Vendor Spotlight: 1Source ADAS: Reshaping the Way for ADAS Calibrations 

by Alana Quartuccio

It takes an experienced technician to know what an experienced technician really needs, especially when it comes to ensuring that today’s vehicles are correctly repaired. 

That is exactly what longtime ABAT supporter and automotive professional Tommy Ames has devoted his career to – ADAS calibrations. Automotive electronics is his specialty. Through his company, Automotive Electronic Solutions, they provide the solution to all automotive electronic needs, from pre- and post-scanning to ADAS calibrations, providing service to anything and everything in the repair process that involves electronics. 

Now, he’s taking things even further with the development of 1Source ADAS, software that reads or “scrubs” an estimate to decipher the post-repair calibrations and required safety procedures. The technician using the software receives an easy-to-follow report with links to OEM procedures – everything they need post-repair in one document! 

Although other software exists in the market, Ames and his partner Robby Read, along with their product manager Kirk Carlisle, recognized that technicians’ needs were not being met – so they set out to create their software to truly serve technicians. 

“Sadly, we didn’t create the idea for estimating scrubbing, but we have made a software that’s more affordable and geared to the technician and the shop owner’s mindset,” Ames explains. 

“With over 30 years in the collision industry, many of those specifically in ADAS and automotive electronics, we know exactly what is needed from a software platform like this,” he adds. “We knew that we could make it better. That was our goal. We also have a lot of experience knowing what is required and what is not required with these repairs. Our main focus was to not have our software be all bells and whistles, but rather be based on simplicity and accuracy. It provides accurate reports for the technician on an easy-to-use platform. Nobody has time to learn something new, so we wanted to make it as simple as possible.”

Read echoes his partner’s sentiments. “We saw the need and decided to build something that’s good for the calibration and collision market that is also user-friendly.” 

It’s important to the 1Source ADAS team that their customers know that it’s their shared passion for fixing cars correctly that drives them in this business. “We don’t have any outside investors, so we don’t answer to anyone but our customers;  we’re just industry professionals with the industry’s best interest in mind,” Ames expresses. 

The purpose of 1Source ADAS is to assist the technician in the blueprinting process. “The blueprinter or the estimator doesn’t have to dive through pages and pages of OEM procedures to figure out what needs to be done after the car is repaired,” according to Ames. “This takes that out of their hands, gives them a report and saves them hours worth of blueprinting time for just a few dollars.” 

Another huge part of following procedure lies in protecting the consumer and one’s shop from liability. “It’s about integrity,” shares Carlisle. “We want to make sure that we’re doing what the customer expects us to do – a correct and complete repair so that the vehicle looks and behaves like it did before it was involved in a crash. And from a business owner’s standpoint, when you put your hands on a customer’s car, whatever you touch, you own. So, even if you don’t do the calibration yourself, you interact with the systems, and ultimately you take on a degree of responsibility for it. If you’re going to carry that liability, it is imperative that you do it correctly and document that you’ve done it correctly to protect yourself and your customer.”

Affordability was another need they set out to address. “We bill per report, so there’s no minimums or contracts involved,” Ames explains. “One can cancel anytime and pay only for what they used. There’s no package pricing. It gets cheaper the more you use it. At the end of each monthly billing cycle you will be billed for your total reports at the respective pricing tier that you fall under.”

“Another thing that sets our software apart is that collision industry experts designed it,” Read points out. “It wasn’t built by some software guy sitting behind a desk who had a good idea. We are in the industry doing this every day, and we run hundreds of cars a week, so we know what works and what doesn’t.”

Ames also stresses how important it is to follow OEM procedures. “My other business, Automotive Electronic Solutions, is really particular about OEM procedures. We’ll do it the way the manufacturer says, or we just won’t do the job at all.”

Want more? Check out the September 2024 issue of Texas Automotive!