help them solve the business challenges of today and tomorrow
Many of these 3rd party solution providers are quickly becoming
industry leaders in their areas of expertise. Without these
companies focusing on solving the market’s critical business
challenges, our industry would find more difficulty in growing
and improving. Repairers and work providers, in addition to
the rest of the supply chain involved in the claims process,
would be left to fend for themselves in a highly competitive
and complex landscape.
Famous businessman Bob Iger once said - “You can’t allow
tradition to get in the way of innovation. There’s a need to
respect the past, but it’s a mistake to revere your past”. –
This quote is highly applicable to our industry at its current
state. Competition is the biggest driver for innovation. To
allow our industry to better itself we need solutions such
as GT Global that embrace collaboration, innovation and
connectivity, and that can facilitate stakeholder choice in
who they want to work with. By selecting the optimal
solution provider to solve complex business challenges,
businesses benefit as do the claims journey for their
customers.
Each stakeholder within the claims process has
different goals, be it to drive down costs, perform
the most accurate and efficient repair, or provide
the highest level of customer service. Each driving
force can create a different outlook or operational
process and can often cause a disjointed or
challenging relationship within a supply chain.
By using a single system, that deals with each
stakeholder concerns separately, it not only
brings harmony to the process, but it can also
bring businesses closer to achieving their goals.
“At GT Motive, we firmly believe that a
customer shouldn’t buy a solution from us if
they can get a better solution from a different
provider. Our product and data strategies are
focused around excelling on our core and
partnering with other technology and data
providers to deliver value to our customers
where others can do it better. We believe
that not being forced into a vertical
solution from one solution provider is a
compelling change in value proposition
for the UK claims and repair market” says
David Vella, Executive Director, UK and
Ireland
Technology has rapidly evolved over
the last 5 years, committing to
an entirely vertical solution is no
longer a long-term reality. With the
collaborative approach the claims
industry can build better solutions
that are adaptable over time and
more streamlined to stakeholder
and customer goals.
A good example of this type of
collaboration is between GT
Motive and Vizion. We identified
that to have a robust solution
that could serve both work
providers and repairers, that
we needed to collaborate to
improve connectivity and join
core competencies. First, we
worked on connecting their customer-facing triage and booking
tools to create an instruction in GT Global for the process of
estimating and total loss, which then connects again to Vizion’s
solution on the back end of the process to settle the reserves
and payment. Additionally, for repairers we worked to improve
connectivity between GT Global and Autoflow above and beyond
what the market expects today. This includes a more seamless
exchange of information and notifications from one platform to
the other, so the repairer can reduce manual work and improve
efficiency.
Another relevant example is the collaboration between the
ControlExpert suite of solutions and GT Motive, again to provide
a more robust offering to our common customers. Through this
collaboration we leverage ControlExpert’s intelligence around
damage assessment and deployment, send that through GT Global
for the repairer and engineer to manage the repair or total loss,
and then connect back with ControlExpert to provide solutions
covering automated total loss settlement, invoicing and payment.
Paul Sykes, European CEO @ ControlExpert says: “With the desire
for ever more automation, efficiency and customer service, we are
beginning to see some real change emerge from the UK insurance
and accident repair market. The ability to easily integrate with all
aspects of the GT Motive platform unlocks significant value for
both ControlExpert and our clients.”
In both cases, we collaborate to offer solutions that benefit
our common customers, and allow our individual businesses
to focus on excelling on our core areas of expertise. Just as we
work with companies that enhance our proposition, we believe
our customers should have this freedom too. The freedom to
explore the innovative technologies available to them, that can
all be integrated together in a way that doesn’t require a huge
development effort for our end customers.
Just as technology – in a software capacity – is evolving, so are the
fundamentals of vehicles as we know it. The UK plans to ban the
sale of petrol cars in 2030, and with these plans the investment
into hybrid and electric cars has skyrocketed. Each year we see a
whole host of technological improvements on battery life, charging
capabilities and other impressive tech modifications. Each of these
advances pushes the next one, with a constant cycle of innovation
that is set to change the landscape of the industry dramatically in
the coming years.
This huge shift will not only affect consumers, but also it will also
massively change the insurance and claims sectors. Although as
an industry we have the knowledge to predict and see trends
in the gradual increase of EV claims, our infrastructure must be
flexible to support all within the supply chain. Our platform is
already highly flexible and ready to support the industry with
these huge changes, over the coming years as we step closer
to a petrol-less society. We don’t only speak of collaboration in
terms of technology, but also in terms of working with the most
relevant data providers to ensure that we are constantly giving
our users what they need in order to assess damage and repair a
vehicle correctly. This spans from the OEM’s from whom we get
data on the vehicle including alerts to special materials and an
exact vehicle specification with VIN Query, to industry leaders like
Thatcham who provide the standards on repairs. We also work on
incorporating new types of data that help our users to be more
efficient and accurate at their jobs.
Driving change can only come from innovation, and innovation
must be driven from the desire to improve. GT Motive are the
future of estimatics and the future is now.
26 | GT Motive Supplement GT Motive Supplement | 27

We strive to gain a much deeper understanding of our
customers’ strategy and their own needs
From The Outside In
I’m Dan Chesney from OnyxPDA.
We’re not your typical Marketing & PR agency.
Following many years in senior roles within the insurance,
automotive and legal industries, I followed my heart and in
September 2020, I set up OnyxPDA. Nearly two years on, we have
become the marketing agency of choice for many of the leading
businesses and brands in the insurance, automotive and legal
industries. Our team is continuing to grow rapidly to meet the
demands of our customers.
The three pillars which are the foundation for all we do are PDA:
Proposition – Who are you?
Definition - What do you do?
Articulation - How do you communicate?
These three pillars are core to our approach and delivery. They
ensure we can simply and effectively define our partners’ unique
add-value proposition to their target market, based upon gaining
a deep understanding of their purpose, culture and vision for the
business.
Our market knowledge and
understanding is second to none
Just like in any relationship, putting in all the hard work at
the start of the partnership optimises the value we create in
the future.
Working alongside several incredible businesses and
inspirational individuals, I have had the opportunity to learn
and expand my industry knowledge exponentially in the
last two years. I now see the market I was so immersed in,
from a completely different perspective.
These unique insights mean OnyxPDA is able to bring a
compelling combination of industry-specific knowledge
and marketing expertise. We strive to gain a much
deeper understanding of our customers’ strategy and
their own needs. By doing so, and using our market
knowledge, skills and experiences we can align
our work with our customers’ bespoke strategic
objectives and optimise the chances of those
outcomes being achieved.
One example of where we have brought our skills
to the fore to support a customer relates to our
work with GT Motive. Over the last six months,
we have worked closely with the GT Motive
team to re-launch and re-define their market
proposition.
As a new market entrant into an industry
which was dominated by one established
provider, it was imperative that their
approach and product was considered a
viable alternative. Not only that, given the
cost and effort of changing providers,
GT Motive had to be positioned in the
eyes of their target customers as clearly
different, in a compelling way, adding
material value.
The GT Motive solution and approach
to partnering with their customers
was strong, but they had to find a
way to clearly and simply articulate
their proposition. That’s where
Onyx came in.
The modern world is rapidly
becoming even more immersed
in a digital culture and is
increasingly engaging with
SaaS (subscription as a
service)-based products. From
banking and operational
management to video
and music consumption.
Individuals and businesses
alike are preferring a pay
per use/monthly contract
to a long-term inflexible
commitment.
A core component of the GT Motive offering is their cloud-based,
pay-as-you-go model, which addresses this changing customer
demand and provides an infinitely scalable platform for their
partners to build a service delivery model which is specific to them.
As part of our wider multi-channel strategic marketing plan, we
needed to create a platform for GT Motive to showcase all of their
products, features and benefits. As well as to demonstrate how
the shift from a restricted platform to a flexible and collaborative
solution could transform the market.
Websites no longer cost a fortune to make, with the likes of Wix
and Square Space, just like so many other aspects of our lives,
websites have joined the ‘DIY’ market. However, online presence
is imperative to business survival, and a website can truly ‘make or
break’ a company.
User experience, SEO and brand alignment are all highly important
aspects of website design. When we created GT Motive’s website,
we wanted to create a platform that not only looked great, but that
was fully aligned to their goals and objectives for growth and brand
awareness with direct and unrestricted access to their platform.
However, building a beautiful website is just a small part of a
company’s wider digital presence in which Google is omnipotent
in the modern world. Online blogs are a great example of written
content that supports organic search engine results whilst being
relevant and interesting to your target audience, but so too is the
co-ordination of press releases, social media, key-word strategies
and SEO.
Delivering a strategic marketing plan across multiple channels has
helped GT Motive launch into the UK market and secure several
high-profile partners in a short period of time. They now have a
very specific and unique brand presence both online and in all
printed materials, and a clear marketing strategy for continued
growth and stakeholder awareness.
A highly considered and well executing marketing strategy
shouldn’t be seen as an additional cost; it should be seen as a key
enabler to long-term growth and success – whatever your measure
of success is.
To find out more about OnyxPDA, head to www.onyxpda.co.uk
Dan Chesney
Owner & Managing Director at OnyxPDA
www.onyxpda.co.uk
28 | GT Motive Supplement GT Motive Supplement | 29

10
Minutes
with…
Ángel Martínez
Q
A
What is your most memorable achievement whilst
working in your current role?
Keeping up competing against “Goliath” while we continue
differentiating ourselves. It was hard to get here and the
giant is not down, but we are now in best position to expand our
global reach, with a big and ambitious product roadmap, and the
support of one of the most coveted Investors in the world. GT
Motive has a very clear, determined and committed purpose in
the repair and claims industry that has helped us to remain strong:
“dreaming on a more open and collaborative ecosystem”. We
coined this purpose two years ago, but for many years, we had a
similar one which was “One Common Language”. At the end of
the day both are about the same: democratizing information and
facilitating integrations in an open world.
Q
A
What has been the most valuable piece of advice you’ve
been given?
My father (84 and in incredibly great shape) a few years ago
told me: “don’t fall into the trap of thinking that best is yet
to come. That trap will lead you to permanent frustration. The
best is what you have today.”
Q
A
What has been the key positive or negative impact of
change in your area of the market?
Modern technology in software and communications is
having a very positive impact in our industry. I would remark
two specific aspects:
1. How software has evolved through private and modest
innovations that can be leveraged by any industry player like an
insurance company, just by creating an ecosystem of technologies
that best suits your business strategy, just like a lego that fits
perfectly, in comparison to the old fashioned “you have to
buy everything from me because I’m the strongest” type of
technology providers.
2. How data is moving the world through open platforms that are
facilitating many processes and many decisions. Those software
innovations I was referring to, mostly work with data models,
data is their fuel; GT Motive is here to facilitate access to data
as an industry purpose rather than keeping it for ourselves.
Remember, open and collaborative, common language, etc…
Q
A
If you were not in your current position, what would
you like to be doing?
If I were not in my current position, I would be applying
for it, just kidding. Maybe creating another company.
There are so many broken pieces and unattended needs in
our industry. And it’s kind of fearing because as technology
evolves, you find more broken pieces and things to fix.
Improvement opportunities and increasingly endless.
Q
A
What three items would you put on display in a
museum of your life and why?
A picture of my family, a CD-Rom with our first
insurance product “GT Expert” and my favourite
windsurfing wave board which I would have to buy back from
whoever owns it today.
Q
A
What three guests would you invite to a dinner
party?
Pope Francisco, Richard Branson (Virgin), Amancio
Ortega (Inditex-Zara)
Ángel Martínez
is President and Chief Executive Officer of GT Motive
don’t fall into the trap of
thinking that best is yet to
come. That trap will lead you
to permanent frustration. The
best is what you have today
30 | GT Motive Supplement