ANS Network – Important Changes to the Way You Receive Job Information from the Motoring Organisations

If you receive your work from the Motoring Organisations electronically, via the ANS Network these imminent changes may well affect your business.

The ANS Industry Forum comprises; all of the UK’s Motoring Organisations, representatives of the Recovery Industry and the Software Suppliers to the industry, namely Apex Networks (RMS), MTT (Garage Manager) and Laser Byte (VTRAK). The ANS Industry Forums aims and objectives are; to maintain, develop and improve the common messaging standard that allows Recovery Operators to receive their jobs from all Motoring Organisations via one communications network. In the absence of the ANS Network each individual Motoring Organisation would need to provide a communications platform with their chosen Recovery Operators. From the Recovery Operators perspective this would mean they would need a communications link with each of the Motoring Organisations they receive work from. Consequently it would mean multiple links for each Recovery Operator, a communications nightmare!!

To keep abreast of changing technology, new features, the requirements of the Motoring Organisations and Recovery Operators, updates to the ANS Messaging Standard need to be implemented from time to time. Before any changes are implemented it is first ascertained that they are all compatible with the Motoring Organisations systems and the systems provided by the industry Software Suppliers. This of course assumes that the Recovery Operators are operating on a current version of the software provided by their chosen software supplier.

It is therefore important that Recovery Operators are made aware that, with effect from April 2016 changes to the ANS Industry Messaging Standard will mean that Recovery Operators not on a compatible software version may no longer receive vital job information transmitted to them from the Motoring Organisations. It is therefore vitally important that you check that you are on a compatible version of your chosen software.

To assist you with understanding whether you need to implement any changes you urgently need to carry out the following actions:

Apex Networks, (RMS & RMS-Lite):
You need take no further action, all Apex software is compatible with the new Messaging Standard.

MTT (Garage Manager):
Garage Manager customers need to ensure they are on version 2.17.16 in order to fully support the ANS Messaging Standards. If you require an update then please contact Garage Manager Support on 01934 421320. This update is free to Garage Manager customers on a support contract.

Laser Byte (VTRAK):
Laser Byte has this matter in hand and will be liaising directly with their clients about any changes that will be necessary.

Operators who are not using software supplied by the aforementioned vendors should contact their software provider as a matter of urgency.

From

David Brinklow FIMI, FIVR
Commercial Director