The problem
Insurers and engineers ask for photos of hidden damage before approving extra work, and customers dispute what was already wrong with the car. When photos live on three technicians' phones, finding the right ones takes ages. A bodyshop sending 15 supplementary requests a month, spending 20 minutes on each hunting for and sending photos, loses 5 hours a month, and approvals wait.
What the AI does
CompanyCam stores timestamped photos and videos organized by project, works offline, and lets you share photo reports and live job updates with clients. Make a project for each repair by registration and photograph the car all round on arrival, at strip-down, any hidden damage and at handover. Send the insurer or engineer a photo report with each supplementary request, and the customer one if they ask what was done. The Crew plan adds AI features and auto-generated job reports.
A worked example
A four-technician bodyshop in Reading does mostly insurance work and sends about 15 supplementary requests a month. The estimator and workshop manager use CompanyCam Core with 2 users and photograph every stage on one project per car.
Before
15 supplementaries a month at 20 minutes each finding and sending photos: 5 hours
After
About 5 minutes each from the job's photo report: 1.25 hours
What it's worth
About $146£110€131A$211C$207 a month in time: 3.75 hours saved at an assumed $40£30€36A$58C$56 an hour. That is against about $92£69€82A$132C$130 a month for CompanyCam Core with 2 users billed yearly ($63 plus $29 for the second user), or about $113£85€101A$163C$160 month to month. Quicker insurer approvals and fewer arguments about damage that was already there aren't counted.
How to set it up
- Start CompanyCam Core and add the second person who will take photos.
- Create a project for each car by registration as it's booked in.
- Photograph the car all round on arrival, then at strip-down, hidden damage, paint and handover.
- Send a photo report with every supplementary request to the insurer or engineer.
- Keep projects after collection for as long as your insurer agreements require.
What goes wrong
- Core allows 2 users at most. A shop where every technician takes photos needs Crew at $119 (about $118£89€106A$171C$167) a month billed yearly, with 3 users.
- Prices are in US dollars, so the sterling cost moves with the exchange rate.
- The arrival walk-round is the set of photos that settles damage disputes. Never skip it, even when the yard is busy.
- Number plates and anyone caught in shot are personal data. Share reports only with people who need them.