Opus IVS, leading provider of diagnostics solutions backed by OE master technicians, say their IVS 360™ support team has handled record numbers of calls in the first two months of 2023.
The festive season saw a big increase compared to last year. Call volumes have since been running at over 700 per day throughout January and February, occasionally exceeding 800.
There are believed to be several causes. The effect of the exemption from MOT testing that ran from 30th March 2020 for 6 months has created busier UK workshops between October and March. The independent repair sector remains generally buoyant too.
Diagnostics specialist Opus IVS also always sees higher demand in winter. Cold starting issues add to constant causes such as SCR and Euro VI diesel engine technology. Auto transmission failure faults are continuing to rise too.
“We still find there’s little or no driver awareness of the issues with diesel technology and AdBlue systems,” said Tony Gill, Customer Support Manage for UK and ROW at Opus IVS. “None of the vehicle manufacturers have cracked the technology and it just has inherent problems.”
Finally, Opus suggests the diagnostics market is continuing to evolve away from ‘tablet only’ fixes towards ‘remote support enabled’ solutions.
“There’s increasing demand for guidance to correctly diagnose and complete repairs, particularly amongst garages tackling a wide range of vehicle brands,” said Tony. “Whilst vehicle technology is largely the same, each vehicle manufacturer has their own nuances in how they apply it.”
The Opus IVS 360TM team offers live repair guidance for all customers through a team of over 40 brand-specific OE master technicians. The model is designed to boost independent garage efficiency by generating more first-time fixes, improving profitability of diagnostics work.
The company’s flagship DrivePro™ Elite is a diagnostic tablet offering a remote services VCI and coverage for 64 brands. However, Opus IVS says the real difference is this specialised support behind the product.
Beyond the IVS 360TM support included for all customers, there’s an appointment-based Remote Assist Program (RAP) too, offering appointment-based help with complex programming and coding work.
Garages wishing to find out more can do so now at https://www.opusivs-uk.com/products/mechanical-repair/drivepro-elite-diagnostic-kit/.