FLEETS can combat chronic delays in parts deliveries that could keep their vehicles off the road through more effective management of their accident repair process.

Accident repair network ABS says that a recent survey found that 85% of accident repairers deal with one or two long parts delays every month. However, business development manager Colin Thomson said such problems can be overcome with better management.

'There are two ways to resolve the situation where a manufacturer tells you that they cannot supply a part for a model for weeks or months into the future,' Thomson said. 'One is to undertake a temporary repair, the other is to attempt alternative and better supply management to ensure that you keep track of sources supplying parts for models which you know suffer from poor availability.

'Both of these are management issues and test the mettle of good accident repairers.' Thomson said that in a significant number of cases where a part was unavailable, some form of temporary repair could be undertaken.

The problem of parts shortages was raised last year by the Association of Car Fleet Operators and it is currently working with manufacturers to address the problem.